Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-09-06

80 Wv AAAAA-
die Of Baronne street, while on his right
hand an Infatuated crowd were chasing a
freedman down the sidewalk, and on his
left another crowd were chasing one up
the sidewalk. Each crowd were firing
and throwing clubs and stones at
their victim. The Corporal walked in the
Of the street, in full uniform, with
side arms only, as steadily and soldierly
as il on drill. He had been sent on an
errand by one of his officers, and was re-
turning. It was a scene that made my
heart thrill with admiration for q brave
man, although he was black as ink.
heard a Union man in the midst of q
crowd OF rebel rioters, who were pound
a negro and shouting for JEFF. Davis,
swear at them and call them traitors, and
every epithet Of ignominy that his tongue
could command. Strange to say they al
lowed him to escape unhurt.
An old grey-headed 1rishman, member
Of the Convention, named Haynes, did
the same thing while passing through the
crowd under guard, although they had
ropes ready to hang him. He de6ed them
to do their worst and threatened to haunt
them "wid his ghost" il they harmed q
hair of his head. ...m
When Fish, the first member that I saw
arrested, was passing down Canal street, a
rufian mounted a piece Of scaffolding in
front Of a new building and attempted to
throw a rope over his head. Another
one hit him in the back with q brickbat,
whereupon he turned around and defed
them in language remarkable more for its
abusiveness than politeness.
I saw negro draymen and other colored
men, pursuing their regular business avo-
cations, pass through the crown OF rioters
unframed. One old colored man at
tracted my attention particularly. He
walked through the crowd on the SIDE
walk, with a bundle under his arm and
an iron bar in his hand. His chin was
firmly set, and his eyes looked daggers.
No one dared to modest him.
The Institute is nov under guard Of
Company A, lst United States colored
troops. 1t is a large turreted brick build
ing, located, as I telegraphed you yester-
day, on Dryades street, between canal and
Common. Since the destruction Of the
Capitol building at Baton Rouge, it has
been used by the officials Of the State gov
eminent for offices. The main hall, in
which the Convention met, was capable of
holding about 700 persons, being in the
second story and embracing the full extent
Of the structure, except a large double
stairway in front. The hall was erected
for the use of public meetings, and, there
fore. is surrounded on all sides with low
windows, which reach up nearly to the
ceiling. At the rear end Of the hall is an
elevated platform, on which the Speakers
desk is located. The furniture in the
room consisted of ordinary ca%ne-bottom
rm-chairs and a few desks for secretaries.
A railing. called the "bar Of the house."
divides the room in half, partitioning of
the lobby from the space IN which the
members had their seats. The office Of
the Governor and his retinue are in the
first story. Yesterday morning everything
about the building was ~scrupulously clean.
At night it was blood-stained and smeared
with clots Of human gore from one end of
it TO the other. The stairway. the halls,
the offices, in fact every apartment shows
conclusive evidence of the desperation OF
the mob and the cruel violence of their
slaughter. Tangled and bloody knots OF
hair and crisp wool show how whites and
blacks died together, struggling against
Infatuated and implacable enemies. The
sidewalk in front Of the Institute and on
both sides of the street along the whole
block is also despatched with blood and
brains, and the fences and even the sides
Of some Of the dwelling houses are in the
same condition. A refreshing shower
which fell this morning washed away
some Of the marks /; but enough remain to
shock even the casual passer-by. The
chairs and furniture in the Hall are bro
ken in pieces, and the window panes are
shivered and shattered from the perfect
rain Of bricks. The building stands now.
standing under the rays of the hot sun
which has followed the rain, a monument
of disgrace to the city, the State and the
country in which such scenes can be en-
acted.
1t is asked, was the riot preconcerted ,
It plainly was! There was no regularly
organized premeditated attack at any one
point or time, but there was a general I'M
Outstanding among. all the young bloods
about town that a riot would occur, and
they promised each other to be present
and do their duty" when the time came.
I heard for days before the occurrence just
such talk in the hotels and restaurants,
and on the streets. I did not think the
speakers were in earnest, nor do I now
believe that they were; but circumstance
happening just as they did, they started
for the Institute, revolver in hand, on the
impulse Of the moment, and the whole
affair seems now to have been regularly
prearranged. Just before l o'clock, when
the firing had progressed but a short time,
the Ere bell rang. A man in the street
cried at the top Of his voice, "Now the
devil is to pay" Another said, "Look
out for hot work." What authority those
men had for the statements, I know not,
nor who rung the bell. The police were
partly taken of duty the night before, and
were armed better than usual. When the
fire bell rang the Fourth District force ap-
peared, moving toward the Institute, and
in a short time every available policeman
in the city was On the ground. Young
men deserted their business everywhere,
and hurried to the scene of action. The
signal intended for the police was adopted
H., skn ,,o