The Portland daily press., 1866-10-05


the mark of supernumeraries or ununiformed
police: 1t will be remarked that one witness
was himself directed to assume the white
handkerchief badge by friendly policeman
who desired to save him. Whether the organ
ization known as "Hays's Brigade Associa-
ton, which was ordered to be dissolved by
General Sheridan, was present as a body, or
merely by the common impulse of its MEM
bers cannot be ascertained; but of its actual
presence there can be but little doubt. Many
pressions as "There goes Hays's Brigade;'
Damn you, you are fighting Hays's Brigade;;"
"Is all Hays's Brigade up?' "No; if il had
been not one would have escaped" plainly
show where the strength of the supporting
force to the police lay 1t is within the knowi-
edge of the board that one plan of action,
which was the subject of considerable talk
some weeks previous, was for Sheriff Hays, if
given warrant against the convention to call
upon this association as his posse c0nlitdt,ts :;
and when Gen. Sheridan's order was publish
ed, dissolving such associations, the negro pa
per exulted that Hays's Brigade would not, as
threatened break up the convention.
At little before one o'clock, a signal of
twelve strokes was struck upon the city fire.
bells. The chief engineer te, ,tifies that he had
been warned on the day previous that such
would be the signal for q concentration of po-
lice in case of riot. The signal is not a fire
alarm, as there are but nine districts in the
city, and for general alarm the number of
strokes is twenty. Nevertheless two engines
turned out and repaired to the scene of the ri
OF. Firemen Were seen acting as and with the
police, making the arrests as special police and
lending the assistance of their iron wrenches
in the cOngenial occupation of despatching
the wounded Whether this was in pursuance
OF any previous orders, private or otherwise,
the board regard as immaterial. There can be
no doubt that the signal was recognized through
out the city rs indicating that the attack had
commenced, and as o call to arms to all who
might desire to participate therein. "LOok out
for hot work now" is the cry of the sire ets as
the first strokes of the bells resound. 1t is in
evidence that in one instance orders were Civ
en- to stop saw mill ON hearing the signal 1t
is understood that, during the confederate Oc-
cupation, this number of strokes was the alarm
signal to the military in case of anticipated at
tack, and it would almost seem that the STIR
ring appeal had not yet lost its power, since
according to the testimony of one witness, it
evoked at least one confederate officer in full
uniform and side arms to report for active du-
ty.
On the subject of the character of the negro
procession, whose ill-timed and unfortunate
appearance was the immediate occasion of the
outbreak, the board are unable to see any evil
dence in support of the hypothesis that it was
anything deserving the name of an armed or
ganizatiOn. Most of its members had such
canes and clubs as negroes carry on all holiday
excursions, and perhapsa dozen had pistols
No doubt many of these were carried with the
idea that an attack upon themselves was by
no means improbable; but that the procession
itself could be regarded as a body organized to
fight would seem to persons of military expe-
rience to have been disproved by events, over
thirty negroes being shot dead during the fir
ing, while the supposed organization cannot
succeed in killing in return single assailant
young Cena, the only man killed on that
side, being supposed to have received a stray
shot from his own party.
In conclusion the board will state tnat it is
by no means their opinion that hostility to
Northern and Union men SO prevails in the
community at large as of itself either to en-
danger their life or property, provided they re-
frain from claiming freedom Of speech concern
ing subjects on which, like that of slavery be-
fore the war. no difference of opinion is toler-
ated. But in regard to the party which elect
ed Mayor Monroe, and which through him now
controls in great measure the municipal gov
ernment and city police, this party the board
do consider as most thoroughly imbued with
the spirit of hostility alluded to, and so soon as
the lapse of sufficient time shall have convinc-
ed them that no punishment is to be antici-
pated for past Offences and that they need be
no longer ION their good behavior" then, in the
boards opinion, q period of insecurity fol
Northern life and property will recommence