Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-10-10

NONE WITH CHART
Y, MINNESOTA, THU
TIE NE" 'Eisnx MASSACRE.
Bloo.ltcs. Page + tho II,story or the
sta.:-''orrihlo Batchery OF innocent
From tho New York Sun Of "wednesday.
The Sun Yesterday gave au account
of the most shocking and bloody riot
that occurred on Saturday night and
Sunday morning list 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, a 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 4cene of the fracas is
the neighborlood 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 a deep
cut, on which large gangs of laberers
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
mediately at the village of Patenburg,
half mile from the tunnel, the road
skirts o mill pond formed by ada m
across the Muthocaway creek. Here
some heavy rock cutting is required to
be done, and other gangs of 1aborers,
all whites, are employed. About q 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 road in Vir-
ginia, where he employed negro la
borers, and these, liking him for a boss.
followed him to this Job. They were
nearly all Virginia negroes, mostly
young men, and exceptionally strong,
healthy, muscular fellows. The white
laborers were mainly Irishmen, gather
ed from all sources. The two classes
! of laborers have worked in the same
vicinity for 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 evi-
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
bel g 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 all
in good spirits, satisfied with their
work, their employer, and their sur.
roundlngs.
CAUSE OF THE BLOODY AFFRAY.
On Saturday they were all at work as
usual, though with pockets well filed
with money itching to be spent. That
night they knocked off work at an
early hour, when all hands seem to
have proceeded to prepare for q holi-
day. Quite early in the evening
Charles Coll, one of the white laborers
the one who was afterward killed.
was seen to have o bottle of whisky,
and was already under the influence Of
the stimulant, which he passed freely
to his chums. They seemed to be
quite merry in the quarters of the
whites at the tunnel.
In the negro quarters opposite, there
was also good deal of life and jollity.
The negros had banjo and some other
musical instruments, and put in the
early part of the evening with q genu-
inc old plantation breakdown. Later,
some OF the negroes-and here it begins
to be difficult to gather names-started
out on serenading expedition. They
went through Patenburg and some dis
tance up the thoroughfare running
through that village, remaining away
until after ten o'clock. Between ten
and eleven o'clock these men were re-
turning along the works near the mill
dan at Patenburg when they encoun-
tt red some of the whites, who had also
been out on a lark.
THE PRELIMINARY FIGHT.
The whites were confessedly drunk,
and it Is probable that the negroes were
also. When the two parties met the
whites maliciously pushed against the
negroes, evidently intending to crowd
them off the embankment. The negroes
pluckily resented the assault, and gave
their white brethren rather more than
they bargained for. Indeed, the whites
were soon thoroughly whipped and put
to rout, leaving the negroes masters of
the field. The vanquished whites re-
treated up the works to the quarters at
the tunnel, where they mustered rein.
forcements and returned to the charge.
They again encountered the negroes
midway between the first point Of at.
tack and the tunnel, where they renew.
ell the fight. The white men at this
time had armed themselves with pick
handles and other weapons, though il
does not appear that at that time they
had any firearms. They assaulted the
second time, and we're again whipped
and put to flight, returning to thei,
quarters. The negroes also then gain.
ed their quarters.
HORRIBLE MIDNIGHT ASSAULT.
How or when the fight was renewed
it is impossible to ascertain. All that
is known definitely is that between ]
and 2 o'clock in the morning Mr.. John
Kelley, the contractors overseerin that
vicinity, who boards near Patenberp.
was aroused by the alarm of fire, and
running out from his house saw the fire
up by the tunnel. About the same
time he encountered q number of ne.
groes going from the works, who told
him the white men had assaulted them.
driven them ont of their quarters. and
had set the buildings on fire. Mr.
Kelley directed the fugitive colored
men to go down to the shanties on Mrs,
Carter's farm, and remain there. They
we're then thoroughly demoralized and
frirhtona1 md rlo6 IN rro% go.