The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-08-08
INNOCENT PEOPLE SHOT BY THE
HUNDRED.
CUREL RARBARTTIES OF
THE REBEL POLICE.
A TRUTHFUL PICTURE By AN EYE
WITNESS.
Special Correspondence of the Journal.
Mu..- o. IL 1Oec

AN6W OALEaNFoi - uly Ols 1CUO.
Yesterday was day long to be re-
membered in this city and the nation.
The most frightful demoniac passions
have ragged in fury; the most wicked,
unprovoked, brutal and cowardly mob
that has disgraced any American city
prevailed here yesterday. Several
hundred men are wounded, many of
whom / have seen, and between fifty
and a hundred have been killed. /
have seen over thirty dead men.
Yesterday the Constitutional Con-
vention assembled in large building
In central position in the city. A
large crowd of people were in the
street near the building, who were
friends of the Convention The pub
lie mind had been greatly infamed
against this Convention by the rebel
press of this Ecity; and soon after
the Convention had assembled, and
prayer by the Rev. DIR. j. w. Horton,
Baptist minister, the crowd outside
, were attacked by the police of the
city, assembled there for that purpose,
and to arrest the members of the Con-
vention, instigated by the rebel popu-
lace, rebel Mayor and his bloody min
ions, lately pardoned at Washington.
The assault was with pistols and
other deadly weapons. Very soon a
great many were shot down from the
crowd Unfortunately, some killed
and others wounded
This deadly fury was continued for
upwards of four hours. Meanwhile,
persons in various parts Of, the city, in
fo1 ~, h., -
vention or the crowd outside, were
shot at their ordinary pursuits or dis
tant l0okers-on. During the time /
went to the scene of butchery and
saw several hundred men who were
most savagely tortured, even after
they were captured and overpowered,
all without resistance, and all or
nearly all without any means of de-
tense. [ can walk fifty squares in this
city and step in human blood all the
distance. The streets are really crim-
son with the blood of men. | have
seen men who were shot, with broken
arms or broken legs, others shot
through the lungs ors bowels, and
their cruel torturers, the authorized
police, beating them with clubs, canes,
pistols, sticking knives into them, and
decorating them with cotton hooks.
In this terrible condition they were
crowded to the number of sixty into
cells intended for. room for nine per-
sons only, and the day was fearfulIy
warm. From the prison I have seen
several wagon-loads of dead men
hauled away, and policemen riding on
their dead bodies, hooting, whooping,
and jeering as they proceeded along
the streets. to1
This is faithful picture so far as
it goes, but am not telling half that
is true Of these devils. The Rev. Nj.
jackson, who has charge OF. the Bible
House, most peaceable and exem-s
plary christian gentleman, was shot
through the body. @ ro
| give you such examples to show
you that violence was not only infict-
ed upon rowdies and negroes, but
some of our most worthy citizens Of
the place.
Rev. DIR. Horton was beaten almost
to death his head and face frightful
bloody mass. Indeed with deep
wounds.
Gov. NJ Hahn, who never walked
on two feet in his life, "a cripple from
birth; has to walk on crutches, neces-
sarily has to use one hand at least in
carrying his crutches0 had his throat
cut frightfully; his head and face so
beaten that | should not have recog-
nized him. as saw him in the wagon,
but seeing his deformity and his
crutch by his side-though such men
we're not tortured as were the
negroes and those who had fewer
friends. / have seen the police
men Gin part profigate boys of the
rebel army, strike these poor wound
ed men in the face and on the head
with pistols and knives while conduct
ing them to prison resistless and
completely oVerpowered, inficting
wounds and screams that | will not
forget while [ have memory. After
the mob of police had continued
these cruelties for four hours, the
military were called out and put upon
the streets to restore order. But
these four hours covered period OF
more fortunes and cruelties than L
have before seen.
To be fully prepared to overpower
the Convention and their Union
AShHS, dn extra IOrcc VI 1WO Auhul0u
and fifty deputy sheriffs and greater
number of extra policemen were APP
pointed. General Sheridan, | am
sorry to say, was not in the city. The
authority rested upon General Baird,
was, too slow in bringing the military
to the scene OF blood and slaughter, to
prevent the terrible waste of blood !:
he was not advised in time of the real
condition of affairs.
The cause of all this can be traced
to Washington through the lately
whitewashed rebels, but now again
crimson with blood by trying to de-
stroV the few Union men of this Mace