The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-06-10
Election Riots at Washlngton.-Th
"Plug Ugl1es" from Baltimore.

WASHINGTON. Monday, June l-10P. NJ.
There were serious disturbances at sew
cTal of the voting places to-day.
The Mayor obtained from the President
an order to call out two companies of
marines, having stated to him, upon re-
presentation of credible citizens, that a
band oflawless persons, most of them nom
residents, had attacked one of the polls at
which the annual election was in progress,
and dispersed the Commissioners of Elec-
ton, and threatened further violence
upon any attempt to carry on the elec-
ton.
1t is said that intense excitement
exists.
Troops from Fort McHenry have been
called out.
LATER-1l P. M--The Mayor direc-
ted the marines to Northern Liberties,
whittier the rioters had conveyed a swivel.
He commanded them to disperse, infor-
ming them that the troops were there
solely to preserve the peace. This order
was tauntingly disregarded, when the swiv-
Ell was wrested from its possessors, and one
marine was shot. The most fearful alarm
prevailed, frequent shots being fred by
the rioters.
The marines returned the fire. 1t was
soon discovered that FIVE or six persons
were killed and twice as many wounded.
The larger portion ofthem innocent, SO far
as ascertained by verbal accounts. The
! ~ - M ~ ara ~ ~ o,% vo snk1~
The city is thrown into a fever of excite
ment, and the occurrence everywhere dis
cussed The marines are still in reserve
at the city hall. The mob is disper-
sing.
The following is the Washington Unions
account of the affair:
The citizens of Washington were called
upon, yesterday (June l,)to elect members
of the two boards of councils and other
municipal officers, and in the place of be-
ing allowed a free and a full exerci Sc of the
privileges of the elective franchise, armed
gangs of bullies and desperados were i'm
ported from Baltimore with the view Of
intimidating all from voting for the Anti
Know-N othing candidates through the
persuasive influence of bludgeons, slung-
shot, pistols and Bowie-knives. The
Star. of last evening, in it's accounts of
yesterdays bloody proceedings. says:
A gang of hired %rufians and DULLES.
.'Plug.Uglies," and other worthless from
Baltimore, have been imported by the
kuow-Nothings to take violent possession
of the polls, and armed with revolyers,
billies and slung.shots to prevent our own
citizens from depositing their votes.
In the first precinct of the fourth ward
this morning, a general fight occurred, in
which several hundred men and boys were
engaged, Unfortunately. 1t seems that
some forty or fifty "Plug-Uglies" came
down from Baltimore this morning to assist
our citizens in the election to-day. Afte;'
floating around for som time without ef-
fecting anything of note, they pitched up
on the Fourth Ward first precinct, as be-
ing the most eligible scene for their OPP
perations. A long line of voters were
standing in the street, extending for some
distance from the polls, and composed
principally of anti-Kuow-N othing voters.
The plugs" assisted by several large
squads Of chunkers and rip-raps of our
own city, endeavored to break into this
line by crowoing, but not succeeding, in
this they left the scene of action to concert
more hostile measures.
After a short time they returned, large
ly reinforced in numbers, and, with re.
~volvers, stones, billies, brickbats, &C.,
they made a concerted onslaught upon the
voters. A terrible scene now ensued,
in which the entire crowd participated.
Stones and pistols were rapidly discharg-
ed, and men we're trampled to the earth,
beaten, stamped on, and severely wounded.
AT the first precinct of the. Fourth
Ward the officers did all in their power
to prevent the riot, placing themselves be-
tween the belligerents and the voters in
the line, with Captain Goddard at the
head, who commanded the peace, when they
rushed on en- masse, and with an impetu-
osity which nothing short of a military
force could have withstood; and, although
the police fought like heroes, they were
forced to abandon the field to the posses
sion of these hired miscreants.
Our Baltimore visitors were, about elev-
en- O'Clock, good enough to pay a visit to
the Second Ward polls, wearing the Know
Nothing ticket as a badge. and shouting
for "Dixon, as a rallying cry.
About this time some of the "solid
men" of the ward were seen emerging
from their residences. armed with muskets,
as if they had some notion of going upon
q cunning expedition. The "Plug-Ug-
lies" seemed to think the Second Ward
air was getting insalubrious, and they
left in a body, probably with the design
of regulating some of the other pre-
cincts.
AT moo it became evident that moth
ing short of military interposition could
save the city from almost universal riot
A letter was addressed by Mayor Magru-
der to the President of the United States,
asking for a company of marines in order