New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-08-06
THE DlsGRACEFUL RIOT IN
BRGOKLYN.


the report that rio, had actually taken place there;
bat careful and impartial investigation OF facts
shows that the fair fame Of sister city has been
suuedby riotous mob Of half-drunken and ignorant
white men and women, whose jealousy Of the blacks
was kindled by a fight, on Saturday afternoon, De-
tween negro and white man in front OF gro9.
shop. The negro had taken bill to the Iiquorshop
to get it exchanged for postagestamps or small CON-
and WAS standing on the threshold, when white
man of the name of Spsuliing pushed him ASIDE
The ndi,nity was resented by hard words, which
soon ripened into hard blows and the negro had tho
best of the fight, when Policeman Oats interiered
and separated the belligerents The idea oil white
man being whipped by black man was source OF
humiliation too grievous 10 be endured SUNDAY De-
ing day Of leisure, grog-shop and streetcorher
committees had the subject of retaliation under DIS
cnssion and finally determined 10 mob the black
women and children OH Monday while the majority
Of the men were absent at public demonstration at
Myrtle.avenue Park, in another part Of the city.
On Monday forenoon three or four scouts, wishing
TO ascertain the strength Of the enemy" called at
Mr. Lorllards tobacco factory, and were denied adj
mittance. The foreman, anticipating trouble, cent
all tho colored persons in his employment to their
homes, and closed the front doors and WINDOWS oil
the establishment. Soon a committee OF eight IriSh-
men eff cied AL entrance, and searched the premises
for "nsgers;" but finding none, they retired Tor re-
enforcements. which were easily obtained. They
soon returned with thirty or forty other rioters ana
forthwith commenced hurting bricks and paving
stones nj the doors and windows OF Mr.. watson 3
shop. in which two sets of hsnds are employed-a
SCI of white hands under a white foreman, and q SET
of black hands under black foreman. There par
ties work side by side without qusrreling or jeal-
ousy.
In this factory where the fire originated, seventy
We rer-ons are employed, Of whom fifty are coored
and twenty-five white. The establishment WAS
started eight years ago, and some of the negroes
employod there at the time Of the row have been
faithful workers from the commencement OF the
concern. Negroes have always been employed in
Mr.. Lorillard's establishment, which 10 next door
but one to Mr.. Waison's; but there have been no
sgns of disturbance there before, although it has
been in operation eight or nine years.
AT tho time If the commencement Of this riot,
which was |. o'clock at noon on Monday, the white
euployees Of the Establishment had gone TO their
diuners-and there were only twenty coored per-
sons within the walls of the baildng, five Of whom
were men. ard the remainder women and children.
These colored employees not having homes in the
uechborhood. had brought their dinners with them
and were quietly eating at the time of the assault.
Scarcely Lad the first missile been hurled by the
leaders Of the gang, when four or five hundred men
aud boys. some Of them intoxicated, came rushing
with shouts and yells toward the factory, from the
y,cil,.y Of Columbia and Harrison Streets aud ut
once surrounded tie building, crying out, Down
with The naces" "Tun ont the pagers" some Of
iaom entering the ower story to look for the objects
of thcir hatred. The mob confined TO increase
until il numbered thousands. Although IL was well
known FOR hours and hours before this time that
rot was contemplated no additional police force
WAS cent 10 the neghborhood. The two officers,
Oais aud Burns, who belong TO that beat, were on
hand, but they could not control drunken and
Infatuated mob The negroes, who were on the
upper floor, barricaded the stairway in the hes.
manner they could, and then threw a; their assail
ants, when they attempted TO approach them, what
ever they could find at hand In this way these five
men and fifteen women kept the mob at bay for two
hours, until Inspector Folk, with strong detach-
ment OF policemen, made his appearance.
Just before the arrival OF the police force tie
roters finding it impossible TO get at the negroes at
the suggestion of grog-eller near by, determined to
set fire to the building and roast the nigges alive.
pot of icorice ana whisky, which was mistaken for
tar was emptled, and an attempt was made to set il
Oh fire, but the flame put out by the police.
While Officer Donnelly WAS standing at the foot Of
the stairs keeping the rioters away, he received a
wound on The head from box thrown by colored
man named Baker, at the rioters. Tie police finally
drove away the rioters and arrested Patrick Gamma,
the grogseer, who Is charged with arson and rot
Michael Maher Wm. Morris, John Long, Charles
Baker colorcd), Charles Baylir, Thomas Clark, Jos.
God, Patrick Day, and Elias T. Riddle.
The rumor that fifty negroes had armed themselves
with pistols purchased at gunshop on Court street
on Tuesday morning ia untrue. IL is not true that
the negroes insulted white women In the neighbor 7
hood Of the factory, as reported by The Herald. /.
That report was circulated on Sunday by number
Of eyil-disposed fellows, who lounged about the
liquor shops in that vicinity for the purpose of ere
atnQ tho riot that followed 1t is not true that the
Irish assaulted the negroes because they had taken
up their residence in that neighborhood, for the
negroes live in New-York and on the ouissirts Of
Brooklyn. 1t Is not true that they are poor, SHIFT
less set unable to take care Of themselves, or that
they caused this disgracetul riot.
The riot ragged from II o'clock until about half
pu1t ., when it was qgelled by the police Why
did not the police officers in charge OF that district
knowing IA they must have known that row WAS
anticipated, send force there TO protect the lives
and property of peaceable citizens
After tao riot commenced, why were tie police
authorities so slow TO move IL il not more than
twenty minutes walk from the City Hall in Brook