Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-10-11
The NeW1rIeans Massacre
iconc,uaed from First Page !

ro,t.ded 5y MOI and Police, who open fire |
at the ,oiatioics. Some of the Police testify |
that the first firing was from the windows;
but this evidence the Board considers as
sfterly oCerGorne w the mass uf opposing
t. tDiony from I'll parties. Now some few
shots, this number stated all the way from
Ave 10 thirty 1.-THE last ,s innate made ly the
Pcice) are returned from the windows of
tic Hal These shots were fired by those
negroes c' the procession who had taken
fofuno in the Hall, some two or three OF
W., ,0n.t y, ca shad pistols. They are, how
ever, Immediately ordered away from the
wi-rlows. an 4, is far as possible are brought
inside of tie railing and seated, and the
sicse of the Hall commences in earnest
1t appears that The Convention met, call
ed the roll, and adjourned for an hour to
procure the attendance Of absent members.
According TO the universal testimony, with
single exception no member of the Con
vention was armed; and they bad not only
determined to make no opposition to an
arrest, but had made all arrangements for
procuring their release on habeas cor7jas.
TIVE BOARD ARE RELUCTANTLY cOMpFLL-
EDIo DIscREDIT THE MAYOR, AND 10 BE.
IIH'E THAT HE KNEW THAT NOT A SOLDIER
HAD BEEN ASKED FOR, AND THAT, WHEN
he NAssED HIS ARMED POLICE AND HELD
TuLh ALooF FROM TIE BUILDING. NO BAR
RlER REMAINED BETWEEN TIE CoNVEN.
fiON AND NEGROES AND THE IEFURIATED
CITIZENS WITH WHOSE TnREATs THE CITY
WAS YET RINGING EXCEPT his PAPER PROC
IAMATION. He states, moreover, that he
knew that THE HATRED OF THE MOB To-
WARD THE CONVENTION AND THE NEGROES
WAS SHARED BY HIS POLICE. IN THIS
STATE OF AFFAIRS, SHOULD TUE NEGROES
ASSEMBLE IN ANY NUMBER, A COLLISION
MIGHT BE CONSIDERED INEVITABLE, AND AN
ATTACK BY TUE MOB UPON THE CoNvEN
TON AS SURE TO FOLLOW. THEN THE Po-
IICE-MASsED, ARMED AND READY-ARE
LET LOOSE UPON TUE SCENE TO "QUELL
THE RIOT" HOW THEY DID QUEI.LIr WILL
APPEAR FROM THE EVIDENCE.
Before describing iurlber operations, the
Board would call attention to the evidence
concerning the character Of the mob acting
in support and 10 concert With he police, and
the reason there appears to be TO infer that
some organizations or bands Of er Confe'ier.
ate soldiers, came by some pre- arranged pur
pose TO the oHock. The various bs1ges or
Distinguishing marks testified to us borne by
C. / "us on that day, are first = crescent
apd star; second, cross cannon badge
known to be that Of the Washington Artil
lery; third. a white handkerchief tied
around the neck; and fourth, blue ribbor
in The button hole, though there is som,
reason to suppose the latter to have beer
the mark Of supernumaries or uniformed
police. 1t will be remarked that ONE WIT
NESS WAS HIMSELF DIRECTED TO hSSUMI
TUE WHITE HANDKERCuIEF BADGE BY A
FRIENDLY POLICEMEN WHO DESIRED TC
sAvEHIM. Whether the organization knowr
as "Hays's Brigade Association" which
was ordered to be dissolved by Gen. Sheri
dan, was present as body, or merely b,
tho common impulse its members can
not be ascerts;ned; bm Of its actual pres
ence there can be Jut little DOUBT Many o
the police we're members. and snch expres
sions as THERE Goys flAYs's BRIGADE;
damn you, you ARE FIGHTING Hays
BpTGADE;" us ALL UAYs's BaIGADEUP?'
mo If IT Rad BEEN NOT ONE WOULD HAVI
ESCAPED" phanb show mhere he strengtI
of the supporting force 10 the R1iice lay.
is within the knowledge Of the Board tha
considerable talk some weeks previous, wa
f"r Sheriff Hays, if given warrant agains
the Convention, to call upon this Associa
ton as his posse comitdtus; and when Gen
Sheridan's order was published dissolyin
such associations, tho negro paper exultet
that Hays's Brigade would not, as threaten
ed, break up tho Conyention.
Tho Board oauBot but think that any per
son examiRiDs the evidence must come /,
the conclusion that sVch associations wer
present IN pursuance of a preo,Tdnged an,
f'reconcer,ed programme Direct testimon.
on the subject Of such preconcert can proba
bly, never be obtained, but the weight Of sus
tanning evidence, in the Boards opinion
leads irresistibly to one conclusion.
In connection with tho subject Of mark
and badges the Board would call attention
10 the very significant fact, testified to b.
many witnesses, that he police, in many in
stances had yerrrscd their hat bands. an,
thereby concealed their numbers On thi
fact the Board consider il unnecessary /
comment.
In regard to tho scenes which now too
place around the building. and the manne
duoted the siege, the Board cannot under
take to p,ceent even summary OF tho ev
dence. Tiey can only sag that the Tork o
massacre mds pursued wiM co,cordy JrrG
CITY unsurpassed in the annals ofcriB,e. Is
Gaping negroes were msrcilessly pursued
shot, stabbed and beaten to death by tn
mob ond police. Wounded men on tn
ground begging for mercy wore ss svapely di.
patched by mob, police, Gremen, and incredi
BILE rs II may seem, in two instances by wo
men; but in two or three most HONORABLE
snd exceplioDable cases, white men On.
members Of the Convention were protecte,
"y uemDefr VI tho poIcci poln against IN
mob and against other policemen. TIL
Chief OF Police, by great exc, tons, defend
ed in this manner Gov Hahn.
After the attack had commenced, tn
Police appeared to be under no control .
such. but acted ss and with the mob Thei
cheers and waving OF hats as they threw tn
mangled Dostie, then supposed a corpse
ike dead dog into the cart, sufficiently /
show their unison ofieeing with their allies
IL will sufficiently appear from the evidenc
Of the Assistant Editor Of the New. Orlean
Times that il Sas only by announcing hi
character as such that he saved himselfiro
instant death at the hands OF the Police. 4
Reporter Of the same paper saved himsel
I'M similar manner, but narrowly escape,
subsequent maltreatment on suspicion o
having worn Grape for Linceln."
On the subject Of the massacre on tn
trests, and the share Of the police therein
the Board would refer TO the evidence o
Gen. L. j. Heron. Gen. Benton, Majo
Moore, Najer Frye, DR.. Cooper, Captail
Chambers, DIR. Bentley, DR.. New, Messrs
Frsser. Cope Miller, Poynot, Hire, Hickoe