New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-10-10

pose of considering the situation, and deciding on
course Of action To this meeting was invited
sX-Gen, r. j.. HERON, who was asked for his
opinion. He replies, that though politically OPP
posed to that party, he would, were he mayor,
allow the convention to meet and send his police
force there for its protection, and let the matter
of arrest be referred to Washington as proposed.
This opinion meets with favor, except from one
person, who thinks that the convention should be
hung; and Gen. Heron leaves with the full impress
sion that such course has been decided on-that
the meeting will be protected by the police, and
no violence occur. But at IL O'Clock Sunday
night, the night watehmen are drawn off their
beats, and held at the various stations. In the
morning the whole uniformed police are so massed
and held in readiness, whether by orders or with
cut orders nearly every man is armed. they are
not sent to the convention for its protection, as
advised by Gen. Heron on the contrary, they are
kept from appearing on the streets,
the mayor, as he states, relying on his proclama-
ton to keep away the whites, and on the troops
which, as he states, Gen. Baird had promised, to
send, to keep the negroes in order. He fears that
the appearance of The police might overawe the
convention.
THE NEGRO PROCESSION. ..
1t was during this adjournment, that a process.
sion of negroes with drum and fife and United
States flag, approached the building. As might
have been expected, inmarching through the ex-
cited crowd that filed the Streets collision oc-
CURED; the procession was insuted and shot or
two fred-it would seem atthe procession, though
there is conflicting evidence on this points But
this disturbance is quickly over, negro is arrest
ed and taken away. The procession reforms and
marches on to the building. On arriving in front,
the street is nearly clear, the crowd of negroes
previously there having been addressed by mem
bers of the Convention and advised to dlsperse
There IS, however, crowd. OF whites and some
police, near the corner of Canalsstreet. While the
procession is standing there, it is insulted by a
white boy, who, in return, is set upon by the
blacks. He is rescued by policeman, who takes
him in the direction Of Canal Street Bricks are
thrown after them, and shot fired whether from
the negroes or white crowd cannot be decided, as
the evidence is conflicting. This is the signal for
the white crowd, consisting, according to MIR.
Todd's evidence, Of paroled ex-Cenfedegate sol
disrs, to open a snarttire. This was returned ~
such of the negToes--about ten or dozen---as
had revolvers, and by the rest with brlcEbats.
This continues for few minutes, until the superb
ory of the firearms of the whites, causes several
negroes to- drop dead or wounded.
This causes panic, and the negroes run, some
into the building and some into the door-ways in
the endeayor to escape or hide. A lull in the fir
ing ensues, andSthe 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 the windows
Some Of the police testify that the first firing wa
from the windows; but this evidence the boart
consider as, utterly overborae by the mass Of op
posing testimony from all parties. Now somt
few shots, this number stated all the way from
five to thirty tthe last estimate made by tht
policy are returned from the windows of the hall
These shots were fired by those negroes Of. thu
procession who had taken refuge in the nall, somt
two Or three Of whom it appeared had pistols
They are, however, Immediately ordered away
from the windows and as far as possible, are
brought inside Of tile railing and seated, and thu
siege OF the hall commences in earnest.
MEETING OF THE CONVENTION.
II appears that the convention met, called the
roll, and adjourned for an hour to procure the at
tendance OF absent members. According to the
universal testimony, with single exception nc
member of the convention was armed; and they
had not only determined to make no opposition tt
an arrest, but had made all arrangements for pro
curing their release on hd6eaS corpus.
MAYOR MONROE.
The board arereluetautly compelled to discredii
the mayor, and to believe that he knew that not q
soldier had been asked for, and that when he
the building, no barrier renamed between the
convention and negroes and the Infatuated citi-
zens with whose threats the city was vet ringing,
except his paper proclamation He states, more
over, thathe knew that the hatred of the mob
toward the convention and the negroes was shared
by his police In this state of affairs, should the
negroes assemble many number, a collision might
be considered inevitable, and an attack by the
mob upon the convention as sure to follow. Then
the police-massed, armed and ready--are let
~ III
they did qnel it will appear from the evidence.
CHARACTER 1.-THE MOB.
Before describing further operations, the bosrt
would call attention to the evidence concerning
the character Of the mob acting in support and il
concert with the police, and the reason there ap
pears TO be to infer that some organizations o.
bands Of Confederate soldiers came by somt
pre-arrapged purpose to the attack.
The various badges or distinguishing marks ties
lifted to as borne by citizens on that day are
First, crescent and star; second, cross.can
non badge, known TO be that of the Washington
Artillery; third, white handkerchief tied around
the neck; and fourth, blue ribbon in the button
hole, though there is some reason to suppose the
latter to have been the mark of supernurneTares
ununifdrned police. 1t will beremarked that one
witness was himself directed to assume the white
handkerchief badge by q friendly policeman who
desired to save him. Whether the organization
known as 9 Hays's Brigade Association whicl
was ordered to be dissolved by General Sheridan
was present as body, or merely by the common
impulse OF its members, cannot be ascertained
but of its actual presence there can be but little
doubt Many of the police were members, ant
such expressions as There goes Hays's Brigade;'
Oh you, you are fighting Hays's Brigade;p IL
all Hays's Brigade up ~ No, if il had been no
one would have escaped, plainly showwhere The
strengthen the supporting force to the police lay
It is within the knowledge of the board that one
plan of action, which was the subject of consid
cradle talk some weeks previous, was for Sherif
Hays, II given warrant against the convention
to call upon this association as his posse eonlttuS
and when General Sheridan's order was published
diss0lVing such associations, the negro paper ex
ulted that Hays's Brigade would not,as threatened
break up the convention.
APREcoNCERTED PROGRAMME. l.=
The board cannot but think that any person ex
amining the evidence must come to the conclus
ion that such associations were present in pur
suance Of prearranged and preconcerted pro
gramtle. Direct testimony on thesuhject Of sucl
preeoncert can probably never be obtained, bu
the weight of sustaining evidence, in the board
opinion, leads irresistbly to one conclusion.
BADGES.
In connection with the subject of marks an,
badges the board would call attention to the yer,
significant fact testified to by many witnesses
that the police, in many instances, had reversed
their hat-bands, aud thereby concealed their mum
bers, On this fact the board consider ia neces
sary TO comment.
THE ATTACK.
In regard to the scenes which now took plac
around the building aud the manner in which thu
allied forces in the streets conducted thesege tn
board cannot undertake TO present even q sum
mary of the evidence. They can only say that TIN
work of massacre was pursued with cowardll
feTocty, unsurpassedin the annals of crime. Els
Gaping negroes were mereiessly pursued, shot
stabbed, andsbeatento death by the mob and pc
ice. Wounded men on the ground, begging 70
mercy, were savagely dispatched by mob, police
iremen, and, incredible as it may seem. in two in
istaneest5by women; but, in two or three mos
honorable and exceptionabe cases, white men an,
members of the convention were protected b,
members of the police both against the mob ani
against other policemen. The chief of police, b.