Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-07-31
CRIMINAL CouRr-Trial of the Election Riot

near the gun; witness did not see Mr. Davidge
there at all during the time he was there; the ex-
element not confined to the spot where the
gun was, but there were other crowds in various
places near by, and all were manifesting a de-
cdedly riotcus spirit; witness did not give any
order to take the gum had no right to do so; IL
fired, the discharge must have been dreadfully
effective, not only TO the marines, but to others;
Gen. Henderson remained quite near the gun all
the time witness was in the crowd; the gun was
on or near the pavement; witness in poino across
the street did not see what took place behind
him; could see the gun; was close to II repeat
edly. both behind and before it, did not examine
carefully; did not hear the order given TO fire
that witness could recollect; might have hea I'd
II, but thinks not; as witness was poinU away
there was general movement among the parties
about the gun in the same direction with wit
ness supposed that the gun was then being
taken; the firing of the marines proceeded from
the left OF the line; heard no pistols II red from
Allstons corner; while witness was on the pave
ment some balls struck the pavement near wit
ness when witness came from his place OF re-
treat, after firing closed, he joined the Mayor:
didn't see but one wounded person: at time the
firing took place, had his back to the marines;
when witness was at AllstOn's corner crowd
was there; didn't 90 up to the corner, but passed
near IL; persons were on the pavement going in
the same direction with witness; witness done
all he could to restrain the mob in the first place,
and when he found his efforts were unavailing
he thought II best to leave for safer locality and
he moved off very rapidly.
Hanson RiJgWay, sworn-Was at the polls at
half-past in the morning; it was his precinct to
vote in; was there when the disturbance took
place in the morning early; the voting went on
quietly till the Plugs arrived; as soon as they
came disturbance commenced; they talked about
"wading M witness was among the crowd
member Of the auxiliary guard came to0vitness
and told him the Plugs were there; Capt God
dard was talking to them, when one of them
struck him on the head with stone; another
man WAS about TO strike him again when witness
Went to the man and said, What are Won going
TO hit that man for !'' while saving this witness
was himself struck; this was before the lines were
broken; they then went oil; when they came back
witness was on the pavement; they made great
noise; witness went up and met theln then the
outcry was ''wade in; witness gave way tothem;
they passed witness and went in to the polls and
took them; Isaiah and Daniel Stewart were there
both crying "give il to them, give it TO them;''
Daniel passed on in front of the crowd; Isaiah
didn't go in 'front.' saw Geo. Johnson when the
officer arrested him, at the time he struck Can't
Goddard with stick; Mr.. Klopfer arrested him:
this was at the time the polls were taken; he WAS
in the crowd that took the polls; one Hurdle was
the e; don't know whether il was Charles or Will
liam Hurdle; witness was at the polls all day, ex-
cept during the time the officers took Johnston TO
the watch house; when the gun came on the
ground Daniel Stewart was on it; witness thought
1t was an engine at tirst it stopped opposite the
polls.
They collected together at s
o'clock, and the cry was. 90 wade in ~ a great
many stones were being thrown; Jerry Toomey
was standing near witness, and was struck with
& stone ~ tndl time; lnlS was some time before
the polls were taken; Capt. Goddard struck
at the time the polls were taken; there was fifteen
or twenty of them; Charley Mcdowell was with
them; there was Il great many people there, the
men who threw the stones belonged to the Plug
party; they were i'll the street; witness went to
meet them, and gave way for them to pass; in
few minutes the street was tuil OF people
who gave way To the crowd of rioters the
fray lasted but few minutes; all the stones were
thrown by the rioters; there was no resistance
made to them; when the stones were thrown and
the pistols fired, the judges ran away witness
saw them run; witness thought he one of the
auxiliary guard go in there at that time the polls
were closed but not very long, and then the
voting was resumed witness did not pay any at
tentiOn to the polls after he voted; that was some
time before the marines came; was there when
they came; they came up on Shreves's pavement;
saw some gentlemen leave them and 90 up to the
polls they were closed; at that time witness was
at the corner, above DorSey's: saw the marines
when they fred saw them take the gun; heard
the first yolley from the marines, five minutes
after that; don't know who was shot in the first
riot, but as many as five men were shot; two
Irishmen Were so badly beaten that they could
not walk: they We're carried off; klopfer arrested
Johnston; heard many pistols tired when the polls
were taken; the judges ran away at that time;
don't know Charles Hurdle.
Gen. Henderson. sWorn.-At half-paSt 10 a IN.
of election day witness received ali order from
the Secretary of the Navy, Ia writing, to send the
street, and to report to the Mayor first for orders;
gave the order Ia Captain Tyler; told him TO pre-
pare the troops with ball cartridges, ulIat was
the order contained in the message;) about IL
O'Clock the marines took up the line of march;
witness arrived 1T the City Hall Just after the ma
rines arrived went there In citizens clothes and
as an old citizen; Informed the Mayor that he had
come TO assist him in any way lac could: went to
the polls; when near the place witness heard that
Il cannon was there; went up and saw the cannon;
told the Mayor to have il taken; proceeded up to
the market house and then saw the gun; witness
it and placed his knee against il with
i determination to prevent lis being fired till the
marines should get TO the place where lac wished
them TO be; held to his position with the gun till
the marines came mp past the place where il could
have raked theIn; went over 10 Capt. TYLER and
whispered TO him that that Was the time to take
II; the Captain gave the order and the marines
rushed over to the charge at quick march, and
with their guns at a trail; they immediately took
il, and the crowd retrcated and fired from twenty
To thirty shots ~ the marines; 4 marine was shot
by pistol in the cheek; he was wounded in
making the charge on the gun; didn't see any
missiles thrown al the marines; nothing but the
discharge of pistols; witness Was throwing
up the musket of marine, who seemed to be
about To fire IL; saw his eve Il man, who came
up and fired pistol at him or at witness; ma
rine behind witness fired his musk at this man
and wounded him in the arm; witness went I'D
and took him and carried him to the MAYOR IN
whose charge he delivered him; the bayOnet of
the marine could not have touched this man; saw
the pistol; thinks ii was single barreled pistol;
could not identify any of the men; the crowd
said they were Navy Yard men. not BaltimOreans
CTOSS-eTGnGIHed.-Didn not know where the gun
came from at first; his opinion is that il was taken
up in consequence Of the ordering out of the ma
rines; witness now went to the Secretary of the
Navy and informed him what had been done
and then went home; several attempts were made
to train the gun so as to be in position to rake
the marines; the rioters said afterwards that they
shot at witness several times; don't know whether
they considered this d compliment or not; they
were very DESTROYS to train the gun so as to rake
the marines; they were trying to train IT at the
north corner Of the market house; they might
have been turning ii to take il AWAY but does NOT
think so; thinks their object was to bring il to
bear on the marines; they fired many pistols di-
rectly at the marines; the gun was on the pave
ment, near the market house; there Were no po-
lice there saw the crowd fire frequently; saw no
one arrested, nor any attempt made to arrest any
one; that they were the assaiants of the police
witness has no doubt; it is very difficult to re-
strain the soldiers from firing, under circum-
stances like those; they fired entirely without
orders, so far as the knowledge OF witness goes
II orders had been given, they must have been
given soto rOee; witness could not hear Them
one OF the rioters came up and spoke to the cor
poral who was standing near the witness, telling
him that he was breaking the laws by coming up
there to shoot down Americans; the excitement
must have been very Dreat when ~ came