The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-07-18

I /.
ground reached over the STOPPING heads OF
their hurderous colleagues in their front,
and pitched stones, whole bricks, quanti-
| ties of mud and every available harmful
missile their hands could reach, and cele-
brated their holiday murder by such shouts
of Joy and savage glee as could only De
emitted from barbarous throats.
| Only when they thought him dead did
the mob leave him to givetheir attention TO
different line of business in the catalogue
of crime.
| Arson was their next achievement.
| The Enrolling office was in lower room
hired for the purpose, in fine brick store
on the corner Of 45th and ATHEISTS. There
were two vacancies in the block-two city
lots not filled.
There was also one pleasant little cottage
dwelling-house, and the rest OF the lots
We're taken up by block Of comparatively
new five-story ''stores," which We're oc-
cupied for business purposes by various
retail merchants.
| The attic rooms and the rear apartments
of these stores were inhabited by tani-
lies, and terrified women and children
Were turned by scores into the streets yes
| terday morning by this organized mop OF
foreignrowdies, whoare rushing more sure
| ly to their own destruction than they can
be made to comprehend.
After the murder, for they meant II TO De
murder and only an accidental mlscarfl,
age of their preconcerted scheme saved
them from the Joy OF their delicious man
slaughter of Superintendent kennedy
they proceeded deliberately to fire the
building.
The remains of the desks, drawers, chairs,
tables, window sashes, &c, answered the
purpose for which they had been reserved,
and they served as quick kindllng- wood.
! In less than ten minutes the building was
thoroughly on fire. So far given over to
the flames that watery salvation was I'M
possible.
Then, and not till then, did the yelling
pirates leave the building. While there
was chance to rob, to steal anything more,
to pick up anything not already appropri-
ated by some speedier scoundrel, some one
or two remained.
When all was stolen, and the flames
crept up so near as to endanger their own
precious necks, these gentlemen took their
gentlemanly hats, said their adieus, and
Joined their fellow ruffians in the street
ity that, in New York, and it is to be hop
ed, in the civilized world is unique.
i They a0ere preventing by force of clnbS
and stones the ffeDaea from putting ONt the
fire.
The alarm had been sounded. The De-
partment, with their customary alacrity,
were on the spot in an incredible short
time.
They unrolled their hose-fitted their
T brakes, got up steam on their steam fire
engines, aud then, when they were ready
to go to work and save the building adjOin-
ing the obnoxious ENROLMENT Office -
the bowling drunken mob interfered.
They ds0Ue the tfrenaen from their GpGrG-
: tus, dubbed them and stoned them when
ever they attempted to work, and eventu-
; ally the citizens proud of New York were
treated to the fearful spectacle ola block OF
fine buildings burned in broad day light
by mob who by threats and force beat
from their duty our New York fremen,
who We're there ready to work, willing to
work, anxious to work; begging permits
sion from mob they were not strong en-
ough to conquer, to save from utter ruin
the property of their neighbor, whose sub
stance was being then and there DESTROYED
before their eyes.
And all this time there We're women and
children in these houses, whose beds We're
burned almost literally under them, and
who pale, trembling and wretched, We're
glad to be able to thank God that they
were graciously permitted to pass through
the mob with their lives. Their little all
burned before their very eyes by the fero-
cious fiends, they themselves We're only too
happy to come off alive.
AS soon as the mob had made it thor
oughly understood that they would not
permit the firemen to exercise their. voca-
ton, they left a sort of rear guard to give
notice in case the firemen should, in their
absence, attempt to put out the tire-they
raised the cry broadway, Broadway;
hnrrah for Broadway; hurrah for the Arse
nal-hurrah for the Armory-harrah for
Broadway
Then, in obedience to this cry the leading
spirits fthe crowd, numbering about 200
of the most ferocious, started on a quick
run for Broadway, yelling, hoOting,
screaming, roaring like a crowd of hu-
man animals possessed by devils
| Their intention was to attack the enrolling
office, No. l,1S44 Broadway, and probably
make their track with fire and blood, as
they did before and after.
1t happened that as this crowd had taken
up their way toward Broadway another
important character appeared on the scene.
1t was Mr.. John Decker, Chief Engineer
of the Fire Department. He had been hur-
riedly sent for, and he had hurriedly come.
He took in at glance the situation. The
devouring fame unchecked and apparent
ly UNDECIDED, was eating its way through
the block, and driving family after family
from bed and board by it's relentless pro-
gress. His fire apparatus, of which ordi-
narily he is proud, stood idle. Their natu-
raj enemy, the fire, was laughing at them,
while engine, truck and hose carriage, stood
listless.
|
to set his men at work at that instant with
out the consent of the rioters; had he at
tempted it they would have destroyed the
whole fire apparatus in twenty minutes;
the universal Americans were before him
he would make speech; he did make a
speech; it was brief, necessarily, for his
neighbors's house was burning before his
| eyes.
It must have been hard to address those
| fellows as "EelIoaD eitiseus'' bv the light of
the fire they had themselves kindled, and
which, hot as it was ON this broiling day,
was not, let US humbly hope, one-tenth
part as hot as the reception which, in an
other world, surely awaits every one who
! burns houses over the heads of widows and
orphans, and then robs them by the light
oft.
! However, hard as it was, Decker swal-
lowed the dose, and mounting on barrel,
called for moments "order," which was
granted, while he spoke as follows, being
continually interrupted by jeers and cheers
and ironical remarks. AT last he made
them hear thus much:
ow {1ITIZENS. I stand bpre bpfora