The Placer herald., 1865-07-29

your columns. that although being a strong
advocate of the Union party have always
opposed mob law. 10 show the falstv of
this infamous report will state that bad
| not f,eeu in the town OF Auburn for more
han Two weeks before the assassination OF
! President Lincoln, and not until bis funeral.
! And can ,ruthfully say that have never
used any language that could have conveyed
ANY snch Impression.
/ D. CHOATE.
convention I'm Sacramento.-.BIoOdyF Fight
between the Long ard Short Hairs.
| Public attention has been directed to Sacrl-
mento city and county for several weeks, as the
field of a hot and acrimonious contest between
the "Long" and 'Short Haired factions of the
Union party, for supremacy in the county conven
tion to be held on the 25th Of July. So embit
tered had become the quarrel, that it was deemed
necessary. to appoint number of special officers
to keep the peace at the primaries held on Satur-
day last. With the exception Of a few fights
these passed off very WELL and resulted in the
election, in the city, of 80 Low or Short to 20
AntiLow or Long haired delegates. Both sides
charged the other with fraud, trickery and vio
lcnce in obtaining the result--the Shorts claim
ing that thoy were beaten unfairly in the Third
Ward, and the Longs asserting they were cheated
out OF one or two of the other Wards In other
! portions of the county the AntiLow men were
more successful. and the general result was such
as to render it doubtful which faction had ma
jority of the LOG delegates. The Longs claimed
a majority of eleven votes before the meeting OF
| tlaC iop uhil tho ll,,
confident of having Il prcponderance. and that
upon fair showing OF hands they could secure
| the organization Of the Convention and the nom.
nations.
Tuesday came, and with it the meeting of the
Convention. or the occurrences that immediate.
ly followed the Sacramento Union gives the fol-
lowing version:
Soon after 2 O'Clock, Thomas Ross Chairman
of the County Central Committee, called the
meeting to order. Dr.. \. T. Nixon, on the left
rose and said, Mr.. President. p. J. Hopper Con
the right rose and nominated DR.. F. A. Park as
temporary Chairman Of the Convention Some
one on the left nominated Dr.. Nixon for the same
position. Amid calls Of "Queston Mr.. Ross
said, "Gentlemen, permit me to state the order
of business" Mr. Ross then said: THE first
business in order is the nomination of tempo.
rary Secretary" DR. Nixon who had remained
| StaDulnS. SaIu i nominate W IL. Barton as TEN
porary Secretary of this Convention.' Rhodes
| nominated John Parnell for the s,,ne position
The two nominations for Secretary were made
nearly if not quite simultaneously. Mr.. Ross
submitted the name OF W. II Barton as Secreta-
ry. A heavy vote in the affirmative was quickly
followed by a negative vote equally decided and
| emphatic, and the negative by loud and repeat
ed calls from the right for division of the
house. MIR. Ross was understood TO decide that
| ". II. Barton was chosen Secretary. The con-
venton was at once ihr, wr into confusion. Th"
delegates on the right continued to call dvson'
division 'fair-play, give US q fair show" A
dozen or more were on their feet at once. "We
wont submit to it unless you count the votes."-
Nobody shall take a seat without counting the
votes" Turn Ross out" PUT DR.. Park in the
| chair" Frank Malone addressed the chair, say
ing they would submit TO no snap judgment; if
| they were beaten on fair division they would
submit. but no should take !, seat until there
was count OF the VOTES. Stla' demands were
made by number of others there being gener
ally three or four delegates speaking at the same
| time Several movements were made by
Mclaughlin, Sullivan, Rhoads and others TO-
wards the Speakers stand and the left side OF the
| house. accompanied by hostile demonstrations
For the time being no blow was struck. During
the demonstrations the excitement over the entire
house was intense. After tc lapse of pelhapse
five minutes spent as above described, Ross again
called the meeting to order, and pronounced Bar
ton the temporary Secretary of the Convention,
| and asked him TO take his seat. Barton advanc
ed from the left towards the Secretaty's table.
when the delegates Fl ON the right made ii gencr-
al rush to the left side of the house. Then en-
sued IN indescribable and terrible scene. such
asnever before was witnessed in Sacramento at
any political convention Barton was intercept
ed before reaching the Secretary table and told
that he should not take his seat. The delegates
on the left crowded up Tor the purpose oil sup
porting him as those from the right forced a sol.
| id phalanx on the front TO prevent him from ad-
vancing. In moment the two parties were en-
gagged in hand to hand fight. Solid hickory
canes, which appeared to be abundant on both
sides, were piled with vigor. Spitioons flew from
side to sidt like bomb-shells on Il battle field
| lnkstanda took the place Of solid shot. Pistols
| were drawn and used us substitutes for clubs
The principal weapons however, which were
used by both sides were the cane-bottomed arm
| chairs, which were OF course within the reach of
| every one. These implements not very we'll
adapted to the purposes OF wariare-wcre swung
in the air by the dozens and broken over the
heads of the contending parties. In some instan-
ces chairs were broken up for The purpose Of pro-
curing the legs to use rs clubs. No fire arms
were discharged and no knives were used. The
fight took place exclusively on the west side of
the room, and lasted probably five minutes. At
| the close the anti-Low men or Long Hairs who
had rallied TO the support Of Barton, were driven
from the field. Several jumped out of the win
dOws, others who were badly hurt were assisted
odt OF the building, while the greater portion
passed into the ante-rooms and the main ball or
| to those portions of the Assembly Chamber which
were regarded neutral ground The fight was
stubbon and effective while it lasted on the part
OF the Long Hairs rs well as the Shcrts. Among
those who were injured the most severely were
W. Mace d. Kendall John Rider aud A. 7. Nell
son. of the Long Hairs, AMI J. Ii. Sullivan. B.
havanaugh and John Black of the Shorts. Many
others presented black eyes bruised faces and
/ torn clothing. Mace was violently besen while
laying on the floor in an unconscious condition.
having been previously knocked down. The
room soon filled up again after the suspension OF
hostlities The Long Hairs, after consultation
among themselves decided to retire to Turn We
rein Hall. An announcement to that effect was
made by Dr.. Nixon and they left in a body. The
Short Hairs then proceeded to complete their Or
ganization in the Assembly Chamber
The Union is the orgnn Of the Long Hairs