, 1861-05-14
AFFAIRS: IN, ST. LOUIS:
account Of Saturdays Riot.
GREAT FRIGHT *oF TIRE PEOPLE.


L1E 81. LOUIE uEUQEI4L, 11%n.f
ANOTHER DREADFUL SHOOTING APFRAY.
Wholly to- the recklessness and folly Of
some elk or eight young men, whose conduct
The dreadful slaughter which occurred 9atur-
Gay evening at Fifth aud Walnut streeta.
Wa we're passing up on the west side Of Fifth
street, at Elm, when our attention Was arrest
ed by seeing persons on Fourth street gazing
up the street, and others on Walnut street
crossing to Fourth when the cry Of Here
they come" from persons on Walnut street,
led Us to move toward Walnut. The advance
of body OF U. 8. Reserve Guards soon ap-
peared, marching up Walnut from Fo1Hh.
At the same time small cr9wd rusneo h aaeaq ~
the Presbyterian Cturcn at the north west cor.
ner Of Filth and Walnut streets. AB the head
OF the column approached, passing not far
!; from the pavement On the church side, and go
the church porch gathered npon its eouthern
extremity, overlooking the troops, and
they were capable In the way Of
insulting, goading, narrowing, and heap.
ing disgraceful reproaches upon the troops.
Others rapidly joined these young men, and
aided them IN yelling. frigntfu1ly cuzsing,
hooting, screeching, groaning, sinking fists,
and uttering the most infamous and obscene
language Of contempt, in insult to the troops.
Company after company Of the latter passed
quietly along, almost Immediately beneath the
derfsive thro1E, some OF whom tried hard TO
spit into the faces OF the soldiers, and others
Of whom threw small missiles At them, while
! the most Continued, with increasing zeal, the
almost deafening yells Of blasphemous e11cra-
:, ton and foulest contumely. The column
N 1rched In fouTs, and proved regiment 1rem
the Ninth and Tenth Wards, who were return.
| ing from the Arsenal, where they had just
] be- n sworn into the service Of the American
eoyernm ent, sud had been provided with mus
| keta as United states Reserve Guards. They
bore the obloquy and insult piled upon them
with ca1mness and forbearancc- Meantime,
where were the police, that 60 outrageous and
imminently perilous scene Of dhsIardly dis
| turbanee was permitted to proceed unchecked,
| and to be conauumated by acts of assaseina.
| tions We looked and waited anxiously for
the police, VITO might readily have arrested
the few leaders in this monstrous Outrage, md
thus have prevented much trouble
When the rear of the troops approached, 10
receive their worse portion Of abuee, it was
evident that the malignants on the porch
could venture upon still haFsher outrages.
Scarce had the rear passed cut Of Filth street
when portion OF the mob rushed down the
steps and hurled rocks into the retiring
column, while two shots were discharged int
the troops, one frpm the porch and one from
Filth street Tbs rear file Of the troops al
once turned and fired into their ASSISTANTS
who fed and scattered, some Of them gtll
firing back. Soon there WAS q pause In tht
firing Of the troops, and spectators gained
courage to look up the street. But othera
fired again upon the soldiers from whom q
| sol1y was then returned The firing continued
at intervals, persons newly arrived drew and
fired after the troops, whose volleys answered
sharply, creating Immense excitement and 8
grand rush Of citizens to the vicinity.
Subsequently, We learned a. the f1int
ypgs reernei1 near the head OF the fine or
Eighth street, and continued at various points
in the vicinity, the troops unfortunately fall
ing into disorder snd firing from the alieys.
Seven men, four Of them belonging to tht
company thus atroctons1y insulted and mur
derously fired upon, were killed It avail
little to s8y that they Wsra slain In the con1u
sion by the MIME balls Of their own comrades
A revolver WAS discharged upon the troops
from Al upper window on the south side o.
Walnut, Between Fifth and Sixth streets. A
horse waa also killed by rifle ball. The
walls OF the church and Of houses in the Vi
cinity were frequently stIuck by bullets, show
ing that the vo1eys were, to at least consid
erable extent, directed upwards. Were 1t no
that this was the fact, the list Of the slai]
must have been much larger.
The bodies Of the dead we're picked up an
removed, and the inquest WAS yesterday hel
at the shop of Mr.. J. A Bmithers, undertake,
on Chestnut near Fifth street, who generousl
proHered room for the purpose.