Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-11-12

EFAE Co, and a., personally . either Of The PrOpHo
know Nofhingisln illustrated.
The good sense of the people has fortupstel,
preserved the country from the horrors Of Know
Nothing rale. Among tins " Thugs Of New Or
leans, the Plug Ugies Of Louisville, and IN,
" Blood Tubs" of Baltimore, it has obtained IN,
aseendsncy Popular elections are controlled b.
violence in each Of those cities, aud unrestrainsC
license in crime, is the reward which these Know
Nothing DULLES receive for their support In New
Orleans the authorities have long been in a stale Of
absolute subsection to the lawiess mObs who eleet
them. In Louisville peaceable men are afraid 10 20
the Pos, and the verdict of the people has been re
versed By the despotc decision Of three Know Moth.
ing commissioners The condition Of Baltimore may
be surmised from the at the late election and
those which are resited below These cites present
picture Of what the whole country would have
been under Know Nothing dominion
THE DESPERADOEs OF BALrEmORE.
/ Conviction of FeIOn and Murder of
| she Principal Wifness--A Reign Of Ter
rOr--Excitement among the People.
! During the past week Baltimore has been the
scene Of an intense excitement growing out Of the
trial Of one Of the desperadoes numerous in that
city, and the su6seqHea; murder Of one Of The Wit
nesses against the culprit. The facts are simply
! that Henry Cambria committed the Eilful murder
Of police officer Benjamu Benton, on the night Of
the 22d of September last at the Of Pennsy-
| vanla avenue aud Biddls street, by shOOliRg him
With pistol 10 The right side Of the neck, causing
immediate dea'h The evidence was comp liking
/ the commission Of the murder On Gambrill beyond
/ al doubt The principal witness was Robert "
| Rigdon, another police officer. From the accounts
contained in he Baltimore papers, it IS apparent
that GambrilPs associates omitted no demonstration
frightentbe witness and the jury, and had threat
ened officer RigdOB with assassination upon the day
that Gsmbrin should be convicted for murder Late
on Friday evening the jury brought in verdict
sgaisst Cambria Of murder in the first degree. It
was evident from the movements Of the crowd pres
ent that q rescue vas contemplated. Of the reno
val Of the prisoner, we fnd the following par
| tioulsrs in the Baltimore American Of yesterday
morning:
Il vas nearly si4 o'clock when the court adjourn
ed, and there being large ooBeOurse Of the friends
OF the prisoner about the house, he placed
in the lock up until arrangements could be made by
Captain James for his removal jail Fearing that
| an attempt might be made to rescue him, Mayor
| Swami had kept over one hundred police officers
fully armed st The court house al day and hey
! in read ness, under command Of Marshal Herring,
10 escort him to the jail Carriages were placed
beth sides Of the court house, TO divide the
Z d.
placed in the carriage Calvert street. aud driven of
| followed by a crowd Of men and boys The pC lice
also followed the esTTis ge and Captain James, who
was in with the prisoner with pistol in hand men
aeed those who attempted 10 approach him There
being evidences Of concerted movement to inter-
ruPt them on the way to the jail Captain Jsmes d.
rected the driver 20 proceed down Saratoga street
with all speed to the Middle station, aud the pris
oner was quickly lodged in one Of the cells Mar
shall Herring Immediately ordered hfy officers to
prepare their muskels for escort duty, and a. o.
clock the prisoner conveyed 70 the Jail without
| further interruption. Bal
In gard to the attempt to rescue the prisoner
the following additional facts stated; Two hacks
had been procured, so IS divide the attention Of
the crowd. One was placed on Lexington street,
and the other Calvert street. in front Of the GU
NOR House. The main portion Of the crowd gath
cred in Lexington street. and it was determined to
! place the prisoner into the Oiher carrisge This
was successfully DONE but not without attempt to
! create disturbance. Officer MeComRs was pushed
aside by Marion Crops, and David HoUek cried out
''shOot him, shoot him, meaning, it was supposed
/ the haekman Capt. James aud Capt. Ovens, war
den and deputy warden Of the JAIL got into the car
rage and directed the driver to proceed directly TO
the Jail. The driver, either confused in imidal
ed drove down Calvert street TO Little Wafer when
Capt Ovens menaeed him with his pistol, thresten
ing to shoot him unless he changed his course.
he then drove up South to Second street, through
I
Saratoga. Capt James, fearing from the oirouitOus
route taken that he might be intercepted his way
to the jail determined to take his prisoner 10 the
central police station, from whence he was remov-
ed stated above in charge Of an escort that rem
| dered any attempt at rescue futile
| OF the subsequent tragedy we compile the fol~
lowing account from the Baltimore papers Of yes
/ terday morning:
| Police OHieer George w. Rigdon, the principal
witness in the Cambria trial, was last night brutal
/ ly murdered in his house, on Baltimore street,
/ a few doors west Of Pearl street, VII re his wife
/ keeps a small dry goods store. The faets Of the
/ case are as follows: At o'clock last evening be
left the Yves ern station house for his home. and was
cautioned by Captain LineWeaVer not 70 go Oui, as
/ threats had been made og inst his life on account
Of the testimony be had given in the case Of Gam
brill TO the fleet that be should die on he day that
/ Gambril was convicted These thrests had also
/ reached the ears Of the deceased but he was IN
able to trace them 20 any direct source, aud consid-
] cred them as IDLE or drunken ihIeais On leaving
the station house he proc eded direct 20 nj h me,
/ aud was in his sitting room, aJoin'ng the store
talking to his wife ct the time Of his des Al the
corner Of the si,tlng room q small window opens IN
| to the yard and Sir RikdOn was standlt Z a. ing
/ on the man lie piece with his back 10 he WIND ",
ON witch be was not rwo f ct distant BIS wife
was sitting on the other side Of the ROOM anda lit
tie los child which he had picked up in the street.
was 81 ting on the carpet at his feet The assassin
went up a small alley at the side Of the house, and
with large kOrse-pistol fred al him through the
window heavy load Of sings entering his right
side and causing instant death. BE exclaimed only
81 am shot" and fell dead on the floor, having
ceased breathing after one heavy groan. large
horse pistol with which the deed was COMMITTED,
was left lying in the yard, Immediately under the
window. .... -
Police officer John Cook was on the opposite side
Of Baltimore street. and hearing the report Of the
pistol started across to Mr.. Rigdon's house. when
man came running cut Of the side alley with re
volver in his hand, and, ss officer Cook started TO
arrest him, he fred twice at him, neither Of which
took effect The officer Immediately drew his re-
volver and started in pursuit. firing twice a. the
sassin as he ran up Baltimore street. On turning
the corner Of Pine street, the assassin and the ON
Ger again exchanged shots without effect, and
tinued the race on to Penn street, when officer Cook
succeeded in knocking him down with his pistol,
aud, with the assistance Of officers Jamison and
Higgins carried him 10 the siationshOuse It proved
to be Peter Cory, bu cher, residing on the Hook
stown road, and an associate Of GambrilPs
Il will be remembered that officer Rigdon testified
on the Gambrifl trial that he had hold Of David
Houek, along with officer Benton, at the time that
Gambrill came up and shot Benton, testifyiDg posi-
lively to his Identification Of Gambrll The muir
dapaF He had been mat two vaara the uGlioe.