The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-05-24

THE DIFFICULTY At RICHMOND.
Collision Between the Negroes and Po-
Hce-The Streets Cleared by Soldiers
Iatense Excitement Among the Col
ored People. 81
From til. Richmond Times, 9TH

/ tunatefy IQT Tue pIeS"Ht uepioi doic ieo"i1o
have been avoided.
Last evening company OF hrcmen from
Wilmington, Delaware. arrived in this city,
and were received by the fremen of Rich
mond with the usual cefemonies and the
inequalities of the city rendered them,
This afternoon was devoted to the trial OF
the respective engines, at place called the
Basin, adjacent to the Petersburg railroad
depot. Everything went on harmoniously
during the trial of the Richmond. engines.
An immense crowd of colored men and boys
were present, cheering occasionally, and
| laughing Gdshumorc1ly Whepeyer a way
| ward stream OF water went overtheirheads:
| The Wilmington engine, from which great
things were expected. followed, bubwas eyf
idently to the great delight Of the negroes,
unable to compete in capacity and effective-
ness with the fire engines of Richmond.
The Wilmington men put on the utmost
amount of steam until the safety of the
boiler was endangered bat all their efforts
tell short Of rivaling the display made by
their Richmond rivals
In front of the Jet of water the colored
crowd were assembled, sending up every
few moments derisive cheers at the abortlve
attempt made by the Wilmington engine to
eclipse the Richmond one. 1t was evident
to an observer that the visitors from Della
ware felt irritable, and more especially ini
censed against the darkies, who felt and
expressed pride in the triumph of their
local engine Ropes were drawn around the
space where the testing operations were
carried on. At clock this evening. after
the Wilmington engine had made some half
dozen trials, colored man, standing near
the ropes exclaimed "Hurrah for Rich
mond She can beat Wilmington, dat's
sure !" One of the Wilmington men stand
ing near, mortified at this remark, struck
the negro and knocked him down. The
negro was on his feet in moment and re-
! turned the blow
And thus originated the disturbance that
has this evening unsettled the whole of
Richmond, brought the military from their
camp, and assuredly threatened to lead to
disastrous results.
When the negro struck back he was as
sailed by another Delaware fireman, and
crowd of colored men gathered around dur
lug the brief scuffie which ensued, while
considerable confusion prevailed. Two po-
licemen came up at this juncture, one of
whom arrested the negro and the other the
white man. The colored crowd, believing
that there was no just cause for the arrest,
proceeded to rescue him, when the police
man having the Delawarian in charge let
him go, and proceeded to the aid of the off,
Ger having the negro in custody. The pris-
oner was taken up Eighth Street to Main.
a colored crowd following at his heels. Ar
irving at Seventh street, rescue was at
tempted, the negroes surglng round the
officers and handling them in very rough
| manner.
The prisoner was finally liberated, after
which he ran up Seventh street towards
Main, the officers in hot pursuit, and an
excited mass Of dark-stained humanity in
their wake. A policeman standing on the
corner OF street on the route of the fee
ing dark key rushed out and endeavored to
stem the torrent. He was quickly over
powered, knocked down and run over q
Near Broad street the escaping negro was
again captured, and when fairly On his way
to the station house, strange and exciting
feature was witnessed, in the approach,
from an opposite direction, of an immense
crowd of negroes, half Of them bare. headed,
yelling like devils, Furnishing sticks and
other missiles, and making the most bois-
tie rous demonstrations. Both crowds met,
in the midst of which the TWO devoted po-
licemen were crushed, struck with bricks,
!
| the prisoner once more set at liberty. The
policemen were badly hurt, and left power
less to attempt another capture The ne
| gro was carried away by his brethren amid
shouts of triumph.
But the attention of the police, still I'M
renting, was directed to the prisoner for
another and last time. Two other mem
bers of the force now came on the scene,
and by dextrous and rapid move secured
the slippery darkey, and got him as far as
the door of the station house. A scene of
confusion then ensued which beggars de-
scription. The police had orders not to fire
their revolvers, and being but few in num-
Der at this particular point were quickly
overpowered and forced to surrender their
prisoner, who, up to this hour-near mid
nights still at large
The negroes seemed to spring up out Of
the earth, SO rapidly and in such immense
force did they concentrate, that every one
was astonished. A colored barber, while
the crowd was rushing along Broad street,
ran out of his shop, wrcnched his pole from
| Its position, and exclaimed in wild tone
OF voice, " Freedmen, to the rescue! Save
| your nation !" l@
In the meantime, while these, proceed
lngs were going on, the white citizens were
focking from all quarters. Women, pale
and agitated, stood on their doorsteps, or
looking out of the windows, with evident
apprehension of riot and boodshed. a
single pistol shot fired while the excitement
was at its height would have precipitated a
riot before which that of New Orleans
would pale into insigni6cance. The whites
were indignant at the defiant and demon-
strative derieanor Of the blacks, while the
latter were enraged at the one sided con-
duct'of the police.
| After the prisoner was finally rescued he
was taken by his black friends, amid the
most extraordinary clamor of victory, along
Broad street, and spirited away to some
place of refuge.
| The mayor Thought it advisable to issue
orders for the concentration of allthe police
In the city at the station house On Marshal
street. Gen. Schofeld was notified, and
soortly made his appearance, in company
with Gen. Brown Of the freedmen's bureau,
driving in wagon and cheered Justify by
a motley crowd Of blacks. The General,
the chief of police and Mayor Mayo held a
consultation, the nature Of which failed to
transpire.
/ Wiki tlor xroro oor,oonr II