Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-08-11

said to have called out ''shoot him, +" before
the fatal shot was fred. At this time no
United States soldiers were present, but
rumors OF row had passed with lightning
speed over the whole city. Mr.. A. 8.
Tobias, the President Of the Citizens Club
OF the ward. met the colored rioters as they
advanced toward the polls and asked them
what they wanted. Their spokesman said
that the Doan who cried "Shoot him" must
be given up to them. Mr.. Tobias replied
that Mr.. Lyons was now in a house imme-
dlately opposite the polling precinct. He
should lie given up to any properly consti-
tuted authority, whether civil or military,
but no mob, whatever its numbers, should
take Mr.. Lyons out of that house while
one man lived to protect him. The negroes,
shouting wildly, surged forward, brandish
ing slung shots and clubs. At this moment
detachment from Ward 7 appeared upon
the scene. giving highly moral support
to the remarks of President Tobias
Inc hoWi1Dg rioters recoiled for a mo-
ment, and were now disturbed by the ar
rival of the United States troops. who had
been doube-quicked to the scene of ex-
pected disorder. All remained compa1a-
lively quiet for few minute 8, when Sher-
1T MacKey and Captain Hendricks, the
Chief OF Police. galloped up to the polling
place. The negroes now cried, " We are
ali right. No id Yankee soldiers shall
run over us now" For a time cheering
and cursing on the part of the negroes
filled the suItry air. Captain Hendricks
was told pretty plainly that he and his
crew were responsible for all this tumult.
Cnrbing his foaming steed fed at the ex-
pense of the city, he shouted out, I have
but one life, and that l am willing to sac
rlhce IN the interest of law and order It
was evident that the mob regarded both
the Sheriff and the Chief of Police as their
allies and cOmforters but the United
States soldiers, acting under the orders Of
their officers, cleared the street and drove
tha noisy rascals back. President Tobias
protested against any interference with
the freedom of election; and from the mo-
ment that the soldiery arrived in force
every citizen, SO far as we know, was at
liberty to vote for the candidate of his
choice. Shortly af:erward the bulk of the
police were Withdrawn, and, the Chief of
Police being no longer present, all disor-
der ceased.
One Of the most effective and striking
scenes Of the day was that presented in To.
spection street. The little billy thorough
fare, hanked by high stone walls and
stables, was choked from Washington
street to East Bay with an excited mass OF
struggling blacks, sWayed here and there
by every impulse, and by frequent shouts
when one would find some fancied insult
preci pitata themselves pell-mell, without
a question, upon the few white men who
stood here aud there attending to the
duties of the day, or awaiting q chance to
vote. In SRbOut the centre of the block
was the polling place, its approaches de-
fined by a sort of triangular pen, built up
to separate the incoming from the oatgo-
ing suffragans. and here was the central
point of excitement.
4
ted States soldiers stationed at the door
were pushed and jostled by the surRing
crowd of blacks pressing towards the b r.
rler to look with straine1 aud bloodshot
eyes for any act of the managers which
they could torture into an indignity, and
make a pretext for deadly fight. Once
when a soldier pushed 4 colored man away
in order to make room for the approach
ing voters, the man jumped into the
street, threw down his hat and shouted
for his comrades to rally. Flourishing o
huge club above his head, he dashed him
self into fury of defiance, shouting to
tue colored crowd, and showering profani-
ty and obscenity upon the soldier. The
latter, quiet. determined German, had
his loaded rifle ready and the bayonet
fixed, and mos men in his position would
have answered the foul taunts with a
touch of the cold steel, which must have
precipitated bloody conflict; but he be-
haved with great prudence, quietly but
lm placably walking his beat, and gradually
crushing the colored mass back SO as to
widen the little seml-c:rcle round the pole.
Every such incident caused a rush in its
direction, the negroes cur~lng and bowling
aud brandishing huge sticks, with which
each man of them was armed, and on the
outskirts of each such crowd could be seen
black women, fierce. perspiring and malg-
na1t slouching along with barred arms and
breasts, some batless and some with men s
hats crushed over their foreheads, each
from hand to hand, while the fingers were
cIutched nervous'y as if longing for bat
tie. And so the day wore on, and it is
safe to say that but for the presence of the
white men a scene of terrible turbulence
would have had to be recorded in Inspec.
ton stree.
AS old st. MichaeIs bells chimed the
hour of five, the excitement of the contest
. resolved itself into anxious speculations as
to the probable results. The ballot boxes
came down one by one, escorted by the
squads of soldiers stationed at the various
precincts, and were halted with shouts b.
the crowd. The citizens party felt
prestige Of victory, and loud cheers were
given for the Conservative candidates
The boxes were all piled in the northwes
: corner of the General Sessions Cou1
room, aud the committee appointed b.
each party to watch them took their sta
tions in the room as the boxes from thei
, respective precincts came in.