The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-03

Iieuter ant. & oyernoi Voorh es. General Heron,
ana Chief OF TO ice Adams, IS sufficient to indicate
on which side the false swearing lies. 60
Let us now cons der little the further evidence
hearing upon Genera Bard's action in regard to
The civil authority propose to disperse and
arrest the Convention first, BY the city police, next
oy the tneIIns posse and request tne mltary W @ no.
ins ruchons. lie receives no answer. The civll
authorizes receive despatch which they lnterpret
TO mean that General Bard IS not TO prevent the
arrests. General Baird's objections are not re.
moved, and 1t is agreed that the Convention shall
General Baird shall indorse his obecrone, and
forward the papers to Washington 80 lar, no
o6 iCI M tTGEPs imfP or Gese @ & ioT SssS
But General Bard thinks 1t prudent to have on
that day water transportation IN instant readiness to
biing up the troop required Had he without the
slightest request from the civil au bOrIes or lntlma
ton that they we're not amply competent TO keep the
p6ace-bad he brought up the troops and stationed
them around the building, the mot won have been
prevented but tins course would have been COM
planned Iot as uncal ed-for usurpation, would have
been construed into taking sides with the Conveu-
ton, ana in General Balrd's OPINION would not have
received the approval oi his sUperIors.
On the m rnlne OF the hot General Baird is under
the impression, shared by members OF tins Commits
sion, and known by them 70 have been prevalent,
that the hour Oh meeting was TO be 6 z. N. Mayor
Monroe states Il at IN his applcat for troops he
stated the hour OF meetinq 10 be H. but the Commits
sion have already gwen their for dIscredting
this ess, and for believing that such alleged
al plications were never made.
AT ast, at some time between 10 and II on Mon.
raj Balro proposes the sending of troops. 1t is
as'ented to, and now, for the first time, General
Baird has the request or sanction OF the civil power
1or the presence OF his uoops he dues not wait
q formal Iequls hon nor does he ask why the Lieu
tenant. acts in the place of the Governor.
He sends messenger at once for troops, ana tells
the Lieu enant Governor he will have them in the
street an hour before the Convention met.
He thinks that, IL the Governor noticed this
mark, he must lave seen that there
a. out the time, as IL was then arY IL O'Clock
From that time it cannot be denied that General
Baird used effort to hasten the arrival of the
troops who did not, unfortunately, come IN unit
the slaughter " as over and The riot had ceased at
that point
On review of this evidence, the Board cannot
but decide tnaJ no blame should be attached 10
General Ban for his ION in the premises. Under
The impression that the hour OF meeting six, the
troops had not Quilted the barracks, and shortly
the request or sanction OF the civil authorities for
Il cir appearance. 1t was then too late
Before proceeding further in the discussion of the
events the day of the riots the Board would
sider some OF tle exciting causes by which, IN their
OllnoD, the passions of large portion OF The com
monty had become lnfamed 10 the highest point
against this so-cal ed Convention, and the negro.
suffrage IpaTty by which it was supported. They
were, IN the OPINION OF the Board, the tone of the
press for some time pat whose hardly concealed
threats pointed clearly to violence.
! he published cnarge OF Judge Abel to the Grand
Jury; Mayor MOnrOe's declared intention to en-
poy hIs police against the Convention, unless pre-.
ytnted by the military; the speeches made at the the
eXaP ge, aed and incorrect reports thereof published
III the papers-all these combined in the opinion of
large class always ready for violence, that this
meeting might be considered as the condition
lection, and fair game for the pistol and the kne
lth regard to the meeting on FRIDAY night, there
can be no DOUBT that 1t exercised highly exasps-
rating influence on the minds of the opponents of
Conven ion.
NepIo suffrage was openly advocated, violent
speeches were made Ill which "Rebes" were de-
nOunced, and there can be no doubt tnat most ILL
ADVISED appeal was made by one speaker to the
negroes TO 'come in their mi ght" The next Mon
day TO the meeting OF the Convention In one
RESP ect this meeting certainly incendiary in Its
effect 1t fred into absolute fury the smou derIng
wrath OF the classes alluded to. against the Conven-
ton party. and, by bringing procession OF negroes
contemplated and premedltated attack. AS an in
dicatIon of the intensity of feeling thus excited,
may be mentioned the remarks Of ladies" auyo.
eating the immediate killing OF the leaders Dostie
and Henderson, IN their houses.
To return to the narration of events. 1t seems
that, on the Saturday before an informal meeting
OF the Mayor different members of the City Council,
the Chief of Police, and some OF the prominent mer.
chants, was held Tor the purpose OF considering the
situation and deciding on a course OF action. To
this meeting was invited eX General +. Heron,
who was asked Tor his opinion. He replies, that
though POLITICALLY opposed to that party, he would,
were he Mayor, allow the Convention to meet and
send his who police orce there for its protection,
and let the matter OF arrest by the Sheriff be referred
to ashlnPton as proposed.
This opinion meets with favor, except from one
person, who thinks that the Convention should be
hung and neral Heron leaves with the full I'M
pressIon that such course has been decided on-that
IL meeting Will be protected by the police and no
violence occur. But at IL O'Clock, Sunday night
the night wachmen are Drawn Off tner beats and
he'd at the various stations. In the morning the
whole uniformed police are so massed and held in
readiness; whether by orders or without or.
sent TO the Convention for Its protection as advised
bv General Heron; on the contrary they are scru'
puOusly kept from appearing on the streets, the
Mayor, as he states, relying on his proclamation TO
keep away The whites, and on the troops which, as
keep the negroes in order He fears that the appear
ance of the police might overawe the Convention.
1t was during this adjournment that a procession
OIL negroes, with drum and fife and United states
Tag, approached the building. as might have been
expected, IN marching through the excited crowd
that filed the streets, collision occurred; the pro-
cesslon was insult ed, and q shot or two fred-lt
would seem at the procession, though there is con.
hicting evidence upon this point But this disturb
ance Is quickly over; negro is arrested and taken
away.
building. On ar ivng IN Iont, the street rs nearly
clear the crowd OF negroes previously there having
been addressed by members of the Convention, and
advised to dlsperse. There Is, however, a crowd of
whites and some police near the corner of Canal
street While the procession is standing there 1t
iDsulted by white boy, who IN return Is set upon
by the blacks. He IS rescued by a policeman, who
takes him in the direction of Canal street. Bricks
are thrown after them, and a shot fired, whether
from the negroes white crowd cannot be decided,
as the evidence is COZ fictinR
according TO Mr.. lOdd's evidence, of paroled ex-
Confederate soldiers TO open smart FIRE. This was
returned by such OF the negroes-abOut ten or
dozen-as had revolvers, and by the with BRICK
bats This continues for few minutes until the
superiority of firearms of the whites causes several
negroes to drop dead or wounded. This causes a
panic, and the negroes rum some into the building,
and some into the door-waYs in the endeaYor TO
escape or hide. lull in the firing ensues and the
next thing Is the simultaneous advance of the police
IN three directions upon the building firing as they
advance Negroes in the door-ways are shot and
The building surrounded by mob and police who
| open fire at tine windows.
Some OF the police testify that the first firing was
from the windows; but this evidence the Board con.
siders utterly oyerborne by the OF opposing
| testimony from all parties Now, some few shots
the number stated all the way from five to thirty
tthe last estimate made by the pohce)-are returned