North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-09-26
THE INDIANAPOLIS RIOT!
MAI. GEN. CUsTERs LETTER
White Men Brutally Shot Down.
Abolition Shrioks for the NegrO--No La
ment for Murdered White men.
RADICAL HATE for the IRISH


RADICAL HATE for the IRISH.
General Grunt mitnesses The Massacre and
... informs the President. ...
READ! READ!! READ!!! =
A Letter from Major Gen. Custer
the Indianapolis Disturbances.
Special Dispatch to the New York Times.
r. CINcISNATI. Ohio, Sept, 1886. =.
To Gen. S. Meredth, ... sna ,'aas 5sa
DEAR SIR: In compliance with your
request and to correct misrepresentation
already published, give you the follow
ing statement of what | saw relating to
the disgracpful riot which occurred in In
danapolis on the evening OF the Presidents
reception at that city. Il had returned to
my room from The supper table, where i
had left the President aud most of the par
ty. The streets about the hotel we're
densely packed by the crowd waiting to
see and hear the President. Loud and
continuous calls were made for Johnson,
Seward, Grant, Farragut and others. |
was seated in the window of my. room,
which was in the second story Of the Bates
House and Immediately overlooking the
crowd III the Street. Several hundred
torch and tranSparencies borne among the
crowd rendered the scene as light as mid
day, so that | conld see and distinguish the
faces of every person in the crowd below.
am thus minute in detail in order to
prove to you that could see all that was
transpiling. Nothing of disordery char
acter occurred until one of the Marshals
of the day was seen making his way on
horseback through the crowd to point
where torclI-bearers were located. After
apparently receiving directions to that eff
feet. they began to move off in column. -
rhis was the signal for an attack by the
crowd which was begun oy knocking down
torches and transparences with clubs, and
in some instances wrestling them from the
hands of holders. This continued with
out resistance for the space of probably
two minutes, although several in the pro-
cession had been struck and beaten over
their heads. A rush was finally made by |
the crowd, and several torches forciblv Ia
ken from the procession and the handles
used as weapons agains those in the process
sion. The transparency bearing the mot |
to 4" Irish American Citizens Welcome the |
Presid mt of the United States" seemed to
be special objecl of attack, and was seiz
ed and attcmtrd to be trampled under feet. |
The attempt failed, and tue bearer resist
ed by using his transparency as cluo This
was the signal for general attack |
by the crowd. At this moment the first |
shot WAS fired and as an offort has been
made to attach the blame and responsibli- |
ty ofthis disgraceful proceeding of that oc
casien upon innocent parties, and being in
possession Of facts which enable ma to + fix
guilt where it belongs, hereby state that
| plainly saw the man who fired the first
shot, and saw him at the moment he fred. !
He was one of the attacking party belong
ing to the crowd, and his aim when firing
was directed into the procession and ap-
parcntlv at the bearer of the transparency /
referred to above. ~. -,-.~ ..'s /
This WAS signal for other shots, and it
was not long before dozen or so shots
were fired hy the attacking party that any
was returned by those belonging. to the
when single man left the pro-
cession, stepped into the open space which
had been cleared by the firing, and deliber-
ately aimed and fired twice at one of the
mob, who was some twenty yards distant,
and who was still firing toward the torch
bearers. This closed the disturbance for.
the time being. The facts as have re-
lated them, were witnessed by Mr.. Spof-
ford. of Boston, Mr.. McGinniss, of Chicago
and two ladies, all of whom are members
of the Presidents party, who were in my
room at the time Gen. Grant also wit
messed them from another window, and in
formed the President of what he had seen,
a few moments after it transpired. After
the President returned his room, facing,
the balcony, the crowd again assembled in
front, when another disturbance arose.
I was standing with the President in.
his room, when heard two or three shots
fired; looked out of the window just in
time to see man fire pistol at another
standing near HIM. The wounded man
fell and was soon after picked up and car,
ried into drugstore on the lower floor.
No more shots were fired. Gen. Grant !
after twice appea ing on the balcony and
the crowd TO disperse and 60
hone, induced respectable persons TO do
so. About $50 or more of the roughs and
thugs of the city. and who probably began
AZ Il unheld the riot remained. in front. of
the hotel, induf fging in vile epi bets until a
late hour. To Use the word of Secretary
Seward on that occasion, the loyal ihhabit-
ants had retired to their horses, while the
disIoyal remained in the street.
~ . G. A. CUSTER. 4
The undersigned,eye witness Of the riot at
Indianapolis on the evening of Sept. 10, do
hereby bear unqualified testimony to the
arcurate end truthful description thereof