Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-08-11
From the Charleston News.
,,,z CHARLESTON mUNICIPAL ELEC-
TXON.
r,o Beauties OF Radical MongreIIsm IL
lustrRted
AN INCIPIENT RIOT.

The call fer the working committee to
SAMPLE NJ the polls in Ward 1 was
IMPLY responded to by the Cllzens
PIC a1d soon after the polls were opened
tang body of men were present, de-
mined to see order preserved, ana 1alr
3.r giyen to all. The Radicals also
P,,y ont in still llrger numbers, and the
l',nsjug parties occupying their respec-
ppt Gas Of the street, seemed ready for
any emergency. The voting commences
"-J ~, a. 1t Michaei's clock struck seven,
,oic.n inaed repidly, with but few inter
"Ir.ioa.. until ton cock. Five soldiers
I-Ir.. stationed underneath the porch OF
tra CinardhUuse. They had quietly stacked
m. AMI were sitting around them. A
roI-rgd citz about this time went up TO
49, rolIs OF Ward l, and voted the Wage
.sr ticker ooenly. This excited the Radl-
81 negroes around, and one OF them
s-ruck Captain Thomas Young, who was
lar this voter, aud was accused OF IN
aforciug him. Captain Young returned
.-a blow the crowd pressed on them, and
rov, eas,IeI The shouts and curses an
,.7a,rl to TIE outsiders the commence
,,art # The difficulty, and tue soldiers,
Sing their bayonets, charged across the
g.,-,l-n. leading as they vent. ! he portico
IA frs OF tie City Hlll were packed
ri.li men, bat as the glittering bayOnets
me IL tie Steps on one side, a rush was
AIDE ter t3a other steps, aud tie porch
.l. clcaGcI in an instant.
~n:4 Intervention put 4 I immediate stop
~, the riot, ard trict order was maintained
..r some time. The most turbulent were
.rie.oI, aad the moral effect of the cold
t,lai in the hands Ot disciplined men was
,.vsr more perceptible. The tOlice were
,,.tc~l@ insignificant, ard seemed to do
more towards keeping up the disturbance
lfgn aqeillug i. They stood by and saw
r,lgrtd men assa!led and failed to arrest
Inc assaIiaIts Ii particular Henry DtaiEe,
c.,ored ciIZ3u, Was assaulted and fol
Owed by d:6orderly rptlian with club,
md though the police were called upon to
arcs tho man they refused to take him to
he gu .1d-h0u-e. Their action canno. be
10 4eYaiely reprehended.
Ii ward two things seemed quite as
threatening az on the other side of the
rect. bat the riot occurred there first,
and the sight of tie bayonets charging
across the street to the City Hall had u
most benef cal effect in keeping the Radi-
cllrJwdie5 within proper bounds.
At the first precinc of Ward order was
s.rl.;ly preserved, and the voting through
out the day went on Quietly. In the Sc
end pr ciuct the Palmetto boys turned
on. IL fotce to see the ticket through. -
Early III he day large number of disor-
Gerry coiored Radicals came over from In
srec.Ol sIett, and seeing cO!Ored citizen
vote the NageLcr ticket they 'IumpId'
him. la q nun mt d lively row WAS pro-
ge-sing, aud the fOuc soldiers stationed
II tae engine house cam3 out With their
luyrn-ts. As usual there was tremen-
Gous hubbab, but 10 oae was hurt and 10
deadly weapons were used.
FATAL AFFRAY IN sIRE5 STREET.
The polling place in the first precinct
Cf WaFd S was the scene during the after
neon Of Il collision between a few disOr-
dctIy Gadlca and the United States SOL
dle7s VINO were on guard at the place, re
sutln5 i tic killing of BALKAN Grant a
CJlrel man # twenty-five years Of age -
The polling place was at the Niagara Eu-
gJuc h3uee, on Sire4 street, between
S ring and B)gard streets. The little
s,leej WIS flied all tho morning with O
large cGo&d Of People of all shades of
Color, and it WAS evident that any slight
occurrence might bring about d serious
GIsturh,uc. The military guard onsIst-
I'd OF 5 rg al: Mallory AID three privates
OF Company ID. Eighteenth Infantry, and
it IVES proposed by them to clear he lit
lie street. as a preventative measure.
Ia this, however, the sergeant was over
dIty a thai point, and the crowd remain
ed. Al about o'clock, as a colored man
was approaching the polls, the rallyer5 of
both parties surrounded him, soliciting
lis vote. At this. one colored man in the
crowd, named BaIaam Grant, became in
censed, and began denouncing the ralIay-
ers If the CI.iz rs party for attem ptiD 6
to secure q cOiored vote. Mt content
with verbal denunciatIOns, he raised q
heavy club, which he carried in his hand
amt teg II Ia iug about on the heads Of
eve-y white nan whom he could reach.
at lis time. Sergeant Mallory and one
prlyuts wlre stationed at the polling place
the other soldiers being at either end Of
the street. Grant was ordered by Ser
geant Mallory and Roundsman Bing to de
sIet, and the order not being obeyed, they
START u to arrest him. Grant tried to ruI
and made his way as well as he coul(
though the crowd, until he had got nearl,
to the end OF the street, whom soldie
discharged his musket and he fell, sho
through the abdomen and MORALLY wound
ed A scene Of the widest excitemen
ensued. The colored men swarmed abou
the soldiers and swore that they woul
have revenge. The few soldiers kept III
excited crowd at bay as we'll as they could
while the police remained passive specta
tore Meantime a message had been sen
t. the Citadel, and one company of til
Third Artillery soon appeared upon th
scene, armed with muskets, and com
menced to dispense the mob. Starting
from the polling place, in about the cen
ire of the block, they marched in both di
Ttctiong, gradually pressing the crow
hack until the street was cleared of all ex
Cept those whose duties kept them at tn
polls. \ detail of a corporal and five mel
was then left upon the scene, in addition
to the original guard, and was maintained
during the remainder of the day. TW
white men, Robert Lyons, Sr., and Rober
Lyons, Jr., were arrested on a charge O
rlotous conduct and were taken to tn
guardhouse. The wounded man was takel
to the City Hospital, where it was foun
that he had been shot in the abdomen, tn
ball entering on the median line, an incl
or two below the umbillcal, passing di
rectly through the body and coming GU
at the back. The wound was terrible one
and he died early last evening. On bein
admitted to the hospital Grant made til
following statement of his rccollections @
the affray:
l Balaam Grant, do testify as follows That