The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-07-30

were standing on Eighth avenue: The peo-
third street, and from there to Twenty
second street, on Eighth avenue, Sudden.
", as I was standing at the corner OF
Twenty second street, I all at once heard .
m usk ct. shot fred. I did not see any de-.
monstration on the part of the people to
provoke this firing. This shot was followed
BY file firing by the troops right along the
limo from Twenty fourth to Twenty-fifth
street. The shooting was directed at the
people right along the street. The crowd
fed in all directions, except that of the
firing. Some jumped into Easements,
others ran into stores. / saw store windows
broken by the shots from the troops, and
many of the doors were marked by the
spent bullets. Some of the retreating peo-
pie purpOsely fell down on the sidewalk to
avoid the shots. was standing at Twenty
third street, and saw the soldiers pass up
Twenty third street.. 1 then Immediately
ran to the corner of Twenty fourth street,
and saw what was the result of the firing.
There was sight shall never forget. The
bodies Of ten men were lying on the side
walk, evidently dead they were carried.
away or placed in trucks by citizens. There
were several wounded, who were being
carried into neighboripg drug stores. l
man and a soldier who had been shot had
been taken away-before arrived. On the
south side of Twenty fourth street was a
man lying on the pavement, shot quite
dead. On the sidewalk at the northeast
corner four were lying. Toward Seventh
avenue, on Twenty-fourth street, another
man was lying on the ground quite dead.
A little girl, about twelve years old, appa-
rently, was lying dead at the corner of
Twenty fifth street. got into car as
speedily as could, and there met with a
gentleman who said that he saw what he
supposed was the occasion of the firing. A
woman had taken possession of an ash bar
rel, and was throwing some of it's con tents
and pieces of the barrel at the soldiers.
One of the soldiers stepped out to stop her,
and while he was going to her she threw
something more at him. He then went up
to her, and then citizen interfered with
the soldier, who struck the citizen with the
butt end of his musket. at that moment a
shot was fired, which was, no doubt, the
first shot ! heard. The procession of
Orangemen did not exceed more than one
hundred, as far as I can judge, and it, with
the military and police, marched along
without needing the effect of the shooting.
CAPTAIN PETIY's STATEMENT.
1 had a separate detachment of forty
men, all of whom belonged to my precinct
but two. Another detachment went on as
the front platoon. 1 was on the east side
of Eighth avenue. We had crossed
Twenty fourth street and were at the drug
store. Two shots were fired from the third
story of the building on the southwest cor
ner of Twenty-fourth street and Eighth
avenue do not know whether the military
replied to these. A very dsorderly man
stepped up from in front of the drug store;
1 showed him away and said Z" If you do
not go away will shove you up the street."
Two of my men ran him up the street.
They did it with the most perfect ease and
we were perfect masters of the crowd. At
this moment heard the firing of scattered
and struggling shots not in platoons.
told my men to drop on the sidewalk,
which they did to avoid the firing, and as
dropped somebody stumbled and fell full
length over me. said to him clay Low ~
and when l turned it proved to be officer
John O'Connor, who, as he fell, was struck
in the side with a musket ball. AS soon
as the firing was over we rose, and O'Con-
nor rose as we'll rs he could. Heidi not
know that he was shot, but Immediately he
discovered blood on his person, and we
carried him into drug store. Tie wound
was merely from spent musket ball, and
it made flesh wound. Then turned my
head and distinctly saw the company on
the right OF the Eighty-fourth regiment
firing volleys. They were on the left of the
procession, and they wheeled about, turn
ing their muskets on the people on the
walk, and fell back, crowding the Orange
men into the line of the Twenty second, so
that you could not see order or organiza-
tion among them. They were all jammed
together like sandwich, in a mass. When
got out and looked around ] saw five
men lying on the sidewalk, apparently
dead, and woman, who never stirred.
She had white dress, with black basque.
One man attempted in a pitiful way to rise
several times from the street, on his hands
and feet, like any animal, but finally fell
back, writhing in pool of blood. Another
crawled from the edge of the street, at the
curb stone, to o doorway, where he died.
In front of thedrug store, on the walk, lay
very tall man, stout in proportion. He
was shot in the chin, the bali coming out
at the ear. He looked at me appealingly,
but his agony would not allow him TO
speak. A girl, ten or twelve years of age,
who was shot before the military began to
south side, thirty feet west Of Eighth
avenue. We drove the crowd away from
here. A man attempted to lift the little
girl, whereupon the military began to fire,
and he dropped her quickly and ran away.
Somebody else, who had a red birth mark,
or blotch, carried the little girl away under
the fire. One of my men was Frustrated