Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-07-28
FRIGHTFUL MOB AND RIOT
Houses Of Prostitution At.
tackled and Broken mp.
TERRIFIC WORK OF RUIN,
immense Amount of Property De-
sfrOyed
GREAT EXCITEMENT



strOyed
GREAT EXCITEMENT
From the 81. Louis Republican. july IS
Last night witnessed sad spectacle for St
Louis-one which, it must be hoped, will never be
seen again II is known to many Of our readers
that during the past two or three years the neigh
borhoOd Of Almond and Poplar streets, between
Main and Fourth, has been colonized by number
of degraded men and women, who have been con-
slant pest to the whole community, providing prs
Oners for the calaboose and workhouse, and FURNISH
ing countless examples Of immortality and wee ior
our people of both sexes. The abandoned wretcnes'
living by means the frightfnlest to contemplate,
have latterly become so audaeious in the perpetra-
ton of their unchecked excuses, that persons who
have been subjected by them to daily experiences,
as revolving as they bold, last night TOOK tne
law into their own hands and administered Jerri-
BILE retribution What the origin of the plan was,
or who were the principal parties influential IN set
ting it on foot could not be ascertaned by us. 1here
appears to have been but a few individuals con-
cerned in the undertaking. at first resolved upon
and it is likely that the original project comprised
the demolition of only two or three places, "here
the nuisance had become most intoeraole but as |
the work of destruction commenced, the actors
readily gained many accesslons, until at iass crowd
of SIX or seven thousand had assembled, moving |
from spot to spot at the shout of the ringleaders
1t Is at too late an hour when we write to go into
minutia in relation 20 the movements OF the mob,
and we SHALL therefore, as briefly as we can detail
only their principal features. The rst assault was
made on Ritters dance-house, situated on Second
street, between Popular and Plum. AT the COM
meucement there were some two or three hundred
men and boys engaged in it, which number was "a
pidly increased to near thousand. A storm of
stones and brickbats flew at the windows, into the
bar-room on the roof and against the walls driving
the inmates into the back yard, and from thence to
whatever shelter they found most convenient The
connection soon brought dozen or so policemen 10
Nln.,f MIA nr
system, to queIl the disturbance, but their will
meant efforts were totally Intellectual The mob
turned upon the police, and for a few moments ms
sles of all sorts flew through the air in every direc
ton A large brickLat struck officer Joseph Friese
in the stomach, and Knocked him nearly senseless
He was carried to the Police Office and thence home
the injury proving quite serious. Officer Simmons
was fired at twice. he says, but was unhurt. The
police drawing their revolvers, made, Tor time, a
considerable scaItermeut by firing fifteen or twenty
shots into the air but the crowd returned with new
recruits and succeeded in forcing the officers
away.
After breaking all the windows, doors, furniture,
crockery, &C. at Rtters, the mob proceeded TO four
other similar establishments on the same street,
and served them in the same manner With yells and
shouts they next went to the notorious Mary Hopes
I on Almond, between Main and Second, thumpted
il the DOORS window blinds and sashes, and brought
out all the contents of the house-the women hay
ing already sought safety IN lght-whch they threw
into the streets. Beds were ripped up, feathers
scattered to the winds sheets torn into strips and
garments strung upon poles to meerthe Jeels, Jbes
| and laughter of the cOnspirators.
Fastening to the dingy row of low tenements, seven
in number on Almond street, above Third. one por-
ton of the besegers burst into these while another
portion devoted their atentionto four similar houses
on Third street, below Almond. Some OF the te-
males in these places feeding on the hope that they
would not be molested had remained in this locali
~ but the crash of glass and laundering OF heavy
| umbers against the doors, served to dlspel this
pleasant thought, and they were reluctantly conf
PEELED to beat hasty retreats, presenting themselves
! in the streets not entirely in ballroom dress
| There was some disposition shown TO stone these
wretched creatures they attempted to make their
| way through the crowd but this was promptly
checked we are glad to say, by the more humane OF
the number The BEDS bedding stands tables chairs,
and indeed, all the paror, household, and kitchen
furniture of the eleven enements last referred to,
! were heaped into Almond street and hred, amidst
| demonac hurrahs of the desperate invaders Ban
ners were made of sheets and female clothing, and
| the mob went still gathering more fierce deter
mination, until they reached Fourth street on the
west side of which, door below the corner, they
stormed another establishment, and left nothing IN
side but the bare walls and ceiling removing all the
property into the street. and wholly blocking up all
travel by the railroad cars and other vehicles The
| devillsh boots, and screams that went up here
! could have been heard many squares distant
| The blazing lumber Almond street. reddenlng
| the sky and making the whole neghborhood as light
I
| graph and the steam engines responding with Gus
| tomary promptness were soon at the spot The
Chief of Police and the Chief Engineer of the Fire
Department were there on horseback, but both ap-
] peared perfectly unconcerned. 1t was suggested
| that a stream of water thrown upon the mob would
quickly drive the people back and dispel the attack
| ing party Such course would at least have sepa-
| rated the mere spectators, who constituted by lar
the greater part of the crowd. from those actually
| engaged in the lawless work, and thus shown how
many of them, and who, really made up the demon
stration. But those having authority of the kind
alluded to- declined to take part in it, though gra-
ciousy promising to protect unofending property
| holders from fire.
! So the work of demolition went The sssail-
/ ants crying ''hurrah for Mayor Filley," we will
be our own police" and similar things, proceeding
| down Almond street to Poplar, and from thence to
| a place on the east side of Main, where they made
! sortie by throwing stones &c. But here they were
repulsed by half dozen resolute officers, who com
] bined force with persuasion upon the few first
| Corners. Not great deal of damage done here.
The next point of attack was row of three two
story brick houses, on Poplar street between Main
| eld Second North side. The middle building Is
| known Madame Hunters, whichseemed to be the
| nucleus of the serge. Some time was occupied IN
efacting entrance to this house, but finally
accomplished with the expenditure of no little
| force As soon the front door was broken down,
a score more of men ran in and Immediately be-
| gan pitching out whatever they could lay their
hands on. fire kinded in front, and bedSteads,
| chairs, &C. were quickly converted into fuel. From
portico attached to the second story, bureaus,
tertables, parlor ornaments, two splendid sofas,
fine pianoOrte several elegant paintings, and other
articles of luxury and pomp, precpitated into
the street, smashing them to bits. While this pro-
| ceeding going on, young man was seen dane
ing the balcony, bonnet on his head, skeleton
hoop skirt around his body, and hourishiDg in his
left hand with sacreligous satisfaction Telegraph
| representation of the Virgin Mary
The two adjoining houses to Madame Hunters
likewise quilted and at this point the Infatuated
beleaguers stopped to rest and the pause doubtless
afforded them time to reflect little upon what they
| were doing, for we believe they went no further.
| As may well be imagined, the greatest excite
ment prevailed throughout tie vicinity. We hon
estly think the policemen who were present tried
| to do their duty, but after the mob had once got
| thoroughly organized, probably no human power
| could have stopped them. The eXertions made by
| officer Kennedy too much for him. On return
ing to his beat from the of excitement he fell
| down opposite Wymans Hall and died in a short
| time, from sheer exhaustion.
| Up to two O'Clock this morning, about sixty per-
sons had been arrested charged with participating
] in the shameful proceedings.
REVOLT IN THE MISSOURI FERMENTATION Con-
vICTs ESCAPED-SEvERAL KILLED AND WoUNDED.-A
special telegram to this Office received yesterday
from Jefferson City, states that about yester
day, forty convcts confined in the penitentiary
| made simultaneous attack upon the gate of the
prison. and succeeded in forcing it and eectng their
escape. Twenty of them recaptured, and
about twenty more still at large In the effort
seven were severity wounded, and three killed
outright by the guards of the prison.
Deputy Warden Ritchey, in attempting to arrest
their progress, was attacked by the notorious Geo
Harmon and another prisoner They attempted to
his pistol from his grasp, and in the struggle
it discharged, wOunding Mr. Ritchey slightly in
the wrist. Mr.. Ruthven came 10 Mr.. RS relief and
succeeded in knocking down and securing Harmon.
Our informant states that the escaped prisoners will
doubtless be recaptured as guards and citizens are
out in every direction. As might be expected. great
excitement exists in Jefferson City, consequent upon
this bold and to certain extent successful attempt
of these desperadOes. .-
David Harmon, one of the convicts in the revolt
at the penitentary in Jefferson City yesterday, is a
wekuown character in the criminal calendar OF
this city, and has long been recognized des
peradO, and who for years evaded the clutches of
the law. He convicted on several indictments,
burglary and larceny, and assault with intent to
kill, being the chief items, and his assessed pun
ishment in the aggregate amounts to between fifteen
and twenty years.-S. Louis Republican, July "a
The DEPARTURE OF PORTION OF THE CAPTURED
AFRICANs.-F.J Morens, U. S. Marshal for the
southern district of Florida, under date of July IL,
informs the Department of the Interior of the ar