Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1857-02-26
Great Riot at Bergen Hill.

About four hundred of the laborers employed
by the Long Dock Company in constructing
the tunnel for the use Of the New York ana
Erie Railroad, through Bergen Hill, were en-
gagged in terrible riot ON Saturday afternoon
and Sunday. Mr.. Mallory, the contractor
has had nearly i 200 men employed upon this
work, but desiring to push it forward, he has
lately considerably increased his force. Some
of the men employed are from Munster and
Others from Connaught district in Ireand-cal-
ed /" Corkoniansa and Landowners" respect
lively. These laborers have colonized, and
built their shanties in groups. The patch"
on which the Munster men had squatted ada
cent to that on which the Connaught men had
erected their shanties. Some of the late COM
ers who had Joined the Munster settlement, had
trangressed upon the domain of the Connaught
men in erecting their dwellings, which was the
principal cause that excited the old feud be-
tween the two clans and led to the riot. The
reason Of the outbreak occurring on Saturday
was the fact that they received their months
wages that day and more whiskey than usual
was imbibed.s The fighting commenced by an
assault upon the Munster men about o'clock
on Saturday afternoon, and continued until
night the numbers engaged in it constantly in
creasng. The weapons used were clubs, stones
and fists, and some of the women who Joined in
the ARRAY put stones into their stockings, and
used them with considerable effect
The alarm extended extensively over Jersey
| City and Hoboken, and about FIVE o'clock in
the afternoon active preparations were made
by the authorities and inhabitants of both
places for the restoration Of order. In the
former, several fire companies were mustered
and four militrry companies were got under
arms. The fire companies Of Jersey City
rushed to the scene of action, and dashing in
suddenly among the combatents, the fighting
factions aed on all sides in disorder. Although
there was some skirmishing amongst the de-
tached parties the conflict was not renewed
with such severity during the evening or night
of Saturday. The armstce was observed the
more faithfully, owing to the fact that the
Natl onal Guards the "Hghwoods' and
German rifle company from Hoboken arrived
on the field, with some military companies be-
longing to Jersey City
During the fray, four wooden shanties be-
longing to the parties engaged were fred and
burned, and the glare Of the flames rendered
the scene more exciting and CHASTITY. At an
early hour on Sunday morning the military
companies commenced to retire. They left
good many Of the laborers severely hurt and
some of the rngleaders under arrest by the
civil authorities.
Tee fighting continued at intervals during
Sunday, but there was no general engagement
Some two or three were killed, including one
child, and several are mortally wounded A
bout fifty arrests were made
The men known as q Corkonans" come
chiefly from the province of Munster, where
the farms are extensive and wages at some
seasons good. The term "Fardowner1 has
been applied by them to the laborers inhabi-
ting the province of Connaught and outskirts
of Ulster, who have sought work in Munster,
and during the English, harvest at prices
which the Corkonians" thought too low and
hence they have always viewed the Far
downers'' with Jealous aud contemptuous eyes