The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-18
WHY rs NOT AHERN BROUGHT TO
TTT9TINEY

judges by party Of ruffians one of whom
lost his life in the affray that ensued. One
of the leaders in this riot was John P. Ahern,
man who has been for long time notorious
for his msdeeds; but in spite of Aharn's we'll
known character and the direct testimony to
the effect that he was one of the chief rioters
on this occasion and, in company with Nolan,
was one of the assailants of Return Judge
Crawford, no effort whatever has been made
to bring him to punishment The excuse of the
District Attorney is that he has no official
knowledge of Ahern's complicity in the riot,
as there has never been such presentment
of the case as will justify action on his part,
no one having yet come forward to enter
complaint against the criminal. This is GER
tainly an extraordinary state of affairs, as
there were men in attendance at the time of
the riot who are fully competent to appear as
Ahern's prosecutors, and who, as law-abiding
and law-loving citizens, ought to be inte-
rested in bringing him to justice. The evil
dence at the Coroner's inquest on the body
of Nolan most conclusively implicated Ahern
as one of the chief rioters, as will be seen
from the following statements which we
quote from the sworn testimony of several
witnesses.
Hugh Mullen, reporter, testified as fol-
lows
Heard Ahern say push I'M MIR. Lyman
approached him, and he was wedged in the
doors, and struck from both sides; the panel
of the door was broken in; and the first one
saw come in was John Ahern; he came in
staggering, the blood binding his eyes; he
got into the middle of the room; don't knooo
sOhether he had a pistol or 6yackjack, 5ut
there scGs something IN lis h0nd; H looked
like 6'Gckjack;; he turned near the middle
of the room and said, well change this busi-
ness, or change the tables;' something like
that.
Joseph Fl. Paist, reporter, testified that
che saw Ahern and Nolan come in; after
wards saw Mr.. Ahern with piece of rail-
ing"
David B. Beitler, an alderman and return
judge, testified that "Ahern got stuck in the
door; SaW Ahern haze a pistol In his
hand cooked: took hold of the pistol; the
hammer came down and wounded me in the
hand; it was twisted away from me and the
door was forced; saw Abern with a
blackjack: heard him say, For Gods sake
give me pops I heard Ahern say to
the crowd. why don't you help me?' he
said this while had hold of his hand with
the pistol in it,"
John Wallace, return judge, testified that
"Aher1n, tie short man, and too others aoer6
pursuing CrGDf0rd aohen he fred"
VIM. III. Ehret testified that she saw a man
said to be Mr.. Ahern, with his face bloody
and blackjack in his hand, coming towards
the middle of the room"
Henry Everly, return judge, testified
"Ahern got between the doors; the doors
closed upon him; he hallooed for pop, and
said why don't you shoot through the door,
they beat in the door; he got pistol, but it
was taken from him"
Colonel William B. Mann, who was wit
ness of the riot from its commencement to
the end, testified to Ahern's behavior both
outside and inside of the room. Mr.. Mann
said, in the course of his testimony:-"T
sudden opening of the door threw several on
the floor; the next that l saw were several
persons coming in with blackjacks; con-
spicuous in this mass was Ahern; =
Crawford retreated to the east side of the
room, and Ahern cried out, you are the man
1 want the man l feared
mOot WAS AuoIuj no udu recelVou
blow on the head, and the blood was
trickling down his face; he had blackjack
upraised, and was in the highest possible ex-
element; Ahern moved in the direction to
intercept Crawford if he continued to go
north. The persons who were pur-
suing Crawferd-four in number-were
Aherns Nolan, and two others the witness did
not know; one man in black clothes had
blackjack Ahern had blackjack also :
think Ahern was the man who cried out
You are the man we want
Here is certainly an accumulation of testi-
monY in regard to the guilt of Ahern that
ought to be sufficient to bring him to trial;
and Colonel William B. Maun, who was not
only witness to the whole affray, but to
some extent sufferer from it, is the one
person of all others who should appear as
Ahern's prosecutor, and aid in procuring for
him the punishment he deserves. Mr.. Mann
was for number of years an officer of JUS
tice himself, and he certainly ought not to
appear in this matter as attempting to shield
this rutfian from the consequences of his
crime. The prosecution of Ahern is a duty
that Mr.. Mann owes to himself and to the
community; and if he will bring the matter
to the official notice Of District Attorney
Sheppard, that officer will no longer have an
excuse for not taking vigorous action to pun
ish one of the most disgraceful outrages that
has ever occurred in this city
GERMANY AND AUsTRIA,-A pamphlet, attributes