Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-08-07
rhes,ynshineton Election Riots.

parties implicated in the election riots in
Washington
Hanson R;dgeway. who was called to
the stand on Thursday. ties lied that he
saw the Plugs come on the ground in the
morning and the row begin. Saw the
two Stewards in the crowd, saying
"sGiye il to him. give it to him." Saw
Geo. johnson strike Captain Goddard and
officer Klopfer arrest him. Saw Daniel
Stewart on tho gun. The head of the
party in the morning was Charley Nc
Donald, who once lived in Washington,
but now in Baltimore. There were cries
Il, of g Wade in. wade in, melting to as
,sault. No resistance was made whatev-
Ger by the attacked party upon their
aassailants. Stones and pistols were
thrown and fred into the place where the
Judges Of elections were, and they ran
. away. They did not continue away very
+ long. After the swivel was taken by the
marines, Eve or ten minutes elapsed be-
fore they fired their muskets.
f5pp.Gen. Henderson was the next witness.
He'testified that he proceeded in citizens
dress to the market house, where the mob
had the cannon, and when he got there
put his knee to the muzzle to prevent it
from being fred till the marines got into
e position. Then went to Capt. Tyler and
whispered to him. " Now is the time to
take the gun" Capt. Tyler gave the or
der and the platoon advanced, half at the
point of the bayonet and half at trail
arms. 1t was quickly taken. One of
the charging party of the marines VISA
shot in the mouth. Saw and heard about
thirty pistol shots and then the responsive
O., discharge Of muskets. A young man
70 came out of an opening. and, drawing
near. fred his pistol at deponent or ma
2rine. The marine fred and shot him in
the arm.
cB On his cross examination, Gen. Fl. said
he thought the gun was brought out in
consequence Of the calling out of the ma.
riues. Deponeut believed his presence
prevented the training Of the gun so as to
point it to the marines. The retreating
rioters fred as they retreated. Is per-
fectly certain the troops were fired on
first. IL is very hard to prevent troops
from firing when fred upon; this fact is
we'll instanced in the action of Gen.
Wayne, at Stony Point. who, to prevent
firing had TO take the dints from the SOL
diers' guns. So far as deponent knows
the marines fired without orders. Should
not think the excitement at the fourth
Z. polls caused by the presence of the ma
rines; it had gone very far before they
came, The presence OF regular troops
generally produces quietness. The first
p. hint or intimation deponent ever received
as to the calling out the marines was at
half past 10 o'clock on the first of June.
The muskets used were smooth bore; the
old muskets.
Mr.. Martin. for the defense. put ques>
ton to the witness with the view OF elic-
iting the assumed fact that many, if not a
majority of the United States troops call
ed out were really not United States SOL
diers at all. but persons on whom the ma
;rine uniform had been placed for the mere
occasion. The court disallowed the ques.
ton. ar..a 49,.
jeremiah Toomey testified to the rres-
ence OF Eggleston and Sibley at the riots.
Franklin Birkhead deposed that VIM.
Sibley was in the riot, and that Geo.
johnson struck Captain Goddard. Prior
to the first assault on the line Of voters
the cry Of johnson was "wade in, natives;
wade in. natives" and then he threw
stick. David Lewis and Vanloman john
son were also engaged in rioting. the
former pursuing depouent with intent Of
assault. Deponent shot at him. In the
afternoon, when the marines had come,
Hilleary and Spencer come out near the
middle Of the block, and the former said
p" the sons Of - are shooting blank car
tridgcs," when Hilleary shot a pistol and
Spencer threw stone at the marines
Eight or ten pistol, shots were fired by
persons who came out from Allsten's cor
.'ner, and then the marines fred back at
them. Deponent corroborated the evi>
dence about Geo. Wilson's acts at the
polls. Greg Barry was named by depo-
inent as captain OF the Baltimore " Rip
Iraps..''
Among the witnesses examined was
John G.: Freer, who was at the polls;
Identifies Vanloman johnson and VIM.
oSibley as among the rioters. Also saw
George johnson with a stick about two
feet long. which he threw at Captain
Goddard, and struck him on the shoulder.
Witness ran after him, but before he
caught him Mr.. Klopfer had him. On
his way to the watch house johnson call
ed out Rally, boys, and rescue me-"
ip Richarl Owens was at the polls and
was shot.in the chin and in the arm in
the afternoon. about half past one or two
o'cocks while the marines were at the
market house, saw Daniel Stewart with a
gun in his hand. which he snapped at the
marines twice, but the gun did not 90 off.
There were several persons in the rear
crying out to Stewart to shoot; they said,
" You are near enough, why don't you
give it to them % One Of these was
Isaiah Stewart.