Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-08-31
DELAWARE FRIDAY AUG

one Oh the .oolored men, and O shot was again
nred Dy one Of the parties, which led to an in.
disoIlmiuate fire on the building, through the
windows, by the policemen.
rms had been going on for q short time, when
white ilag was displayed from the window of
the institute; whereupon the firing ceased, and
lhe police rushed into the building. From the
testimony of wounded men and Others who were
inside the building, the policemen opened an in.
discriminate fire upou the audience until they
hau emptled their revolvors, when they retired,
anu those inside barricaded the doors.
Ihe door was broken in, and the firing again
commenced, when many Of the colored and white
people either escaped through the door, or were
passed through the door, or were passed out by
the policemen inside; but as they came out the
policemen, who formed the circle nearest the
building fired upon them, and they were again
hred upon by the citizens that formed the outer
circle.
Many of those wounded and taken prisoners,
ana others who were prisoners and not wounded,
we're fired upon by their captors and by citizens
The wounded men were stabbed while lying on
the ground, and their heads beaten with brick
bats. In the yard of the building, whittier
some OF the colored men had escaped and par
TALLY secreted themselves, they were fred upon
and killed or wounded by policemen some men
were killed and wounded several squares from
the scene Members of the Convention were
wounded by the policemen while in their hands
as prisoners, some of them mortally.
The Immediate cause Of this terrible affair
was the assembling of this Convention. The re-
mote cause was the bitter aud antagonistc feel
ing which has been growing in this community
since the advent Of the present Mayor, who, 10
the organization of his police force, selected
many desperate men, and some Of them known
murderers.
People of clear views were overawel by want
OF confidence in the Mayor and fear of the
Thugs" many Of whom he had selected for
his police force. l have frequently been ap-
piled to by prominent citizens on this subject,
and have heard them express fear and want Of
confidence in Mayor Monroe ever since the in
timation Of this last Convention. l must CON
denim the course of several of tho city papers for
supporting by their articles the bitter feeling of
bad men. As to the merciless manner in which
the Convention was broken up, feel obliged to
confess strong repugnance.
1t is useless to attempt 10 Disguise the hostility
that exists on the part of great many here tow
ard Northern men and this unfortunate affair
has so preoipitated matters that there is now
test Of what shall be the status of Northern men
whether they can live here without being in
constant dread or not; whether they eau be
protected in life and property, and have justice
in the courts.
If the matter is permitted to pass over with
out thorough and determined prosecution of
those engaged in il, We may look for frequent
scenes of the same kind, not only here, but in
other places.
No steps havN yet been taken by the civil
authorities to arrest citizens who were engaged
in this massacre, or policemen who porpetraied
such orueltes. The members of the Convention
have been indicted by the Grand Jury, and many
of them arrested and held to bail. As TO wheth
or the civil authorities can meto out ample JUS
ticc to the guilty parties on both sides, ! must
snyit is my opinion unequivOcally that they
cannot Judge Abel, whose course l have
closely watched for nearly year, now consider
one Of the most dangerous men that we have
here to peace and quiet of the city
The leading men of the Convention, King
Cutler, Hahn, aud others, have been politica
agtators, and nre bnd men. | regret to say
that tho course of Gov. Wells has been vacilat.
ing, and that during the late trouble ho has
shown very little Of the man.
P. H. SHERIDAN, Maj-Gen. Comdg