Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-08-19
THE TROUBLE AMONG THE COIORED
MILITARY COMPANIES. trF
The Riot Of Last Thursday Nisht-RxaAi.
nation o. the Parties,

inc hlos Of Last Thursday Ntght-kXon1s
nation q the Parties.
Since the riot of last Thursday night, which,
It Is alleged, was induced by an attack made on
the Butler Zouaves, of Georgetown, at the cor
! ner Of 21st street and Penn'a avenue, in this
city, while marching TO the Capitol TO guard
the body OF Hon. Thad. Stevens, the police
have been actively engaged making arrests Of
| the parties concerned, and have succeeded In
| arresting nineteen men who are charged with
being concerned in the riot Their names are
| Samuel Hughes, Thos. Gibson, Jas. johnson,
George Mahoney, Christhill Carter, Geo. Her.
| bert, Robert Jackson, Charles Parker, George
w. Baker, George ID. Monitor, Samuel john
son, james Espey, Frank Holland, Charles
| Hawkins, Danr Washington, Robert Johnson
Thomas Brooks, James n, alias Sunny John.
son, Charles Young.
this morning at 10 o'clock, before Justices Nor.
sell and CLARK. Justice Buckley, of George.
town, also being present.
E sSS as
Joseph D. Bradley, IT, appeared In behalf Of
the citizens living near the scene of the riot
who are very much inoensed at such disorder
y, y COZ uuet; :. b. Adams, Esq, appeared for
Mr.. Norris hoped the cases of his clients,
Parker and Mahoney, woald be taken mp, as 1t
would De unreasonable to dstain him till all
the testimony was taken.
Mr.. Bradley did not think that practicable,
as IL would require the hearing of all the testi.
mony TO decide who were implicated.
Inc Justices refused 10 grant Mr.. Norris
request.
Mr.. Bradley opened the proceedings with a
statement reviewing the disgraceful scene Of
Thursday night last, when the riot took place
He proposed TO show that the shooting by the
Butler Zouaves was entirely unprovoked, and
animadverted very severely upon an organize
cartridges.
Mr.. Adams said that he would show that the
Butler Zouayes marched 10 the Capitol by
direction of their superior oficer, and that
learned when m Va n
ington that they would be assaulted on the way
down TO the Capitol, as they after wards were
on the corner Of 2lsi street and Pennsylvania
action Of the Butler Zouaves was entirely in
self-defense.
Mr. Norris stated that the Thursday night
riot grew out Of practice which should have
been stopped long ago, that OF armed men being
allowed TO parade the streets. He would prove
an dliJi in the case OF his clients, and that. too
by the testimony offered by the Government.
the circle on Thursday night, the 18th instant
heard q drum and fife in the direction OF
came along, he and oficer Doyle followed
them on the opposite side of the street; when
near 21st street he heard several shots, and the
Zouaves were rushing down 2ist street; he ran
in amongst them and called for the captain,
(MoutoD;) the captain came to him with his
revolver In defensive position; witness. then
told him TO consider himself under arrest. The
captain said, "all right;' officer Doyle then put
the reseof the officers under arrest; witness
then turned around and saw Mahoney quar-.
reling with some one on the sidewalk in very
excited manner; he caught hold of Mahoney
and pulled him away; wheE witness again re-
turned to the scene, the company was under
orders to march to the Capitol. Capt Mouton
had told witness since that he fired mp in the
AR, but II ne had seen Jones or Mahoney he
would probably have shot them; Gibson had
since told witness that he was there and de-
tended himself; that they knew before they
started from their barracks that they would
be attacked on their way down. Captain
Mouton gave himself up after returning from
Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Officer +. W. Doyle, sworn:-Was on the south
side Of Pennsylvania avenue, near the Circle
and heard drums and a fife; the Butler Zouaves
then came along and passed them; when near
2lst and Pennsylvania avenue heard a num-
bar OF shots on the corner of Pennsylvania
avenue and 2lst street. Saw the flash of the
musket; ran over and saw Parker and Maho.
ney. Saw no one else do anything. Soldiers
seemed to be scattered-some on one side and
some on the other side of the street. Many
persons were present with Parker; but could
not now recognize any one else. At the time
TO the Circle. Saw Manoney there, and Parker
was very much excited, evididently moving
through the crowd. He cursed and used
threatening language.
Officer Robert WHIT deposed that on the 18th
OF August, while standing in front Of his house
IN Georgetown, he heard the command of
.'halt'' TO the Zouaves and then heard the
llngling Of ramrods as If loading muskets
They then went on and shortly after wards he
heard firing; was satisfied that the iingI,ne of
ramrods was the loading Of muskets; but he
might be mistaken.
MAJOR John H. AcBldir disposed that he was
SIT ing on his step on the corner OF 2lst street
and the avenue, the night OF the occurrence,
when the coiored soldiers passed with fife
street, heard six distinct shots, within a second
OF each other While on the way down to the
scene of the shooting he met two Of the colored
soldiers walking with their muskets In their
hands. Inquired why they were out Of their
ranks, and il they did net know that they had
no right TO IRE at people in the street, They
replied that fellow named Jones had thrown
stones att them Two boys sitting near by were
very much endangered, as upon examination
he traced ball embedded in the wall in di.
rect line with their heads. Gould not identity
any one, as it was quite dark. Heard no noise
or disturbance whatever before the firing Sud.
denly the drum ceased beating. and then toll.
lowed the shooting. Was about sixty five feet
from the soldiers.
A. J.. AcBair sworn.-Was q abort distance
OF when he heard the firing. under a tree.
Heard the drum and walked up TO the corner
of 2lst street. While standing there heard a
stone strike the crossing. Then heard voices
from soldiers saying: sis that your game"
when they broke ranks, ran into the street, and
commenced firing. Five or six shots were
fired. Did not hear but one stone thrown. and
that seemed TO come in the direction Of south
list street Had been under the tree about an
hour when the disturb ance occurred. Knew of
no design. to assail the soldiers. There was no
stone thrown from the neighborhood in which
witness was sitting, nor did he know who
threw them. The balls, Judging from where
they struck, must have passed directly over
witness head Was confident that nothing was
said TO the soldiers before the stone was thrown
Ihe soldiers were quietly coming down the
street.
. Sergeant Bull Of the police. corroborated the
above.
GAt this juncture, Jones, the alleged ring.
leader, who threw the stone, was brought into
the station house BY the police, and placed at
the bar.
Polieemdn Attsoood deposed that at the corner
Of 10Th street the soldiers halted. Some said
IL have no load In my gum" and others 81
have no ball" Witness told the Catain TO
march on down the street. He did so, and the
soldiers kept on down till near 18th street.
cursIng all the way. At this point witness
saw the Captain (Monton) with pistol, -four
shing IT, and spoke 10 him about it, when some
other soldier came mp and putting q cooked
pistol in his (witness) face, said I'D you
what have you got to do With" No one told
him TO make arrests, nor did he care about be.
ing murdered in the attempt to do so.
Eckin Gadsby was sitting with some boys
under the trees, near the corner Of 2ist street,
on the night Of the riot. Heard the drum, and
while listening heard q stone. Immediately
the soldiers brUke ranks and ran towards the
group Of boys, firing over their heads, and run.
ming towards them and said, "There they are
now Witness cried out. There they 20 down
X street." when the soldiers turned about and
ran in that direction. Heard no disturbance
before the firing commenced. Some OF wit.
ness party came near being wounded from the
range Of the balls. The missiles came over
49, -,