The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-10-26

take more than ten minutes T., open
tho Convention, and then shall come
right away Look for me ny tntee
o'clock NJ farthest, and the, young
pastor kissed his wife aud hurried
that dav WINS destined TO be ono
among the most memorable IN the
annals If human wiekednoss since the
Gmoma 81 bartholomew The Nom
hers of the Union Convention had
looked forward to It with apprehen.
aion They knew that the spirit Of
the late rebellion still survived in
New Orleans, and they could not hope
that they should BIO permitted 10 as
aemble without some molestation
from disorderly individuals, but they
had no suspicion that the masses Of
the city would rise against them or
ganzed for deliberate bloodshed
They did not know that all the arms
had been bought up Till the gun.sh0ps
contained not so much as pocket
pistol. They did not know that the
Mayor had teleRraphed to the Presi-
dent that there certainly would be q
riot, aud had received the assurance
that the military would not interfere
with the civil power They did not
know that the police force had been
increased by the addition Of n gang
of blood thirsty men, and that the
municipal authorities had agreed upon
signals, aud arranged to begin the riot
themselves. Watched by no suapi-
cion. and awod by no Buffers strong
right hand, tho conspirators were snf-
fered TO perfect their preparations,
aud when tho morning Of the 30th Of
July dawnod. the treaehorous officials
appeared ut the station houses full
armed. and waiting the opportunity
for their bloody work.
The paatorot the Coliseum baptist
Church. Rev. lothian w. Horton, had
been requested TO open tho Conven-
ton with prayer Moved by the
warmost Christian sympathy for the
freedmen, this young New England
minister had gone South with his wife,
to give his best energies to their well.
fare. He was man of sincere pioty
and large heart; pure Ms little.
child, self-denying whore duty was
concerned, to nm extent that often
made him suffer, and though repeat
eddy insulted aud even once fred
upon, and though conscious that he
was fatally marked by malignant dis
loyalists, he would never go armed,
After taking leave Of his wife, Mr..
Horton proceeded in the cars, from
his residence in Carrolton to the city.
Ever apt TO. look hopefully on the
worst prospects. and slow 10 suspect
evil Of HIS follow men, he had felt no
fears Of injury for this day, beyond
perhaps ioroible seizure and com
mitment TO the parish prison.
The hour arrived for opening the
Convention, and Mr.. Horton, having
entered the hall, stood up to offer
prayer Just as the clock struck twelve.
Strongly aud fervently his words came
up, breathing petitions for the peace
Of his country and the doliyerance of
tho oppressed God heard him, but
with that prayer his servants work
ended and then he gave him for alittle
while TO the cruel wrath Of his enc
mies, that he might make that wrath
praise him. Immediately on the
sounding of the stroke Of noon from
the city clocks, and simultaneously
with the opening of Mr.. Horizons
prayer, the armed police fled out Of
tho several stations, three hundred
strong, and marched toward the In
stitute.s Some of them entered tho
hall during the prayer, o mob in the
mean time rapidly collecting round
the door, and hardly had the good
man uttered the closing " Amen,p
when n miscreant fired bullet ut his
| head
There could no longer be any doubt
ofthe Intentions of the officers aud the
mob The latter assailod tho window
and crushed in at tho doornt" Kill
him kill him ? they yelled. "Shoot
every cursed Yankee in the house" y.
just then all the bells in the city be-
gan TO toll. II was the preeoncerted
signal of slaughter, aud now the hor-
rors of the day began ~
The disloyalist rufians rushed in
with pistols, knives, and clubs, eand
commenced their appointed work Of
murder. Resistance was hopeless.
The Uanvrntion broke up in the
bers falling dead, and many mortally
wounded in the hall, while few who
could, He'd The Union men saw that
| they were doomed. Instead of pro-
/ tecting them and arrestipg the rioters
at the firing Of the first shot as with
their force they could easily have
done, the police headed the attack,
and there IA reason TO believe that one
OF their number fred the first sh %.
Fir. Horton received five balls in
his body, and fell. These balls were
hired by policemen. Not satisfied with
their work. they seized him. battered
his head with their billies. stabbed
nm, kicked aud dragged him over
the payements to the first station; the
MOP followed behind, cursing, beat
ing ana ,trampling him with their
shoes. Thrusting him in cell he