Weekly Clarksville chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 185?-1857, 1857-06-19

Tins Of our drunken Mayor and his abetl


tors. lse ,s..;. t.
q The facts in the case are simply as fol-
lows; A large crowd of Irish voters col
lected around the polls of the first precinct
ofthe Fourth ward, between the hours Of
8 and clock on the morning of the day
of the election, and forming aline, two and
4 two, filing the little avenue through which
the voters passed and extending back some
Is PAGES along the sidewalk AS is usual
in times of election crowd of men aud
boys assembledin thestreet about thepolls
and raised some excitement by crying
eight, fight rushing from one side of
the street to the other, in the direction of
the cry. A Justice of the Peace, by the
name of Goddard, interfered with the boys
and insisted on their keeping the peace,
when there was no signs of disturbance, and
only a little sham fighting. He endeayor-
ed to make some arrests; this incensed the
boys, and the Consequences that a stone
was thrown at some one and then another
H.. .Hat - = +-f = }s'ss- .fl rNI fl.
|, followed and another. Arosf .ss! -,i M.
The Irish in the line becoming alarmed
took to their heels and were followed by a
shower ofstones and a few pistol shots we're
exchanged by the parties, though no one
was seriously damaged. The polls were
then closed for about Is minutes, but not
, exceeding that time, when order was resto-
I, red and the receiving votes resumed.
, The Mayor arrived on the ground about
the time when the pOllswere re-opened and
/ was aware that perfect peace had been re-
stored, but, notwithstanding this fact, fin
ding that the Irish had been driven OF, he
. determined on vengeance and Immediately
dispatched a messenger to the President,
T imploring him to call out the Marines
The order was promptly and willingly CIV
en- by his honor and the Mayor proceeded
, to have the marines brought from the Ma
f Wy Yard Some three hours or more elaps-
ed before the arrival Of the Government
; troops, and during that time there had
been disturbance but the beating of one
; lrishnan, who had attempted to vote ille-
; gally. When it was announced in the
} streets that the military had arrived mum
bers of the most respectable citizens foil w
2 ed them to the Fourth ward polls to observe
/, what action should be taken when there
5 was no not going on. .a.
Very fortunately for the plans of the
: Mayor and his abettors, the boys had bro't
=, to the ground small brass cannon, which
although loaded, was wet, and could not
have been fired; the Mayor ordered the
military to. charge the gun-they made a
brave charge and took the gun, the boys
retreating in all directions. Incited to
more daring deeds by this victory, he gave
the word Fire, to the oiicerin charge
the officer raised his sword and the slaugh-
ter began. 1arDg fr1 ssf i.s2 ssc1r.
The citizens retreated precipitatoly in all
directions, but were fred into while re-
treating. The smoke cleared awny--but
what sight remained 1.-The dead and dy-
i. ing and voundod ,strewed the ground =
=, The piercing cry ofYGoqd God lam dead 7
. fell with heart sickening sadness on the
D.. ear Of the beholder, Old men, women
4 children, and negroes, all Jared alike. One
old man was killed in the second story o
q his own house, one or two children were
shot ata distance Of two or three squares
A few pistol shots were fred by the boys
as they retreated, and two of the Marines
q were wounded. .,.r .t,... d. .,.., .-e'',.
e These are factsLthere was no rioting
/ and no disposition to riot; there was nS
d warning given to the citizens to disperse
% there was no riot act read; there were NJ
blank cartridges fred that have been as
certained; but a reckless and diabolicalor
It der for nindiserimipate slaughter of harm
, less and inofensive citizens, There i
st great excitement here but not the spiri
IF that should bemanifested When martha
}. law is resorted to for murderous party pur
Is poses, and citizens are shot down in thei
i dwn houses and the perpetrators of tn
deed, horrible and black as it is, arc laud
" ed to the skies and their crime protected
D by the Chief Magistrate Of our cobntry
A then forbearance ceases to be ayirtue anC
"a an outraged public should rise and bio
ef out the serpents from our midst. Tn
al time has come when it is a disgrace to b
% an American born citizen and when tn
A. foreign party even dare to shoot us dow
No around our own hearth stones, and tina
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