New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-10-03

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Gated almost painfully his liability to the highest de-
gree of nervous excitement; and without implying
any intentional Justification, the Board cannot but
think that his confessed condition Of alarm and indg
nation at the time caused him to greatly dstort the
sense of the expressions which he caught That his
position was not such as to enable him to judge OF
the speeches in any connected sense, would seem
probable from his own testimony concerning the
events of Monday, when, from the same balcony, be
watched two speakers addressing the negroes, ana
inferred PROM THEIR GESTURES that they were e1hort-
ing them 10 disperse. Mr.. TitOn's feelings toward
the Convention are stated with great frankness lie
woud not have done what the police did in protect
ing members; on the contrary, as property-holder
and tax mayer he would have been for the killing OF
every man in the room. The unconscious influence
which such feelings cannot but exert upon testimony
is well exemplifed in this case.
To return to the narration Of events. 1t seems that,
on the Saturday before an informal meeting of the
Mayor, different members of the City Council, the
Chief of Police and some of the prominent merchants,
was held for the purpose of considering the situation
and deciding on course of action. To tins meeting
was invited ex.Gen. F. j. Heron, who was asked Tor
his opinion. He replies, that though politically OPP
posed to that party, he uOud he Mayor aHon ne
Contention TO meet and send his rhOle police force
there for its protection and let The matter Of arrest by the
Sheriff be referred to Washington as proposed. This
opinion meets oih aror except from one person, rho
thinks that the ConreHtion should be hung; and Gen.
Heron leaves with the fumpresson that such course
has been decided on-that the meeting will be pro-
tected by the police, and violence occur. BUT AT
~ O'CLOCK SUNDAY NIGHT, THE NIGHT wATCHMES
ARE DRAWN OFF THEIR BEATS, AND HELD AT THE
VARIOUS STATIONS. IN THE MORNING. THE WHOLE
UNIFORMED POLICE ARE so MAsSED AND HELD IN
READINESS WHETHER BY ORDERS OR WITHOUT OR
DERs NEARLY EVERY MAN IS ARMED. THEY ARE NOT
SENT TO THE CONVENTION FOR MS PROTECTION AZ
ADVISED BY GEN HERRONI ON THE CONTRARY THEY
ARE sCRUPULoUsLY KEPT FROM APPEARiNG on TIE
STREETS. THE MAYOR AS HE STATES RELYING on HIS
PROCLAMATION TO KEEP AWAY THE WHITES AND on
THE TROOPS, WHICH. AS HE STATES, GEN. BAIRD HAD
PROMISED TO SEND, TO KEEP THE NEGROES IN ORDER
HB PEARS THAT THE APPEARANCE OF THE POLICE
MIGHT ovBRAwE THE CONVENTION.
II was during this adjournment, that procession Of
negroes with drum and fife, and United States
flag, approached the building. As might have been
expected in marching through the excited crowd that
filled the streets collision occurred; the procession
was insulted and q shot or two fred-it would seem
at the procession though there is conflicting evidence
upon this point But this disturbance il quickly over
a negro is arrested and taken away The procession
reforms and marches on to the building. On arriving
in 'front.' the street is nearly clear the crowd Of negroes
previously there having been addressed by members
OF the Convention and advised to dsperse. There is
however, crowd Of whites aud police, near the
corner Of Cana-st. While the procession is standing
there, it is nsulted by white boy, who in return is
set upon By the blacks. lie is rescued by police
man, who takes him in the direction Of Cana-st.
Bricks arc thrown after them, and shot fred
whether from tho negroes white crowd, cannot be
decided as the evidence Js conflicting. This Is The
signal for the ps erotod, eonsisting according 10 Mr.
Todfs eridsRee, Of ParOiod eICoIedsras soldiers, to
open a smart fire. This was returned by such OF the
negroes-about ten q dozen-as had rcyolvers, aud
BIZ the rest with brick-bats. This continues for few
minutes, until the superiority Of firearms OF the
whites causes several negroes TO drop dead wound
ed This causes panic, and the negroes run, some
into the building, and some into tho doorways in the
endeayor to escape hide. lull in the firing en-
sues aud the next thing is the simultaneous ddodnee 81
he Police IN three directions upon the building, tnHg as
thes adranee. NgrOts in The door.Hays are shot, and
The building surrounded by mob and Police nho open hre
at The undous Some Of the Police testify that the
first firing was from the windows; but this evidence
the Board consider as utterly ooerborHe BY the mass Of
opposing testimony from all parties. Now some few
shots this number stated all the way from FIVE TO
thirty 1.-THE last estimate made by the Poce) are re-
turned from the windows Of the Hail. These shots
were fired by those negroes Of the procession who had
taken refuge in the Hail. some two or three of whom
it appears had pistols. They are however, immedi-
ately ordered away from the windows, and as far as
IL thar andca
and the siege of the Hall commences in earnest
II appears that the Convention met, called the roll,
and adjourned for hour to procure the attendance
of absent members According TO the universal testi-
mony, with a single exception no member of the Con-
vention was armed; and they had not only deter
mined to make no opposition TO an arrest, but had
made all arrangements for procuring their release on
habeGs corpus.
THE BOARD ARE RELUCTANTLY COMPELLED TO
DIsCREDIT THE MAYOR, AND TO BELIEVE THAT HE
KNEW THAT NOT A SOLDIER HAD BEEN ASKED
FOR AND THAT WHEN HE MAssED HIS ARMED
POLICE AND HELD THEM ALooP FROM THE BUILD
ING NO BARRIER REMAINED BETWEEN THE CON
vENTIoN AND NEGROES AND THE INFATUATED
CITIZENS WITH WHOSE THREATS THE CITY WAS
YET RINGING EXCEPT HIS PAPER PROCLAMATION.
He states, moreover, that he knew that THE
HATRED OF THE MOB TOWARD THE CONVENTION
AND THE NEGROES WAS SHARED BY HIS POLICE.
IN THIS STATE or AFFAIRS SHOULD THE NEGROES
ASSEMBLE IN ANY NUMBER, COLLISION MIGHT BIZ
CONSIDERED INEVITABLE, AND AN ATTACK BY TIRE
MOB UPON THE CONVENTION AS SURE TO FOLLOW
THEN THE POLICE-MAsSED, ARMED AND READY
ARE LET LOOSE UPON THE SCENE TO "oUELL THE
RIOT" HOW THEY DID oUELL 1T WILL APPEAR FROM
THE EVIDENCE.
Before describing further operations, the Board
would call attention TO the evidence concerning the
character ofhe mob acting in support and in concert
with the police and the reason there appears to be to
infer that some organizations bands Of