Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-09
THE FEARFUL RIOT IN DETROIT.

FouI and Disgraceful Scenes
The city Of Detroit was disgraced BY .
most fearful exhibition Of mob spirit on
Friday afternoon and evening. The tele-
Graph made brief mention Of the. riot
and its consequences. The Advertiser and
Tribune ef Saturday morning contains full
particulars Of the occurrences Of The day
and evening before, which show that q ri-
Otous. bullying mob Of infuriated men and
bovs intimidated the authorities SO that
hey sOwardly submitted the city and the
safety Of all its inhabitants to the passions
Of the mob. It was record which should
be remembered against them in time to
come.
The riot was but carrying out the teach
ings Of the pro-slavery COpperhead press
Of the North, which for months has been
persistenty engaged in exciting hatred
and ell manner Of bad bloed between the
lsbOring classes Of the North and the col
ored race. These laborers have been as
sured that the negroes were coming North
to Au the ranks Of toll and to drive ont
Of the market white laborers. Visions Of
oOlored laborers at ten cents per day were
held up to the gaze of those too Ignorant
to see the utter falsity Of the suppOsitiOn,
until they became so exasperated as to look
upon every cOlored man only as personal
enemy and usurper. The wrong rests
with the speakers and the sheets that have
thus prostituted themselves to the coward-'
II and lying work Of imposing upon
their dupes. The consequence has been
ranking hate upon the part Of the poorer
and ignorant classes toward the negroI
which has found vent inssuch riots as those
Of Toledo and Cincinnati last year and this
latest one at Detroit Let, then, those who
mourn the death Of the victims Of the mob,
and those who saw their property vanish
under the touch Of the incendiary, lay the
responsibility where it belongs and charge
It home upon those Democratic insigators.
For the negro agaiEt whom the attack
ives first directed, neither we nor the pub
lie have any more sympathy than for any
other vile criminal, convicted Of q revolt
ing and horrible crime He fully deserved
the execrations Of the community and the
full penalty Of the law. But he was in
the hands of the law, and certain to get
his deserts, and SO the mob turned its ven
Rsance against helpless and wholly inno-
cent victims, guilty of no crime save that
Of belonging to the same unfortunate na-
tionality with the prisoner. Here, simply
because these people .0srs helpless and weak
the oowardly devils gave their murderous
passions full sway, and MANNED, beat,
stoned, and burned, to their evil hearts
content.
We condense from the Advertiser the re-
port Of the transactions of Friday. The
negro Faulkner received the verdict Of
aguilty" (Of the alleged violation of the
person Of small white girl, on Friday af-
ternoon in the Court Room. Having said
q few words in denial Of the charge, he
was sentenced by the Judge to State Prison
for life. Faulkner returned to his seat in
the witness box and wept pathetically--
The Court adjourned TO Saturday and the
authorities started with the prisoner for
the jail. We quote from the Advertiser:
Tu SCENE IN FRONT OF TIE CITY HALL AND
VICINITY.
GAn order was then issued that the Court
room be Immediately cleared. A large
eoncourse had already assembled in front
Of the City Hall, and was constantly IL
crsssing, and violent threats Were made
to take the life of the prisoner The Off
ssrs were firm and res0lute in their de-
termination to convey him safely to he
fail, and ss preeautiOn, q detachment Of
The Provost Guard at the Barracks, under
Lieutenant Van Stan was called 10 aid
When the troops arrived at the Campus
Martius they we're hooted at and assailed
with g variety of offensive epithets, but
they behaved eOolly and prudently. The
prisoner was brought down from the
Court room and proceeded, escorted by
several Of the police and soldiers, up Mon
roe Avenue and Randolph street TO Ora
tiot street, followed BY several thousand
people, many os them bent upon seizing
the prisoner and administering summary
vengeance. Stones, brick-bats, mud and
sticks were hurled against the soldiers, in
& perfect shower. The mob were cautioned
several times by the authorities, against
the consequences Of their violence, but to
no purpose"
THE scEEEs on GRATIOT STREET.
HUpon reaching Gratiot street, the
crowd had largely increased, and became
more violent, until the officers reached the
intersection af Gratiot and Clinton, when
several Of the soldiers we're seriously in
jured by bricks and stones. Then Lieu
tenant Van Stan ordered his men 10 front
toward the crowd on Gratiot street, which
they did as if in the act Of preparing to
Ere which temporarily checked the on
ward movement Of the crowd. But the
missiles soon fell thicker and faster, when
an order was given to fire, which was i'm
nediately carried into effect. The first
Volley was probably composed OF blank
cartridges. Nobody was hurt, and the vi
elsnes was renewed"
n FRoET OF TGEJAm-A NAN KILLED.
&When the crowd had reached the front
Of the Jail, on Beaubien street, brickbats
stones, mud and every available missile
was thrown at the soldiers, in increased
Quantities, and several Of the men were
more or less iDjured-one so badly in the
head that be was afterwards taken to the
hospital. The soldiers were again order
ed 70 fire q second volley, which they did
with fatal effect. One man, Charles Lon
Gen, daguerrean artist, corner Of Wood
ward Avenue and Larned street, was shot
dead, the ball striking him in the pit Of
the stomach. He was taken up and carried
to house near by, where Coroner's in
quest was subsequently held over his body.
IN nthar men. whose names we could