Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-07-20


ward from the ground on which 1t lay
Then the lingering shadows Of evening
were stealing over the scene, while qul-
ct ominous element seemed 10 pervade the
large masses which were standing on eltn-
er side of the thoroughfares in the Vi
cinity. There was no disturbance worm
at this time. The people
seemed 70 be flushed with the scenes
through which they had passed. Their |
temper was up, though they did not give |
vent to their feelings in any loud or oois-
ferrous manner.
In the neighborhood Of seven o'clock
the body was carried into the yard Of the
house where OBrien lived. His residence
was in Second Avenue, two or three doors
from Thirty-fourth street. His wife, who
was in the house at the time the disturb
ance first commenced, Immediately left and
proceeded to Brooklyn.
TIE BODY IN HIS OWN YARD-HORRBLE IN
CIDENTs.
HShortly before night fell upon the
seems the body was brought from the street
into the back yard. Here it was followed
by q crowd of some three hundred persons,
and the scenes which here occurred in con-
neetion with the last moments Of this dy-
ing man, no pencil could paint nor pen
describe in such a manner that our read
ers could properly appreciate or under
stand the horrible realities which here
took place A number Of women were al
so on the ground, and they also assisted in
the horrid actions that were carried on at
the time. Probably the most notable and
melancholy feature in connection with the
killing of this man was the fact that the
occurrence took place Immediately in froat
Of his own house, and his last gasp was
given in the yard Of the same.
When the body was dragged into the
yard there was nothing upon it but the
pantaloons. The remaining portion Of the
body was naked and covered with blood,
while the head was one mass of jellied
flesh.
zone man came up, and placing a dirk
knife into the hands Of q boy scarcely
twelve years old, who was present. re-
quested him to plunge it into the prostrate
body Of the dying man, which act was
about being performed, when several Of
the crowd interfered, and the horrible at
tempt was frustrated.
THE LAST sCENE-LIFE HAS EBBED OUT.
While the body lay in the yard life still
appeared, though feebly, until about eight
o'clock Then it was that the last glimmer
of existence seemed fast going out. Colo
mel 0'Brien lay at full length upon the
ground, and, notwithstanding the horrible
attempts to crush out his wavering life,
yet energetic manhood had still kept him
in the land Of the living, and his head
Ill Il a5 IL 10 e. IL uzhS1o 81 bn a
time, he groaned in feeble, but apparently
excrucisting agony. Then there was a
seeming pause, the head rose once more a
few inches from the ground, the muscles
were convulsed and again relaxed, the
CORY features were drawn up in horrid
agony, and then, with one deep sigh, the
soul of Colonel H. F. 0'Brien was launched
into eternity. The body was then carried
out and removed to the dead-hOuse at Bel
levue Hospital
The New York Herald apologies for the
murder of Colonel O'Brien, as follows:
There were many thrilling and heart
| sickening incidents connected with the
death of Colonel O'Brien, which our re-
porter at the time, so great was the confu-
sion, was unable to CLEAN; but, on peram-
bulating through the neighbOrhOod yester-
| day, he learned additional facts, as the
people eonversed over the horrible affair
in the hotels, bar-rOOms and other public
places.
There was one universal sentiment,
however, expressed relative to the killing
Of this man, and that was that his blood
might be most appropriately placed upon
his own head, and that the awful reckon
ing of "his taking off" could alone be
laid ts-Aizasalf This was undoubtedly the
popular feeling. All whom our reporter
heard speak, related some instances of out
RACES which had been committed by Col
Onel O'Brien upon the people, and these
arguments were used in paliation of the
awful suferings with which he had been
visited previous to the moment when his
last breath was drawn in this world"
Can the Herald sink to lower depth Of
infernality2
New York City, during this year 1868, in
the midst Of the Ninteenth Century, pre-.
sented the spectacle of having some eight
or ten inofensiye, peaceable negroes hang.
ing to shade trees and lamp posts; thei1
bodies remaining suspended in some in.
stances, for several hours, in broad day.
light, before the police succeeded in cutting
the bodies down. These negroes vert
hung merely because they we're black.
The ColOred Protestant Orphan Asylum
was attacked, gutted, the clothes of the
helpless inmates stolen, the building burn.
ed, and one thousand homeless orphans
turned out into the world; and this by q
crowd who used for a watchword, accord
ing to the report of the Times, " Burn Out
the Heretics."
We copy a few of the accounts of the
atrocities committed on the colored people
"Large numbers of colored people came
to the Arsenal throughout the day from
various sections Of the City. They found
protection in the small yard in front Of
the Arsenal, where they were provided
with the necessaries of life and received
medical attention. They were almost
without exception respectable, tidy and
decorous body Of people, and looking upon
them, one could not help wondering at the
unparalleled depravity Of a mob that
could, without provoeatiOn, maltreat,
murder and hang these inoffensIve peo-
pie.
At u o'clock, detachment Of Police ar
rived with the children from the Colored
Orphan Asylum, which, it will be remem-
bered, the rioters ruthlessly burned on
Monday night. They had been sheltered
in the various Station-hOusas up to this
time, and were all neatly dressed, and
numbered about one thousand of both
sexes. They were brought up in front of
the Arsenal, where they rested for several
minutes-the focus of all eyes. Here
they were joined by the others who were
within the enclosure; then the whole par
ty formed in a line, protected on either
side by a strong detachment Of soldiers,
with the Police in large force at each end,