The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1860-02-16
For the journal.


oil who have visited ths schoo', b2at testimony
to the fact that their conduct aud department
were uuifurmslly of the mlst exemplary and |
ptaiseworthy character. Without any cause
Whatever, other than such as always exists in the |
mind of the vicious toward the virtuous, some
rowdies oil our town assumed an attitude OF dos
tiity toward the school. Some four weeks siuce |
number OF these after getting bout halt drunk,
repaired to the Baird House, upon dancing
school evening, for the purpose Of creating
disturbance. They succeeded to limited
extent, bat Tell short of what they intended
Although they failed in their grand design
Of breaking up" ths school, their conduct was
most delcstable aud di.gracr(ul. They immedi |
atey proclaimed that they would clean on! the
id dancing s;hcO' at its last meeting, aud
at once proceeded to make arrangements to ac-
complish their neEarions purpose. The leaders
lsbored asSiduously to draw into their support
all the vicious boys in town. snd extend their
invital Gus 10 some in the coantry, assuring
them that they would have good hackers and
good time generally" A very ftV of our
citz,ns, men who hav e been several times elec
ted to office and from whom better things ought
to have eininated iIenthsd themselves with the
"uglics' BY running in the crowd, by sympa thi.
zing with them, by encouraging them, and as il
is said and believed, by taking an active part TO
u limited extent
For three weeks, threats, curses and riboldry
cemo kissing from the reeknE losth.ome, whis.
key aud gam bling holes Of onr town, but the
dancing school boys being kindly disposed and
having no knowledge Of the bIsensss which may
be found in degraded humanity, could not be-
lieve that an exc oution Of thesi thrests would
be attempted and were herefore comparatively
unpre pared to meet the shock when it came up
on them. 1t is said however, TINT several OF
them acquitted themselves gsantly, with keen,
fierce spirit whsn forced to defend themselves
against the alta cks of the ''plugs."
On Friday evening last, which closed the Sc
res Of dancing school, the rowdies true TO their
threats, repaired in body to the Bard House,
accompanied by some shoulder hitters" from
! Toledo, who it is is rumorei were hired for the
consideration of 525 to come and assist in abus-
ing, eutragiug and maltreang our peaceabl-
and inofensive boys. It is unnecessary TO at
tempt a de tailed rccit al of the scenes and acts Of
outrage aud violence which there transpired.--
1t will be sufficient to say that the not was
commenced by playing upon the side walk, in
front of the Baird House what WAS termed q
horsc fiddle This consisted of dry-8oods box
covered with roSin, across which heavy scant-
ling was drawn bac X and forth, 1t produced
such conclusions of the atmosphere as TO IA tie
and jingle the glass in the windows of neigh
boring houses. From that they broke into the
bar-room where they pitched in body upon one
| of the boys who had been called unsuspec'ingly
into the room, and abused and injured him in II
most brutal manner. His associates above being
appraised Of what was going OIL below, rushed
to his assistance aud o general "mlil" ensued in
which stones, brick bats and clubs were freely
used, aud the walls and floors were dreuched witt
blood. During the fight there seemed to be an
exquisite delight in smushing furniture and do
ing whatever other injury could be done. After
this contest was end+d and the boys had return.
ed to the dancing hall, it was sought to restrain
the ruft4ns to the bar-room portion Of the house
by fastening the doors leading to the parors and
from thence TO the ballroom These doors
were kicked into pieces AMI the ruff ms made u
rush up the stairs amid horrid and revolving
Ga tbs that they would "clean out the ball-room.
Had they reached the dancing hail. the imagina-
ton turns away sckened from the scence, which
would there have been enacted: but fortunately
a few resoute boys, assisted by Mr.. Day, the
husband of the teacher. met them at the landing
and Su cceeded in beating them back. c. C,
Baird proprietor of the House, stood upon the
stairway endeavoring to keep them down, when
a blow was aimed at him by the chief contriver
and instigatof of the outrage, with heavy bar
room fire shovel, and as it is thought, with the
intent to kill him. Certain it is that he could
have cut him in two with it, as readily az with
an axe. The fight here was more fierce and
sanguinary than in the oar.room and the floors,
walls, bannisters. clubs and persons of the con.
testants were besmcarel with blood.
We would ask how long are scenes like these
to be enacted with impunity in our midst. All
our citiz,ns aware that there has been q n un.
briiled spirit of rowlyism in our town during
the whole winter, frequently cropping out in
acts of violence and outrage, until, emboldened
by its success, it has had the audacity to seize
upon and take forcbe and violent possession
OF one of our principal hotels, to drive the pro-
pretors and o:her inmates from all the lower
rooms Of the building, to commit murdsrous
assaults and to enact scenes generally which
have become uncomfortable.
We call upon all peaceful and order loving
citizens of our town to awake to the danger
impending over them. If one Of our hotels can
be stormed and sacked with impunity, how long
will the private residences be secure Of such as
may incur the hostility of these contemuers aud
violstors of all law, justice and decency? No
one can feal secure day until this spirit of ruff
aanism is crushed out. 1t should receive no
cnnnienance Or snnnnrt anl unnI ILL.,. ~: ~