Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-08-30
THE NEW ORLEANS MASSACRE,

the Mechanics ~lnstitute-.a correspondent
whom Raymond expressly endorses as
scrupulously exact in his relation Of occur
rences which he is detailed to report, or
which in any manner come directly under
his reportorial vision-under date Of July
3lst, gives a comparatively brief but
graphic account of incidents of the massa.
ere. We subjoin. extracts from this cor
respondents letter, which will afford a
thrilling conception Of what sort of a
Riot" the Conventionists were slaagh-
tered in, who originated it, and what it
signifies of the loyalty" Of a large pro-
portion of the population of the Crescent
City:
With the origin of the riot yesterday
the readers Of the Times are well aware.
The appearance OF the colored procession
on Canal street. composed of about 100
freedmen, was the signal for its commence
ment. "Some white bystauders attempt
/" ed to take away the national flag which
"they were carrying" and a shot was
| fred. The blacks claim that the whites
| ired il. The whites tell a contradictory
story. I have seen responsible men who
were present, but they fail to give an a
thori,ative statement about this first shot,
After stating the order of Sheriff Hayes
lex rebel generaD to arrest negroes and
the congregating OF an immense concourse
Of people in front Of the Institute where
the Convention was held, this eyewitness
says:
The mob and the police filled the side
walk and the stairway of the building.
| Shots were fred through the windows
from both in and outside, and bricks,
paving stones, clubs and other missiles
were thrown from both directions. A
gentleman named Fox came down stairs
and was arrested; but on stating that he
was merely a spectator he was released,
and walked across the street, where he
shielded himself on a doorstep. From his
position he could see inside the building
which he had just left, and he states that
only one person after him came out with
out being killed or badly wounded as
they came down stairs, by the police and
the mob Of rioters accompanying them.
Governor Hahn, who is lame and walks
with a crutch, was met on the stairs as he
came down and escorted out to the curb
stone by two policemen. On reaching
the sidewalk he was surrounded by about
twenty persons, who beat him on the
back Of the head with clubs, and he re-
ceived a severe stab in the back, also a
pistol shot from behind. It is probable
that this shot was fred by a policeman.
On reaching Canal street he was placed in
a carriage, and under the charge Of the
Chief Of Police was taken safely to the
lookup. He owes his life to the Chief
and his squad, as they prevented him
from being lynched. Fish, Henderson,
Shaw and other members were treated
likewise. On reaching the foot of the
stairs they were beaten by the police and
the mob, and after being rendered insensi-
BILE they were dragged off to Jail. An
attempt to lynch Fish was made on Canal
street, but the police in charge of him
prevented it, although they nearly killed
him themselves by beating him with the
butts of their pistols. But few freedmen
were arrested coming out Of the building,
as they were nearly all shot dead at sight.
The Rev. Mr.. Horton, a clergyman, from
New Hampshire, now in charge of a
church in this city, oficiated as chaplain
Of the Convention. I heard his prayer at
the opening, in which he asked fervently
that the lives of the members might be
spared, and thanked God that peace was
declared in Europe, praying for the same
blessing in this country. In a habit Pc
culiarly ministerial, one which distinctly
marked him as a clergyman, he came down
stairs with a white handkerchief on his
cane, intending to surrender himself
peaceably. He was met, knocked down,
trampled upon, kicked and beaten nearly
to death, while begging for mercy. The
police and their rioting friends were his
assailants. DR.. Dostie, intending to sur
render himself, also came down. He was
shot, stabbed, and treated in the sam
manner as Horton, although he implored
the rufians to take him prisoner and spare
his life. These details suffice to show how
the arrests were made.
On Common, Baroone, Dryades, st.
Charles, Rampant and Carondelet streets,
freedmen were murdered by the police
and the mob in cold blood. Standing in
the door of the telegraph IN Carondelet
I saw about two hundred men chasing
one negro along the sidewalk. Six po.
licemen were nearest to him, and in ad-
vance of his pursuers. They emptied his
reyolvers into his back, and finally an
other one, when he was near enough to
lay his hands on his shoulder, shot him
in the head and he fell dead in an alley.
Another freedman, trying to escape from
the institute, was climbing over a fence,
when I saw him fall from q policeman's
shot. As he struck the ground, at least a
dozen police and rioters surrounded him
and fred their pistols into his head and
breast, at the same time pounding him
with clubs and canes. The blood flowed
from wounds in his scalp, covering his en-
tire face ? but they continued their brutal
assault until he breathed his last, al.
though he several times raised his feeble
and wounded arms to gesticulate for the
mercy his tongue could not ask for. I
saw a white man draw stiletto and strike
it into the heart of a dying negro on Com
mon street. The blood spirited out in
great red jets, staining his murderer's
clothing, face and hands. He got up and
displayed the CORY marks as though they
were proud emblems of a praiseworthy
| deed. These and other incidents which I
saw, suffice to show you how the freed
men were treated in a majority Of cases.
| Some Of the policemen however treated the
freedmen with moderation, and rescued
them from death at the hands Of the mob.
The affair commenced at 1916, and,
lasting three hours, ended at 2:45. 1t did
not end until every negro and white man
in the Institute had been either killed or
wounded and captured, with the excep-
ton Of three or four whites. AS there
were about 100 men Of both classes in the
building, and about so wounded outside,
the total casualties will amount to l25, OF
whom so were killed or have since died
Of their wounds. This estimate is mod
crate. -.
A SLEEPING INFANT KILLED BY A KAT.
We have Just received the particulars OF q
horrible occurrence which transpired
lately on Roberts street, in the Seventh