The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-17
Xoral Sntelligenfe.

dlas, a. present used as q warehouse by j. T.
Moore, has for some time back displayed de-
cided tendency to decay, both in its brick work
ard It's wood. Lately repairs, which included the
taxing down OF the wall on the upper side of the
store, and which is next to an empty lot, were
commenced. The bricks, as fast as lOosened from
the wall, we're cleaned and then piled up on the
two upper floors Of the store, the joists of which
were thus left unsupported at one end, save by
temporary stanchiOns. But as the weight of the
Drlcks grew greater the joists gradually weak.
ened, until, s9out o'clock yesterday,
the upper or third story floor gave way
at the end nearest New Levee street, pre-.
cipitsiing the mass Of bricks upon 1t TO the
ground. Twelve workmen were engaged upon
the building at the time Of the accident and,
strange TO say, not one of them was killed, but
three injured in any way, and only one of them
seriously. One man was standing on the floor
when it gave way. Quick as thought, as he felt
the plsnks slipping from beneath his feet, he
threw himself through hole which had been cut
In the wall separating the warehouse from the
store Of Chenoweth, Casey q Co., and, to the
surprise OF the clerks of that establishment came
tumbling down their stairs head. foremost. A Gu:
upon the hand was the only injury sustained by this
salutatOry individual. Another Of the laborers was
cut on the head but not badly; and we close the
list of casualties with the mention of man who
being in the back part of the building where the
accident occurred, and hearing the noise of the
fall, In mortal dread rushed to the window and
jumped out of it; bad sprsin Of both ankles was
the result. Considering the number of men about
the place and the nature of the accident we are
struck with wonder, first that no one was killed
or seriously injured, and next that in view of the
rotten appearance OF all the walls, the damage
extended no further. As one Of the workmen
who had been In most imminent risk said after.
wards to our reporter, twas God kept US ALL"
THE POLICE IMBRoGLEo.-A meeting OF dele.
gales from the police force was held Yesterday
at the Central District Station aud the address
publ he'd below Is said to have been in
dorsed by policemen of all shades Of politics.
The address Was forwarded to Mayor Conway by
The chief of police. The following is the chefs
letter:
New ORLEANs, Sept. l6, 1868.
Hon. J. r Conway, Mayor City of New Orleans:
S67Zln answer 20 certain charges contained in
your message to the council of the 18th inst re.
spectlng myself end the force under my command,
Ehsve to say your statement TO the effect that the
chief OF police allowed the force to leave their
posts while the lives and property of the citizens
remained unprotected, is wholly false and is de-
signed 10 bring reprosch upon the character of
a class of men whose integrity and devotion to
their srduous duties have been, through the neg
lect Of the city officials subjected to the severest
est who have, while guarding the interests Of the
city, been spurned with contempt from the pres.
enee Of these officials, to whom they applied for
relief for their starving ones at home and is cal.
culafed TO iniict lasting injury upon the business
prospects, OF this community. which is thus falsely
represen'ed by its chief magistrate, as subject to
The city wss not left unprotected as stated BY
you; On the contrary, the day force was on duty
as usual, which fact, If not known to you might
have been ascertained upon inquiry. The night
force while Oh duty assembled in an orderly and
quiet way as class of suffering citizens TO talk
over their wrongs and to endeayor to devise some
measure for relief, which had been for months
denied them. Through their delegates, accom-.
panied, at their request by the chief and lieuten
ants of police, they waited upon you at your Of
fee, and in doing this they were exercising a
right never before called into question.
You charge that the chief stood quietly by and
acqniesceo by his silence in the threat of one Of
the delegates to seize the City Hall, etc. You
must have known this statement 10 be untrue
when written, as the chief, lieutenant aud dele.
gates, except the speakers referred to, dsavo we'd
upon the spot any concurrence in the sentiment
expressed, and the officer who made the obnox
loUs remarks stated that they were his own opin-
ions al d not those of the force.
II II was due to the dignity OF the city govern
ment that the chief should be publicly censured,
was it not also due to the sense of justice of the
city government, whose dignity had been thus
outraged, that the accused should have had a
hearing before the tribunal at whose bar he was
straigDed, before judgment was passed and con
demIalion pronounced. The council, in passing
the ceDsuTe upon an e1parte statement. without a
form OF trial, have not only violated the dignity
of the government, but its integrity. The sym
pathy so properly expressed by you for the dis
ress OF the police, is unfortunately not unlike that
which is felt by citizens at large, who have fewer
opportunities for basing a measure for the public
good upon it, and as ii fails to be productive Of
any fruit it is of very little concern to men who
are suffering for bread.
In conclusion permit me to invite your attention
to the accompanying resolutions adopted by the
delegates representing the force, wherein the
facts presented in this communication are cor
and your charges refuted. Very re.
specially, (SIgned) J. j. WILLIAMSON,
Chief of Police.
WE HAVE JUST HEARD of a laughable incident
connected with the Radical procession of last
Saturday night. The advertised programme stated
that the line would march along Elysian Fields
sir, ct. The recorders quarters Of the Third Dis
trct, accordingly. we're thronged with the yaller
flowers " of the Old Third, and every house on
the street owned by colored person or a negro
was gsiiy lighted up, and filed with dusky deui.
zens waiting for the procession to come along.
Meier procession came, however the column
having turned into Esplanade street, and thence up
town.
venerable colored woman, one of the an.
Gent ~. Domingo stock, remarked in reply to the
impatient exclamation of her grand daughter:
u Well, chile, spec dem Ku Klaxs done eat up
81 cur colored people," Recorder Massicot's
immediate family and numerous relatives were on
and, and 1t was nearly IL o'clock before they
felt persuaded that the expected honOrs were rot
to be paid to that high functionary of the Old
Thmd.
BARLOW AND DUFFY, who were arrested after
the kIlnng OF officer buller Monday night have
been acquitted from blame by the corouer's Jury.
The later was discharged aud Barlow released on
sl0GO bonds by Recorder Jackson.
1HE POLICE AND THEIR PAY Rolls formed a
general topic OF conversation on tue streets yes.
Iefdsy. About the City Hall matters we're more
than usually quiet. A meeting of prominent
ipsnclers Of the city was held in the mayors par
Or At noon, but the result OF their deliberations is
rot yet made known. The following dispatch
was sent onring the morning by the chief Of po-
lce TO Sergeant HarkiDg, of the Fourth District
"0FFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE,
New Orleans, Sept 10, 1865. i
Sergeant skiDg, Fourth District
+" The chief desires that you send him written
Of what occurred at the time you called
lpOn the mayor relative TO pay, when you were
suDbbed by that officer. Respectfully.
"E. V. HIrCH, Secretary"
Subsequently the sergeant, being sent for BY
The may or, responded 10 the summons, and in the
course of their conversation stated that his rela.
tons, whenever brought ia contact officially with
his honor, had never developed anything but the
nest courteous intercourse. We understand that
a formal statement of their grievances is being
drawn up by committee of the force for publ.
cation.