River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-10-18
THE NEW JERSEY MASSACRE.
BlOOdiest Page i'm the History of the
Stafe-Horrible Butchery of innocent

Bloodiest Page in the History of the
Stafe-Horrible Butchery of innocent
Blacks.
From the New York Sun of Wednesday.
The Sun yesterday gave an account
of the most shocking and bloody riot
that occurred on Saturday night and
Sunday morning last in the heart of
Hunterdon county, N. j., and which,
most unaccountably, was kept from the
public for two days, Notwithstanding
that several hundred men were engaged
in the riot, four murders were commit
ted, number of persons more or less
seriously wounded, Two houses burned
to the ground, and large amount of
property destroyed.
SCENE OF THE RIOT.
The immediate scene of the fracas is
the neighborhood of the little settle
ment known as Patenburg, on the
Muthocaway creek, in the extreme
western portion of Union township,
HunterdOn county. In this vicinity
work is being vigorously pushed on the
railroad that Mr.. Asa Parker is build
ing from Boston to Perth Amboy. Just
west of Patenburg the road is to run
through Musconetcong mountain by
tunnel which will be mile in length.
Work is in progress in this tunnel at
both ends The approach to the
tunnel from the east is by deep
cut, on which large gangs of laborers
are now employed, some white and 9TH
ers black. The negroes worked in gangs
separate from the whites, and were
quartered in log houses on the south
side of the cut; the quarters of the
whites being on the opposite side. I'M
medlately at the village of Patenburg,
bali mile from the tunnel, the road
skirts mill pond formed by adam
across the Muthocaway creek. Here
some heavy rock cutting is required to
be done, and other gangs of laborers,
all whites, are employed. About a mile
further east, on farm of Mrs. Car
ter, there is some heavy earthwork in
progress, upon which several gangs of
colored men have been employed, who
were quartered in shanties in that
vicinity. In all there were about
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY NEGROES,
and between two and three hundred
white laborers employed in this vicinity,
all in the service of Mr.. Charles McFad-
den, the contractor. McFadden has
recently been building a road in Vir-
ginia, where he employed negro la
borers, and these, liking him for boss.
followed him to this job. They were
nearly all Virginia negroes, mostly
young men, and exceptionally strong,
healthy, muscular fellows. The white
laborers we're mainly Irishmen, gather
ed from all sources. The two classes
of laborers have worked in the same
vicinity for a number of months with
no disturbance OF moment until last
Saturday night, though it is now re-
ported that they have frequently
threatened and challenged each other
but Of this there is no satisfactory evil
dence
Last Friday was pay day, aad the
men were all paid their wages in full
under their contracts--that is, they
were p, id up to within twenty days, it
berg the agreement that the contrac-
tor may reserve twenty days pay until
the conclusion of their employment to
insure himself for advances in trans
porting them TO the works. There was
no dissatisfaction on this score, nor, in
deed, on any score. The men were oil
ia good spirits, satisfied with their
work, their employer, and their sur.
roundings.