The Opelousas courier., 1857-06-13
miscellaneous
THE ELECTION RIOTS IN WASH
TNGTON.

lNGTON.
We hoped that the telegraph would, ere We
published an account of the election riots
which took place at Washington on Monday.
have brought us impartial reports Of them.
Thus far we are left to inference as to who
were the instigators and actors in the outrage.
We had no doubt on the matter, nor had any
one else but still we should prefer that the
fatcs had been furnished directly from Wash
ington
We are told that the Baltimore "Plug
! Ugles invaded the polls, and that terrible
attack was made on Anti -Know-Nothing
voters, as the Picayune's published reports
term them The Know Nothings, we are in
formed brought out cannon, and the Demo
Gratis, it is lugubriously admitted, succeeded
in the election, notwithstanding the Plug
Uglies'' and their eurhoniously styled rein
forcing accomplces, the "Rip-Raps " and
ChuDkers.' Putting this and that to-
gether," we shall scarcely be accused of un-
warranted precipitation in inferring and sta
ting, in plain language, that the knoW-Noth-
ing Thugs of Washington sought to pursue
the course there which they have followed
III Ill 1JUulSf Illc duu Ill GuIo ClL1
but that they reckoned without their host. -
With this brief preface we will now sub
join the report of the affair sent to the Plea
yune:
"When the rioters from Baltimore ap-
peared, the citizens, armed, turned out, and
drove them off
Soon after desperate row commenced i'll
the first precinct of the Fourth Ward, the
Plugs being reinforced by Rip Raps, and
anti-Know- Nothing voters, with pistols, bowie
knives and stones, and they were driven from
the polls MIR. Owens, one of the Com
missioners, had his hand shatterd by pistol
shot A Kloffer received ball in his fore
head. An Irishman was dreadfully beaten,
and several othersrecived pistol shot wounds.
"Capt Goddard, of the police had strong
force on the ground, but they were driven
back. The mayor called on the President
for military force. The Plug Uglies'
repaired to the engine house of the Anacosta
Company, near the Navy Yard, and procured
small cannon, aud marched to the scene of
action.
They were passed by two companies of
the U. S. marines, under Capt Tyler, also
marching to the scene Of the riot. They
were hailed with hootings and yells. The
: Plugs drew up, with their cannon, in front
of the market-house. The marines formed
on seventeenth street. The Mayor address
sed the crowed. aud ordered it to disperse.
Word was thereupon sent in that if the ma
rines did not leave the ground, dficulty
would take place.
1.-The order was then given to charge, and
the marines took possession of the cannon.
amidst voleys ofpistol shots from the Plug
Uglies' The marines returned the fire,
principally directing their shots towards the
northwestern corner of the market.house.
Mr.. Allston, a grocer, was shot dead. Thos.
Wills, of Mary land, was mortally wounded.
Colored man, unknown, shot dead. Yell
shot badly in the leg. Col Williams, of the
land Office, martally wounded. Old man,
unknown, shot through the head and fell dead
Irishman, unknown mortally wounded. The
cannon of the rioters was captured, and the
marines then marched to the City Hall.
There were thirty five shots, buck and
ball counted on the northeast cornor of the
building and the dry goods store adjoining.
Some of these were as high as the second
story The stores were all closed on Seventh
street for six squares. Twenty or thirty of
the Plug Uglies' escaped on the train for Bal
timore. Quiet is restored. The Flying Ar
tillery from Fort McHenry arrived at 2s
o'clock in the morning.
"There having been threats made to des-
troy the houses Of the Mayer and Captain
Tyler, of the Marines, their families were
removed to places of safety, and strong
guard of artillery posted in front of each
house"
The report adds that the excitement con-
tiuued all night, and reached a. tremendous
height.