The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-18
RIOT AT CITY POINT.
MERCHANTS ROBBED AND BEATEN By NON
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Citv Point was on Thursday night last
the scene OF one of the most outrage
Gus and lawlcss riots that has occurred
since peace was declared. We had
hopcd that with the end of war came an
end of RIGHTEOUSNESS, but once more has
one of the old scenes Of brutality and plum
der been reanacted. We have been able
to gather from some of the parties who
were victims of the affair some of the par
ticularS, which we give below.
Owing to the mastering out and paying off
of the Tenth United States colored troops,
n number of Jewish merchants of Rich
mond and Petersburg went to City Point
some days since to open their stores. III
was with difficulty when they reached the
Point that they could get permission to
sell their goods, and it was only through
( the influence of some claim agent, ana
after laying the commandant of the post
the sum Of seventy-hve or one hundred
dollars apiece, that they were allowed per-
mits. These permits were given verbally
/ in most cases, though in some they were
written. In every instance their license
money" was demanded and pocketed, and
vet neither the lives nor the property of
| the merchants were protected, as we shall
see. Every since their arrival there has
been an apparent animoSity on the part OF
the soldiers towards the merchants, which
seemed To increase each day until at
last open threats were made. On Thurs
day the men spoke violently, and sworc
openly within the hearing of their officers
that they would mob the d-n Jewish
Christ killers that night.
On Thursday night, between the hours
of IL and u o'clock, the residents OF the
principal business portion OF the Polnt
were awakened by the report of plStol
coming from the direction of the soldiers
barracks. 1t was soon aScertaincd that
the threatened mob of United States sol
dicrs of companies d and +, Twelfth Uni
ted States Infantry, had broken into and
robbed the store kept by Mcssrs. b. Bear,
J. lIeishherg, and - Graw, ol every
thing. The shot was fired i'll Sclt-defencc
BY negro man in the employ OF those
gentlemen, who were arrested shortly
afterwards by two officers, Lieutenant
Triplctt and Keys. These last were stand
ing near by at the time OF the first occur
renee, and seemed to exercise no control
whatever over the men; on the contrary,
bv their rude conduct towards the mer-
chants, encouraging them to continue III
their robbery. Mes>rs. Hirshberg, Bear,
and Graw were taken to the guard-houS".
This was but poor satisfaction for the III
iured parties, and, to add to their indigni-
ties, when they requested permission for
one of them to return and take care of the
store, an otiicer-either Keys or Triplett-
drew his sword, cursed them, and said,
"If YOU say another word I'll put this
sword through you, you d. of "a
Subsequently, Mr.. William Flcgenhei-
mcr, of this city, by request OF Mr.. Bear,
started to 90 TO the store to protect what
little was remaining, and meeting on the
way the two lieutenants, Triplctt and
Kevs. told them of his mission. Keys re-
piled to him, ironically, that he had left
guard there, which would take good care
of the things. He hoped they would take
every dollars worth the Christ-killing son
of a - had. They had shot one OF his
men, and if he died he would have every
- Killed. They appeared to be int0Xl-
Gated, and going into the store of Mr..
Newfield, near by, asked him for liquor.
Triplctt drew his pistol, and putting II TO
the nose Of young man in the store, said,
"If that man, who IS one OF our pest
soldiers, dies, I'll blow your - brains
out. From this remark, and those made
by Keys, it would appear that one of the
soldiers had been struck by the shot fired
bv the negro in the first demonstration.
The mob next made an attack upon the
store of Mr.. J. Greenwald, an old man,
whom they beat numerically. Ihey
knocked him down with the butt end OF
musket. His right eye was much torn
with bayonet, and it is feared that he will
lose it. They robbed him of two large
cases of goods and everything else they
could carry off. They then set upon Mr..
f. Falk, stripped him of his clothes, and
took from him his money, valuable papers,
and q lot of watches and chains.
Mr.. J. Greenhow, clerk in the employ
of Mr., Grceuwald, was attacked, robbed
of his money, watch and chain, hat, coat,
and boots, and received painful wound
near the left eye with a bayonet. Mr..
Flegenheimer and Mr.. Kracker, of our
city, took refage with Mr.. McCance, the
agent OF the Government warehouse, VINO
very kindly afforded them all possible pro-
lection and comfort in his Office. Here,
however, they were not allowed to remain
long, for guard came after them and car
ricd them off to the guard house. Ihey
were shortly afterwards released. Messrs.
Bear, Hirshberg, and Graw were not so Tor,
tunate, for the first named was knocked
down in his cell, robbed, and choked until
he could hardly speak. The others fared
no better. The two lieutenants formed
their men in line, and, entering every
store, took the arms of all persons away
from them, thus depriving them oi the
means of self-detence. The commandant
of the post, Major HUM, did not seem DIS
posed to grant the citizens any protection.
Several of those who had been badly
beaten went to him and appealed
to him for relief. He replied that
he could do nothing for them; he had no
time to listen to them. This man has
always been noted for lack OF common
courtesy. On Friday morning the plum
derers offered the goods they had stolen
at public sale to the negroes, selling them
at mere fraction Of their value. Ihey
said that as the goods had cost them no.
thing they would sell them "cheap.'
During Friday Mr.. Flegenheimer was at
tackled by party Of eight Of the soldiers,
who attempted to wrest from him q valise
which he held in his hand. He fought
them bravely for long time, and only
gave up when blinded by the blood from q
wound over his eye. The valise, contain
ING two Smith u Wesson revolvers, one
Colts revolver, and twenty-five or thirty
pocket books, valued at one hundred and
forty dollars, ives carried of, Mr.. FIegen.