The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-08

THE SUFFERINGs OF THE NEGROES IN
THE RIoT.-The poor. innocent coiored
men, women, and children were hunted
from house to house by rioters armed with
clubs. guns. ropes and torches. They
were robbed, beaten, and hanged by an
excited and angry multitude of men, wo-
men, and half-grown boys, whom they had
never injured. Their property was stolen
their houses were burned-their lives
We're sacrificed to crafty the savage in
stincts OF the oflscouring and scum of the
great commercial city of the United States.
No argument-no appeal for mercy-could
touch the feelings Of pity in the breast Of
that wild beast-the mob.
God made the negro black-because he
was black these rufiians assaulted him
and killed him. A single murder did not
suffice the bloody deed was many times
duplicated. Some they stoned to death:
some they beat TO death with clubs; some
they shot; some they hanged, and one they
roasted after death. These victims Were
not confined to one locality, nor to one sex,
nor to any particular condition in life
Their blood smokes under the walls Of
our palaces on Lexington ayenue-under
the shadows OF churches, and from the ru-
in of their own dwellings. Ministers,
doctors, teachers, men of culture, had to
hide IN secret places, and escape under ths
cover Of night, to save themselves from
piled to the Colored Orphan Asylum, where
little children had found shelter nnder the
wing Of charity, The mob sacked the
building and then burned it to the ground;
and when two or three firemen gathered
up the orphans and took them to a place
of safety, the ruffians cursed them, and
probably would have killed, had they not
been so busily engaged in stealing the fur
niture Of the institution. Many of our I'M
fortunate colored citizens fed into the
|country for refuge, and We're glad to lie
down in safety in the woods, where the
brutes are less cruel than these red-handed
rioters. Not few were sheltered under
the hospital roofs of brave, humane, and
noble whites, whose charity did not shrivel
with fear in the face of mob. This
grand work Of Christian benevOlence was
not confined to Americans nor to Protes-
tants. Mrs. W, an old lady from Cam
non street, says that she, her husband and
ten or dozen others were concealed for
two days IN white neighbours house.
This white family not only had the hero
ism to protect these poor people, but the
humanity to feed them, and the discretion
at the proper time to get police force to
escort them to the station-house Their
benefactors are Irish Catholic, an honor
to their country and ornaments to their
church.
Large numbers of the oppressed and
hunted fugitives fed in terror to the var
ious police stations for protection. Several
hundreds Of them have been kindly cared
for and calamity protected at police head
quarters. In some instances great tore
thought and ingenuity We're shown by the
negroes in efecting their escape to that
castle of safety. One man was headed
up in a hogshead and taken by butcher
on his cart to police headquarters. A lit
tie boy, who had lost his mother in the
crowd. got into box, when fireman put
the box on his shoulder and carried him to
the station-house. Our greatest generals
might envy thelaurels won by such butch
ers and such firemen. Three negroes es-
capped from the third story of their dwell
ing-house, by means Of a rope, and then
hiding away in furnace in the basement
OF the same house. In more senses than
one, these men passed through the fiery
furnace without the smell of fire on their
garments. A man who was blind, and so
lame be had 10 go on crutches, was
turned into the street by the mob. A white
man, witnessing the distress Of the unhap-
| by creature, had the courage and the hui
manity to take him in carriage to the
! station-house. IN ordinary times that
would have been small act of charity a
| duty not worthy Of record, but to do such
deed in defiance of the mob, at the peril
| OF ones life, in behalf of one who could
| render no service IN return, who could not
! even see his benefactor, was heroic-better
| than that. it was Christlike. At the Po-
| lice Headquarters the writer saw two
| Methodist clergymen. They were really
| finelooking men. with well-tormed heads.
One of them had q sick son, man grown,
whom he was obliged to carry in his arms.
because no one would allow him a coach
al any price. Women as well as men took
part in the shameful riot. They hurled
stones, welded bludgeons,and encouraged
the men and boys TO prosecute and kill
the negroes. No longer ago than last Sun
day evening pair ofthese vixens called
on a colored woman and threatenedto blow
mp her house with powder If she did not
leave it. They encouraged half-grown
boys-candidates for the gallows--to insult
the woman and throw stones at their win
dows, and this compelled her to leave the
house. Age was no protection, Old men
and old women whose heads We're white
with years had 10 flee for life, for they were
pursued by stout men with ropes in their
hands. The following facts were obtained
by the writer from the lips Of the refugees
at headquarters.
Mrs. A. was returning from her work
at williamsburg on Monday of last week;
when she reached the corner Of Market
and South street mob OF half grown boys
commenced calling her names and throw
ing stones at her. They pursued her to
Pelham street, when they fell upon col
ored man and beat him TO death.
Mrs. D. keeps an clearinghouse in the
Eighth Ward. She was driven away from
home by threats and violence. Mr.. John
son. in the block below her residence, was
beaten so badly on Saturday that he died
on Sunday last.
son Thompson street three women were
so badly used and terribly alarmed they
died one day last week. Our informant
could not state precisely the time of their
decease.
This state of affairs has excited the SYM
pathy of all good men and women in the
community, and persons of all creeds and
parties are fastening forward with pecuni-
ary assistance. A committee of merchants
has been appointed to collect and disburse
funds to relieve the immediate suffering
of the colored population, and the noble
merchant princes of our city have deter
mined to protectthe colored people in their
rights. Several distinguished jurists have
volunteered to prosecute the claims of the
colored people without cost, and feeling of
shame and sympathy prevails wherever