Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-07-30


no order given TO the marines TO fire; heard Cap-
tain Maddox direct the marines not to fire tin
| they Were ordered; the direction in which the
marines fired must have been a little south of
the cannon the aim seemed to be i'm that djrec
ton; all the persons did not disperse tin amer
| the marines had taken the cannon some did re-
treat but the great body Of them were still there:
when the main body of the marines Aired the
crowd dispersed; marine was shot when the
marines immediately returned the fire of the mob
mere was large crowd around the cannon; per-
sons were standing near by, between the marines
ana the cannon; when witness got up to the can
non, Richard Wallach was trying to get them IN
axe the cannon away, as witness supposed; at
t IN time the Mayor attempted to address them;
ne was slleneed by the crowd, who booted and
surrounded the cannon. Did not know who com
posed the crowd; don't know how MANY men
Were Killed Saw Allston as he fell; cannot say
what part those who were killed took i'm the riots:
when the marines fired, the crowd ran up and
down the street, firing, they fed, at the ma
rlnes, who fred after them; Eggleston was en-
couIaSlnS the mob to make attack on the voters
III the morning; the crowd, at the time witness
voted, was demanding that the polls be closed;
the cause assigned by the crowd for closing the
polls was, that the marines Were coming; Biddle-
man was not taken hold of 10y the Mayor, would
have seen him if he had; don't know that LIQUOR
was distributed among the marines or police on
that day; witness was struck on the head with
stone and with brickbat; they said they had
stood it long enough,'' that is, that the voters
had voted long enough; ii the voters that they
alluded TO; they said, in abiding TO the voters
that had they been anywhere else, they would
have been driven away long before; they an
hounced their intention to go in and drive them
oil; the principal Jersons making the assertions
were Eggleston, Hurdle, and others Baltimo-
reans &c; of the persons in the line of voters
large majority Were natulaliz citizens; witness
remarked to the mob that some of them (the vo-
ters) were the friends OF the p? rites
The cToss-examiHatiOn Of Mr.. Goddard closed
here, and
DR. Wm. e. DTagrwder, Mayor of Washington.
was called.-W itness was in the Mayor, office
he mo Oiutro IA.
elections the Chief of Police came into the Office
and informed witness that the election polls I'm
the first precinct OF the Fourth Ward had been
closed in consequence OF the violence of the mob;
left the City Hall and rode to the polls; found
great crowd, who We're noisy and tuI bulrnt;
young w heeler the tax collector, came up TO wit
ness and expressed great pleasure at his having
come; young Nheeler's father said to witness
"you must have some protection here for nv son
or he cannot stay Ieie;,' ascertaiEed from inquiry
that the polls were closed; saw that fact; the
election was suspended; returned to his Office in
three-quarters Of an hour; remained there trans
acting his official duties half hour in that half
hour witness heard frequent discharges of pistols;
| left the office in an open barouche went up the
avenue to the state of the city, as witness be-
\ lieved II TO he his duty to do; on Pennsylvania
| avenue, between Eleventh and Twelfth streets
| met band Of riOtous men coming down the
street, firing pistols, hOotng and yelling; went
to the First Ward on official business, came back
again to the City Hall and remained there until
o'clock, when Captain Tyler, commander of the
| marines, came to the City Hall with the marine
| corps and reported to witness for orders; ascer-
tanned soon afterwafd that party Of rotous per-
| sons were marching up Seventh street with a
brass six FOUNDER; felt il to be his duty to see
that that six FOUNDER should not be used to dis
turb the peace without being there To it; know
ing that the police Chere are only fifteen police
| men IN the city, were obliged to be at each
| precinct, and YOult in any case be insufficient
| to cope with band of rioters with cannon
opposed to then witness ordered Capt Tyler to
march his men with him to the place; witness
| went with him in advance OF the marines to the
place; arrived there the marines came into line
on street between 9Th and 9TH streets out of sight
OF the polls; in conjunction with several citizens
witness went up 10 the polls TO ascertain the state
| of things there and found the polls closed; was
Informed that the commissioners of election had
| left; went back to the marines and marched them
up ia front OF the polls make it perfectly
| easy for persons Is come up and vote; Captain T.
having reported that the way TO the polls had
been cleared. witness went up and knoc ked on
| the window Of the polls and called to the COM
missioneGs; the call answered by derision
! from the crowd; George Wilson was on a plat
form over the window, and told witness emphat-
| iCally that the commissioners had gone and the
polls should not DE- opened till the marines were
taken away other persons also said so; previous
| to getting the marines, W u. Wilson said vOcf-
| eTOusly that the election should not 20 On and
| that the marines should br driven from the polls;
| as we went up to the polls, up STREET some dis
| lance, w. IL. Wilson was preceding making all
| sorts of violent ordinations and gpsticula-
| tiOns; he declared that that was great ont
rage, the bringing out the marines; and that
they should br repealed; after knOc king at polls
| witness tried 10 address the people; told them
| that the marines were brought 10 maintain the
peace of the city; that they Were not broug LIT
there to interfere with the rights OF any person;
that they did not intend To interfere with the hts
OF any American citiZSn; on the contrary, il was
tO see that they should enjoy all the rights they
possessed. During all this lime there was such
sbrieking that witness cOnid not be heard the
| only persons witness recognized were the two
Wilson's there was a crowd about the polls and
| about the Northern Liberty market gentleman,
stranger la HIM, came up To him and said if he
woud 20 with him To thr crowd at the MAJ k%t,
| they would hear him witness went with him;
had no friend with him; there he found Mr.. Car
| Isle and Richard Wallach begging, iInplOring,
and entreatin9 the crowd to 90 away. and To keep
the peace; went To that crowd; both w allach and
stranger said this is the Mayor listen to him. Car
Isle then ZealouSly underworld to persuade the
crowd to preserve the law; they did not stop TO
listen they cried out ''put him down, don't
hear him." the cannon was brought out directly
in front, and within six feet of witness and wit
ness distinctly SAW Middleton Birkhead at the
gun, running something in il afterwards found
that il was paving stones; in the gun witness
afterwards found eight paving stoves, large num-
Der of cartridges, lead siugs, considerable guam
tty of powder, various cartridges tied up in a red
silk handkerchief; the load is now in possession
of the Chief of Police shortly after that the posi-
ton Of the cannon was changed, so that IL il had
been fired that time il would have swept
Seventh street meantime the marines marched
up Seventh street, AND We're drawn up in front of
the market-hOuse; the position of the cannon
lad been changed so as TO sweep the column of
the marines if it had been fired; went to Captain
Tyler and told him to take the gun; Il single pla,
toOn Of marines went to take the gun; they ap-
preached il, those around il fled; after they took
II, they placed il in the rear; after that, went
again and entrcated them to disperse; theie was
so much noise witness could not have BEEN hea d;
persons were throwing stones, clubs, brio bats,
and in some instances striking the marines, after
the gun had been taken; there were frequent dis
charges OF pistols from the crowd in and about
the market house: witness had great anxiety to
avoid shedding Blood told the crowd that the
marines were there TO restore quiet, and entreated
them to observe silence man Zone Of the ma
rines) was wounded with 4 pistol; witness now
thought II time to resort to extIeIae easures to
stop the blOodshed; started oil 10 approach Capt,
Tyler, and just then heard the discharge OF
musket, and quickly afterwards this discharge
WIS followed by other discharges; soon as wit
ness could yet over 10 the line OF marines, he
took position, for few moments, in their rear;
parties were firing at the marines from house
al the Intersection of Massachusetts and NewYoIk
avenues and Seventh street, but as ii too far
oil to be- effective, witness did not give il much
4