The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-08-14

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The Institute is now under guard OF
Company A, First United States Color
ed Troops. 1t is large turreted brick
building, located, as I telegraphed you
Yesterday, on Dryades-st., between Ca
nal and Common. Since the destruct-
ion of the Capitol building at Baton
Rouge, it has been used by the officials
ofthe State Government for Offices
The main hall, in which the Convention
met was capable of holding about 700
persons, being in the second story, and
embracing the full extent of the struct-
ure, except large double stairway In
front The hall was erected for use
of public meetings, and therefore is sur
rounded on all sides by low windows,
which reach up nearly to the ceiling
At the rear end of the hall is an elevat-
! ed platform, on which the speakers
| desk is located. The furniture in the
room consisted of ordinary cane-bottom
ar1n-chairs and few desks for Secretar-
les. A railing, called the "bar OF the
house." divides the room in halt, par
titioning off the lobby from the space in
which the members had their Seats
The office of the Governor and his reti-
nue. are in the first story. Yesterday
morning everything about the building
was scrupulonsly clean. At night 1T
was blood stained and smeared with
clots of human gore from one end OF 1t
to the other. The stairway, the halls,
the offices, in fact every apartment,
| shows conclusive evidence Of the des
| peration of the mob and the cruel vio-
Ience of their slaughter. Tangled and
| bloody knots of hair and crisp wool
| show how whites and blacks died to-
gether, struggling against Infatuated
| and implacable enemies. The sidewalk
front of the Institute and on both sides
of the street along the whole block is
also despatched with blood and brains,
and the fences and even the sides of the
| dwelling houses are in the some condi-
ton. 4 refreshing shower which fell
this morning washed away some of the
marks but enough remain to shock
| even the casual passer-by. The chairs
and furniture in the Hall are broken in
pieces, and the window panes are shiv-
cred and shattered from the rain Of
bricks. 1t stands now, smoking UNI
der the rays of the hot sun which has
followed the rain, monument of dis
grace to the city, the State and the
country in which such scenes can be en-
acted.
1t is asked, was the riot preconccrted?
1t plainly was There was no regular
ly organized premediated attack at any
one point or time, but there was gen
eral understanding among all of the
young bloods about town that a riot
would occur, and they promised each
other to be resent and do their " duty"
when the time came. Iheard for days
before the occurrence lust such talk in
the hotels and restaurants, and on the
streets. did not think the speakers
were in earnest, nor do | now believe
that they were !; but circumstances hap
pening just as they did, they started
for the Institute, revolver in hand, on
the impulse of the moment, and the
whole affair seems now to have been
regularly prearranged. Just before 1
O'Clock, when the firing had progressed
hut a short time, the fire-bell rang. A
man in the street cried at the top of his
voice, CHOW the devil is to pay" An
other said, "Look out for hot work.
What authority those men had for the
statement, | know not, or who rung
the bell. The Police were partly taken
off duty the night before, and were ar
med better than usual. When the fire
bell rang the Fourth District force APP
peared moving toward the Institute,
and in short time every available po-
Iceman in the city was on the ground
Young men deserted their business
everywhere, and hurried to the scene of
action. The signals intended for the
Police was adopted by the rioters.
The affair commenced at II: As, and,
lasting hours, ended at 3:45. 1t did
not end until every negro and white
man in the Institute had been either
killed or wounded and captured, with
the exception of three or four whites.-
AS there were about hundred men OF
both classes in the building, and about
fifty wounded outside, the total casual
tiles will amount to l25, of whom so
were killed or have since died from
their wounds. This estimate is moder-
ate.
The military force was encamped at
Camp Jackson, five miles from the
scene Of the riot, and in the morning
were told to be ready for any emergen-
cy. They did not arrive until quiet had
been restored, and it was only restored
when there was nothing lett to kill or
MAIN. 1t is certain that somebody was
very derelict in ordering the troops into
town. Gen Sheridan was not in town,
and Gen. Baird had command. l I'M
derstand that one of his staff reported
everything quiet when, at the time he
was making his report, the massacre
had begun and progressed for quarter
of all hour. This dereliction should be
investigated.
The Police impressed the baggage
wagons ofan express firm in the city to
carry off the dead; one load consisting
of eight or ten bodies, and the living
men at the bottom. They were woun
ded, and perhaps would have died; but
they had life enough left in them to
struggle for air. An eye witness
whose name 1 can furnish, says that
policeman mounted the cart, and shov-
ing his revolver down between the bod
les on top, killed the poor fellows with
one shot for each The fiendish thirst