Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-04-22
AMYsTERI0Us TRANSACTION.
Partial Destruction of the Democratic Mes
senger Printing Office.


Surprise and astonshment, heretofore unsur-
passed in Fremont, was manifested by our eiti
zens on Friday morning last, (April 18th, by
the announcement that the office of the Demo-
cratic Messenger, edited and published by NJ.
P BEAN, had been broken into during the night
and the materials of the office destroyed and
scattered in the street. We say our people were
surprised because there had been no manifes
tation of feeling ON the part of the Union men
of Fremont against Mr.. BEAN or his paper for
many months Therefore the news of its de-
struction filled them with as much astOnish-
ment as would have a clap of thunder in clear
sky. Nevertheless we regret to say the Office
was partially destroyed. The office is in the
third story of Daily's brick block, opposite the
Post Office. Entrance was obtained by the
street hall door. On this door was good lock
and latch. The bolt catch of the lock and the
latch We're both broken off. The door is pine
one and upon it can be found no marks of vio-
lence, and violence must hare been used to break
the latch and catch. We have been told by one
of our best citizens, that he examined the door
early after the affair was noised about, and he
said the screws in the bolt and latch catches were
not started and il was his opinion that they
had both been broken from the inside while the
door was open, by blow from a hammer, axe,
or some like instrument Nomarks of violence
were discoverable on the office door at the head
of the second flight of stairs. The Printing
Office itself was indeed a sad picture for aprin-
ter TO contemplate. The Press on which the
paper was printed (Which by the way was
No A, and a tolerable good one,) was badly
damaged The levers were broken, one corner
of the bed and platten were broken. The job
Press was not seriously injured, Gas it was re-
paired the same day. The type were ''pied, "
and a portion of those that the paper was print
ed on were carried down stairs and strewed the
whole length of Front Street from State Street
to the Railroad bridge. The job type in the
cases were not molested-only the newspaper
type was ''pied. The ''inside forms of the
paper were on the Press, and they too were car
ried into the street and kicked about. Mr.. BEAN
states his loss to be from 81, 500 to 81, 600 We
cannot see how that can be. The Press could
not have cost when new to exceed $275; the type
destroyed could not have cost when new more
than s2OO-making in all $475. The press
and type have, at a low estimate, by usage, de-
preciated in value least 500, and the press as
it now stands is worth $75. This would leave
Mr. BEAN 5 actual loss but $780, which we think
fair estimate.
On Saturday afternoon slip was published
from the Messenger office containing the follow
ing:
MESSENGER OFFICE Fremont, o.,
April l5 1864.
Our Office was broken into last night, sup
posed to be about - o clock. and almost entire
ly destroyed. Our newspaper press was ruined
and our entire newspaper material thrown into
the street or ''pied' in the office. Our forms
for the inside of this weeks issue were on the
press and part the edition worked off Forms
paper and all, were destroyed. We dOnot feel
in humor to write this morning. and have not
type enough to print much Our damage will
be perhaps somewhere from 81, 500 to So, ,000
We will send these circulars to oursubscribers
with a few advertisements which we have con-
| tracted to publish this week.
The continuation of the MESSENGER depends
upon circumstances. We have not the means
at hand to do it. twill require entire new ma
terial for the paper and press
We are not conscious of having injured any
man in Fremont, personally. We have printed
Democratic paper and intended to do so as
long as we were able. The cowardly scOund-
rels who committed this outrage will yet meet
with merited punishment. We do not pretend
to say that the whole Republican party are re-
sponsible for this work, but that the mass of
them endorse it is evident. Threats have been
made ever since we commenced the re-publica-
| ton of the Messenger, but we never believed
that they would be carried into execution.
Notwithstanding the heavy destruction of
our property, we are still Democrat and hope
soon to be able to renew the publication of the
| Messenger When party becomes so desperate
as to employ rufians to destroy printing offices,
it must be in a very low condition.-FTenaom
Messenger, Saturday, April l6H extra.
During Monday forenoon hand bill from the
Messenger office was circulated about the streets
by Mr.. BEAN himself signed Many Democrats
calling public meeting at the Court House in
Fremont tomorrow Saturday afternoon The
following incendiary language is used in the
bill:
democrats, you are appealed to- to come out
in your strength. Let us act together like men,
who deserve their rights American citizens
1t is for you now to determine whether or not
Mob Law shall rule, and whether Midnight As
ty of our fellow citizens.
The above articles plainly charge that the
'Republican party destroyed the Messenger
office. How any honorable man could have the
effrontery to make such charge when he con-
fesses he does not know who committed the act,
surpasses our comprehension. Nothing can be
more unjust than such charge against the Un-
L.
ther from their contemplation than to commit
an outrage, (for it was an outrage and the per-
petrators, whoever they were deserve merited
punishment, of this character. ''Mob Law"
is spoken OF. If it was ''mob'' that destroy
ed the office, twas the most quiet one we ever
heard Of There were persons who were up un-
til after midnight within less than block dis
tance and heard no noise. Parties slept within
less than 100 feet Of the Office and heard no
noise. 1t seems strange that ''mob'' could
have done it and not been heard.
After the Messenger extra had been circulated
the following was issued by the Union party:
We, the undersigned residents of Fremont,
and members of the Union party of the county,
having seen the extra of the Democratic Ifessell-
ger which has just been published through our
town, stating, among other things this reproach-
full language: 1--WE do not pretend to say that
the whole Republican party are responsible for
this work, but that the mass of them endorse it
is evident" We assert that the Union men of
this vicinity, openly and without stint, denounce
the transaction and that it was wholly and en-
tirely beyond our knowledge thought; nor
do we believe the act was committed by Union
men. and we further say we will pay One Hun
dred Dollars for the conviction of the perpetra-
tors of the act.
S. Buckland, James Justice,
W. L. Butman, c. r. McCulloch,
Henry Lesher VIM. B. Sheldon,
Jno. V. Beery. j. W. Stevenson,
Wm Totten, James Kridler,
H. r. Shomo, NJ. Gusdorf