New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-17
TIE LATE RIOT IN THE SEVENTEENTH
WARD
CONTINUATION OF THE INVESTIGATED


entesn Ward, and the investigation into the causes
and circumstances Of the riot resumed yesterday,
before Cororer Perry. TIE evidence taken previous
day the police were heard, and they report quite
different state of things from the Germans. The fol-
Lowing is the evidence elicited
Inspector Jeddiah W. HART, of the Seventeenth
Wa,d Police was sworn and testified as follows:
y. Captain, please commence at the beginning OF
the disturbance on Sunday, and give us connected
history of the whole. A. don't know what was the
beginning Of it until | was called; saw only the
hmd last part the first knew OF IT, one Oh tne
officers or boy, came in and said there was dis
tuI bance down in Fourth street and Avenue Al this
must have been in the neighborhood OF ~ minutes
past o'clock; / then sent out all the men who were
lust coming in for the evening roll.
q. What were the words used A. They said there
was trouble. or mob, or fight; they told Inc the
officers would be resisted, and that they were NAL
treating the officers; sent all my dspOsable force
down; in few moments more, Officer Davis, think
il was, came in with his head bleeding, the blood run
ming down one side, under bis shirt-collar.
O. Had the officers you sent time to get to the spot
before that A. Probably they had not got over half
way Officer Davis had prisoner he spoke of the
difficulty said the crowd had stoned them the pris.
oner was German, think; | recorded the arrest,
and then went to if any more We're there; l was
astounded to learn that there was such
serious trouble down there, never having had Dythng
like before just as had got through with the prs.
oner taking his age, nativity, &c), Officer Stout
came in, and said the crowd had driven them away
he said they had been beaten by the mob, and stoned
and think he said fired at; Sergeant Lockwood, he
said had cent for me at the corner of Second
and Fourth street; Mr. Clarkson CrOus ex-Congress-
man, happened to be In, and consented t. stay In
charge, and / started down as quick as could; on
arriving at the corner, found the Sergeant and the
men, some Of the mems heads were bleeding,
and | advised them to go to the Station House, but
they declined to go; the Sergeant said the mob had
to rescue prisoner, stoned them and
driven them away; then, as stood on the opposite
Corner told the officers to keep the people back;
wanted opportunity to talk with the officers was
Of opinion up to that time that there was nothing go
serious the officers seemed to think and that had
better go down alone and try to quiet them, but the
men said il was desperate business, that they had
been fired at and it would be unsafe to go among
them: they said muskets and pistols had been fired
from the houses we then formed In line to 60 down
and see; We marched down across First avenue, aud
then could see the crowd in great numbers down in
Avenue A. and occasionally hear the report of
pistol or some firearms; we then marched
down still further the center Of the
block in Fourth street. between First avenue and Ave-
hue 4, where we halted; thought it might be dan
gerous to 60 down between the buildings from the
appearance of things and what the men had said;
besides, was in hopes that might meet some pTom-
nent German who would go down with me and talk
with them; we waited awhile and the crowd advanced
toward us; some bad-Ooking boys came ahead OF
them; ordered the to form five or six abreast in
the middle of the street, and marched on further till
We came within few rods Of the crowd and halted;
the crowd stopped; told tho men to stand close and
keep quiet aud also remarked that if they had pistols
each must put his pistol up out OF sight the boys
began TO throw stones at u.s. l advanced alone with
nothlDg but my club under my arm; waved my left
hand to them; l expected to see some one knew
among them, "a l had lived in the neighborhood
many years, but saw none whom could recognize;
told them they must dispense and go home; that
their course was all wrong and they had better go
and keep out Of trouble; all the reply was eerirg and
Al 4. l.. xkaf S., fnrtu ID
evidently against the will of some of them; l then
retired few steps and considered what was best to
do at fret thought my old acquaintance with them
would enable to settle the difficulty, a. always
had before without trouble; failing in that, decided
that il was necessary in the performance OF my duty
to cisperse them by force the men having been in-
iured and driven away while doing their duty, 1
thought il would be wrong to leave things in that con-
ditioD; gave the order to advance; stones in the
meantime kept coming from the boys in front and from
parties in the rear Of the crowd; we advanced into
The center Of the crowd; might have been fve or
six feet in advance; as came up to them expostu-
lated again decidedly and kind y, begging them TO 90
away, or we should have to make them; 1t had no
effect so much noise was made that could hardly
be heard the stones came thicker and faster; we
drove them down by pushing them, and by the club,
nearly opposite the first house from the corner Oh
Avenue A; then we began to hear the shots quite
freely from the other side of Avenue A, and hom the
corner building the lower side OF Fourth street
what we term the southeast corner; occasionally
there shot fired from the crowd IN 'front.' about
this time some of the men sung out The stones and
bricks are coming from the top OF the house again!
| was little in advance ordering the people TO 60
away; would like to state here that on hearing the
shots first was OF opinion that was mere ause-
ment Of the boys who in the habit Of firing pisos
on Sunday, and that it was nothing serious intended
against u.s. but at this time began to regard 1t as
serious, ard that the appreAensions OF the men were
we'll grounded; felt as though there was danger ana
that might be shot down myself at any moment;
just at this time brick stone hit Officer McMeien
somewhere about the head; saw him sway around
but be did not fall think he was in the act OF TAX
Ing out his pistol told him TO put his pistol up, and
use only his club then remarked three four times
TO the men, " Don't fire; don't use anything but your
clubs" about this time saw a stout, powerful man
standing on the sidewalk, who seemed to be taking
active pant in the matter; my impression that
he was leader of the riot l pushed over little
toward him, and just then saw him throw brick or
stone with great violence, swinging his arm back
strongly; he threw it toward the men back of me;
as soon as he threw, some Of my men sung out lie
il DOWN" my first impulse was to turn around and
see whom he had hit but then thought it was more
important to look to this man; turned Tow tTd him
again, thinking to take him, when be stopped over
pick up something, and as he stopped down heard q
I apparently from behind aud a6ove-l think IL
came fiom the house. and the msn FELL
o. Was there any pistol fred from yoar party 81
that time A. don't think there was
@. Would you have known 1t II mere naa 10 o, .nr
A. think should; my orders were never TO do any
thing till ordered il done or did it myself to sci the
example, never to strike blow, even, TIL ordered
il or did t-never to go any further than went uen
felt The great necessity OF getting around the corne,
and out OF the crowd; turned around and suos oa'
70 the men. with all the energy had, to come for.
ward, and TO the crowd TO clear the wavi spoke st
the top of my voice; as did that man stood lev
feet ahead OF me- rssed my club. looking as Unrest
ening could; ss be turned around from me "a"
his rpht hand il bad only ono or two barrels and W.:
peilt:d texasd Gs g.:gua. Il Ec1t az gala p>iAssa