New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-09-25
PUBLIC MEETINGS.
POLICE COMMISSIONERS.
,,,,,, or GEN. TALLMADGE-THIKD phf

ceeAed with yesteruhy' 'o"O'"
sling. ~, Tho s,ut witness called, who
taP',, y. iovs. Iyas on the Isl OF September,
r,Asin Of the guard Il marines o. the oivne ." .to
al r received orders from the Co'hina1'an. " 'ao
nsvsi station, Com. Kearney; tne S mt ", -,
- charge OF all the marines on the saone ar als"
"a a.. ,bo were sent by steamer RON the N"rtn
" % - nd ,r,ceed 20 the Quarantine NJ Staten
s".Dd " nrotect Government property; ir1rei'Yd
ishpa, ~ 49, near AZ can judge. about O'Clock,
those mS sabine. lying of the Battery | imne-
on ardrrr tor my whole force To b. IN readi-
ii in twenty minutes they were on oonfd the
n,samrr to 20 to the Island; we anasa o. Q'arsnoe
I.s,.,, going immediately down therc were IN
the s.eah .arsI ets-6ve without muskets; it could
81 ~ IT, b,rp far from o'clock when we landed
Do - 6rt landed asked Mr. Hart and others what
tbey wanted done, and where was the property was
.nnx,'te,f: Mr.. Locke was also present; We passed
~ fd ;r.,ae of the walls 20 what i was told was
Goverpment property; then placed ten tentnels
:, d;fIerept points where they were needed, two
n Which were IN front on pr Lcckes house, one
o. W,lser and souse ladies; the boundary line
i,t-sep the Government and State property, with
80. that no person should be permitted to pass
,,ho,s a verbal order written countcrsgn in
,..on 10 this either myself or one Of my Lieuenants
so.Ss constant patrol from dark 10 daylight; /
s;vsa DO orders from any one there designating the
,e...,ty was TO protect; Dir. Locke, Dir. Hart aud
sSrr others pointed ont tho boundaries Of the Gov
- unsnt property; at the time arrived at Quarsn-
a. there wss disturbance after had placed
nv ssutineh that several Of the houses which
"a been threatened were near the Government
property That if set on fire they would endsnger very
1oueb went ont and inspected it myself: looking up
At tie gate saw soine 60 To 100 men, but they were
perfectly quiet, apparently mere spectators; it was
about 1Oi or II before any disturbance commenced
was informed the sick were being burned up went
down sgsin ut tho time ri the fire. | should say that
not ovss 80 mon were inside the walls ordered out
10 marines with muskets; when arrived at the Hos
pal ascertained from actual observation that there
was no sick dead person within its walls then
returned; have been in the United States service
pcsry25 years; the marines by law belong to the navy
and subject Ia ts regulations whether on land
shpboard unless acting with the army the fire was
suppose within 20 or IS feet VI my sentines; saw the
Hospital set On fire. but Of the other buildings
the ten marines at this time near that they
could have arrived in one minute if had wanted
them was applied TO by persons there 10 send Some
of my force to protect these hospitals both before they
were fred and after: declined to send the men;
was applied TO by DIR. Bssel; declined to HIM also
DIR. w alser applied and declined the same think
also DIR. Waller; DR.. Waser did not appeal TO me
or the score Of humanity; but Ray Tompkins did APP
peal to me on that score; if could not go the
score Of duty at least to go for humanity sake; to al
Of these declined, as had authority; the fire
was not ~ that had te remove my sentinels
the sentinel was about minutes walk from the hrei
when spoke Vi twenty twenty-five feet | meant
where l stood myself; Il was not matter o.: CONVEX
sation then that know Of; that my orders were TO
protect nothing but Government property. do not
whole property; considered my orders not only did
not embrace this other property but positively pre-.
vented my protecting it. the order explicit to pro.
tect the Government property; don't think l should
have had any difficulty in protecting that property
though Of course cannot say positively but it would
have been with the loss Of life and most undoubtedly
death to me; for if had escaped then should have
been killed s!.erward the Grand Jury would have hsd
HU up for murder; l considered the State property
excluded from my protection by the orders; mad It
been ID the order should have protected il at the
hazard Of all our lives; Mr.. Hart remained there an
hour, to my knowledge how much longer do not
know After arrived, the first ihtimaton had that
they would probably attack the State property was
about ~ O'Clock; received message from person
outside saying hs wished 10 see me- sent back word
could hot see anyone outside of the walls |
engaged; II he had important communication would
See him at 10 clock the next day; the next day sent
pass for the person, but the pass refused by Dr.
Thompson men; received no specific Information;
II was common rumor; when l said Ray Tunpkns
applied, only know he says so; i DO not know him,
did not speak % linn he says he sent mess ge to
me; that ia all know; did not receive any message
that night from him by name; the man who brought
the nessage says that Ray Tompkins sent him. mono
Of the Government officials went with me 10 where
the Hospital WAS fred; had found they were going
TO buru The building with sick dying 10 it should
have tined TO stop them; for that reason ordered out
~ marines; went sll through the building, IA 1t was
rumored that the sick being burned in that case
should have assumed the authority, though ut the
cost Of my Cfce
Mr. John McClenahan was then sworn AMI testified
II reporter Of The NeT- York Herald; saw the
light Of the fire the night of the st inst, but did
not know what il was; learned what 1t was ut about
60cock thu next morning; and was at Staten Island
after O'Clock; when l arrived the buildings
were burned down. there mob ON the gr0undi
was there all day; all was quiet.
Capt. DeCamp was then sworn, and testihed-Ihat
he was Captain of the Police of the Fourth Precinct
after he read the news Of the burning III the
MAJ tbe of Npnfp he mn tai
about o'clock; conyersed with the Deputy; spoke OF
the fire, aSd said Ia him that he supposed that now no
police force would be required; the Deputy said he
supposed not If the property was all destroyed
Samuel BrevoOrt sworn, and tsstlhst-l am
scream in the Pohce force, and act special aid To
the General Superintendent; my Office IL ueS Ia h'S;
on the mornirg o the % saw the news Of the burn
ing in tie papers shout o'clock; came To the ONCE
a little beto,s 9 o'clock; the General or his Depu
were not there; they came between a Il 10 O'Clock;
the Geueral was there till about II o'clock, when c
wet out: war gone about ~ minutes; he then came
back ard renal ed in his office till o'clock he then
called uie and said he was going TO the Mechanics
Bark; he came back from there at near to clock;
aud then remained till he left in the 'enng think
about 81 O'Clock: after he returned from the Bank IN
Wall street, stated that letter had come from the
Mayor 10 General Nye: butth messenger stated thar
the Superintendent had permission to open II; the
messenger however, ok the letter away; lhls was
about y O'Clock think; he asked me II any reqns-
ton had come either an order from the Commissioners
Of Police, rcquisition IRON the tnm-
missOners of Emgra ion; l tod him about
the messenger, and also spoke of an engage
meut to GO Ia the tunnel he said he would wait for
requison; did not hear him say he would not send
men to Quarantine account az yellow foyer; he
said he could not send men without roquisi'ion;
asked him for the privilege OF being OF the men
sent Il the requiston came; he replied, " Yes, y"a
shall be one and l will 20 with yon VII not send
men where viii not 60 myself tried al the doors
when we LEFT the building, 10 one was left' he dd
not tell me in the hail. neither did hear him tell any
one else that day that he would no, send men t. Quar-
suiine on account of the yellow fever; after he came