The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-09-28
DETAILS OF THE DEADLY ENCOUNTER
How Negroes Were Killed and All the
Negro Shanties Fired.
APATHY OF TILE AUTAcRITlEs
Sheriff Ritterhouse's Account of the Arrests
Made-The Prisoners IN Court
Important Testimony by
Two Witnesses.

FLEMINGToN, N. j., Sept 81, 1872.
The excitement relative to the disgraceful riot
which occurred at Patenburg on Saturday night
and Sunday morning still continues In all parts OF
Hunterd0n county, The district is usually 80 peace
si and quiet that any breach Of Its tranquility has
rarely to be recorded. The scenes Of murder and
f!oodshed which visited the people few days since
las come like thunderbold and all classes unite
"A asking that justice may be meted out to the
.iits, no matter who they may be proved to be.
In the first flush of the excitement the feeling
against the Irish laborers was very strong and they
we're looked upon the sole instgators Of the en-
counter with the negro laborers, but
different opinions are now being ex-
pressed, and those who were loudest in
teir denunciatons of The Irish glad to retract
their unthinkng and unfair Judgment. The truth
really is that
THE NEGROES ARE AS MUCH TO BLAME
for the riot as their white fellow laborers. 1t is
said that the insOlent and Overbearing conduct of
the negroes has Tor some time past severely tried
the patience of the Irish; that the latter at the
fist showed disposition to keep on good terms
with their black brethren. brief summary of the
details Of the riot will be necessary before I mar
rate how the case stands at present. About $50
laborers have been occupied for some time
past in the construction of the Easton and
III u Oh
county; $50 OF these were negroes and they
were quartered in separate log shanties along the
part of the road under construction. They occu-
pied two sets OF shantes one at the foot of the
mountain and the other on the farm Of Mrs.
Carter. The white men were also quartered by
themselves in separate shanties, situated the
small hamlet of Patenburg. Up to the fatal Satur-
day night the Irish had shown nothing but
THE BEST OF FEELINGS TOWARDS THE NEGROES
which the latter did not by any means cordially
reciprOcate. No breach OF the peace occurred
until Saturday evening, when two Of the
negroes who were returning drunk from q
low gin shop encountered few Irish
men, who were Also returning home after the
weeks work. The Irishmen were jolly, but by no
means in as drunken a condition as the Others and
they were merely singing as they went along. BY
accident one of them stumbled against q negro
The black man struck out and landed q terrific
blow upon the face of the unntentional aggressor.
This was more than Irish blood could stand and the
man who was hit Immediately retaated, whereupon
. general fight ensued, which ended in drawn
battle, both parties having been equally well
beaten. Fired with heat and drink the negroes re-
Surned to their quarters to hunt up reinforcements
with which to renew the fight, and having scraped
together twenty or thirty others the whole party
started
IN PURSUIT OF THE FRESHMEN,
who little anticipated the terrible danger they were
soon to encounter. When the parties met again,
the Irshmen, Of course, had not the ghost OF show
Tn q stand-up fight, and in selfdefence they were
compelled to draw their pistols, with which they |
happened to be armed. Not liking the smell of the |
powder, the blacks beat hasty retreat and re- I
turned to their quarters second time bent upon
vengeance they procured further assistance, and |
IN few minutes the whole fighting force OF the |
negro element was armed and ready for action.
The Irishmen, who by this time had become
thoroughly alarmed, also mustered their forces to
repe the impending attack; and not wishing to be
caught mapping, proceeded to meet the enemy
half way. The opposing forces met near the
blacksmith shop, in the vicinity Of the negro
Bhanties, and
THE NEGROES OPENED TIE BATTLE.
killing in the first skirmsh Thomas McCon one of
the Irish laborers. The Irish enraged at the death
Of their comrade, pressed the negroes so hard that
the latter were compelled to momentarily retreat,
and the victorious party fired the fortress Of the
enemy aud set fire to the shantes in the shelter Of
which the negroes had fired with such fatal pre-.
rision. The negroes at this juncture received fresh
reinforcements, and a second time advanced to the
attack, and as they now vastly outnumbered the
Irsh the latter in their turn also forced to fall
back. The fight was again and again renewed, but
the negroes, discouraged by the loss OF their huts,
finally became demoraliZed, and withdrew to the
shanties on the farm OF Mrs. Carter which still
manned intact. Bent upon renewing the fight at
early dawn, the Irish were also bent upon ven
geance, and in the early morning they mustered
large force and proceeded to the iarm of Mrs
Carter.
THE ALARM
was given by the negroes, who were upon the
watch, but after short fight the Irish were victO-
rlous and the negroes ned. In this encounter one
Wounded ty bu n Another was ner mor' BeS
Densham. was killed near Mrs. Carter's house.
Rrrtra yvoc
also shot, The negro quarters were sacked and
their occupants pant scattered in an directions The
thus the sanguinary fight was ended BY some
strange apathy a day or TWO elapsed before any
ties, negroes and Irish, were flying from each
other In all directions; Sheriff Ritterhouse with a
day and made four arrests, all lishmen. Their
names are Patrick Deloy Patrick Mccoy and Bar.
son, John Hatcher and Charles Tates have since
been arrested. Another lrishman, Hugh Casserly
has also been captured, and there are now nine
SHERIFF RITrERuousE's ACCOUNT.
called upon sheriff Ritterhouse, and the follow
ting is the statement he makes. He says
Ireceived telegram on Monday afternoon from
private citizen, who lives some six or eight miles
iom the scene OF the riot. immediately went TO
she States Attorney and got him and Justice OF 1
tae Peace TO 60 with me TO Patenburg We inquired /
was true that there had been riot. We were
told that there had been riot that four men had
been Killed, and that Squire Anderson had held an
inquest on the bodies OF the three coored men.
The verdict OF the jury was Murder by parties UNI
.kDOwp.' We went to his house: got there abont
mine O'Clock At night. lie tod us he had got but
very little evidence nothing that was reliable and
that he could not 1nd any parties who were con-
ke rned In the riot He could not give their names
and was not acquainted with their faces. There
were
STRONG Suspicious
OF the guilt OF six or seven men next morning. !
arrested four OF them, whose names have been
already published. One OF the four was coored
MN. He was strongly suspected OF being con.
Cerhed in the riot. The other two c0l0red men
were, arrested by Squire Anderson. Since that
time 1ave got no further Information until this
morning, when was told rom q reliable source
INT there was man by the name Of Apger living
n Patenburk who had seen man who was In that
tt0t That was s1o2t nine O'Clock this morning