Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-10-08
RIOT.
A Greeley Procession Assailed by
Armed NegrOes---A Fearful
Riot Imminent-Several
Persons Wounded.
Prompt Action Of the POlice-The
Mob Apparently Dispersed
Fears Of a Renewal of
the Conflict.
A Large Body Of Negroes Under
Arms Threatening Speeches
by their Leaders.

| CINCINNATI, October IA riot oc
j Cured tonight about ten O'Clock, on tht
1 corner Of Fifth and Broadway streets
I between the Fourth ward Greeley torch
light procession and the colOred people
/ IN which from fifty to seventy-five shoti
were fired. Several persons were wound.
! ed, but none, so far as heard, were
/ killed. The accounts Of the affair by
! eyewitness are very conflicting, and il
/ is almost impossible to obtain reliable
/ particulars.
The Greeley Club was from a ward in
which the population is largely Irish,
and the locality Of the riot was one
thickly settled by colored people. During
the day the c0lOred people say that word
was sent them that they would be at
tackled in the evening. This news came
also to the police and the officers Of the
district, who feared riot.
The cOlOred men laid in a stock of
ammunition. The colored women OF
Allen Chapel, which is at the corner of
Sixth and Broadway, were holding a sort
Of fair for the benefit Of the church.. They
had cOlOred brass band playing for them
on the street in front of a church. This
drew a large crowd Of people. Aspeech
was called for, and a cOlored man made
them political speech on the street,
and while he was speaking the process
sion Of Greeley men, marching west on
Fifth street, toward Broadway, came
into the latter street, and turned to go
down toward Fourteenth street. This
was one square distant from where the
speaking was at the colored church on
sixth and Broadway. The procession
turned down Broadway, marching away
from the crowd at the church. Here
and at this time the firing commenced.
How it commenced no two stories quite
agree. One account Is that a lot
Of colored children rushed down
to the corner TO see it go by,
and hurrahed for Grant, and that torch
bearers in the procession beat them and
drove them away, and attempted to
drive q gigantic cOlored man away from
him. He drew q pistol and fired at
them. Others, who were not near by,
but who saw the beginning, say that
four shots were fired first by the process
ion, and that the colored men fired back.
The prepOnderance Of testimony is that
the firing was commenced by one very
large colOred man, who was standing at
the corner OF Fifth and Broadway, on
the sidewalk. The confusion then be-
came fearful. The members Of the pro-
cessiOn first started TO run, and then
rallied. The cOlored men, such as had
pistols, seemed to be using them and
then retiring TO Broadway unframed.
Colored men ran TO their armOry on
New street, next north of Sixth street
standing east of Broadway, and
there got about thirty muskets
and rushed out to reinforce their friends,
they succeeded in driving back and dis
persing the members of the procession.
They then rushed TO their armory, where
about one hundred and fifty or two hun
dred Of them are under arms. They
have all approaches to the armOry
guarded One Of their leaders made
them a speech, in which he said: "This
attack tonight was organized to intip-
idate you from voting tomorrow. Now
| want to say to you, let every man go
to the polls and vote if at the cost of
your lives.
This speech was received with deaf
ening shout. When the riot was in
progress, the riot alarm was turned on
the fire-bells, and the whole police force
were soon on the spot. The police
formed across. the streets in platOons
and drove the mad crowd from the
vicinity of the strife, They then made
such disposition Of the forces as pre-
vented q renewal Of the conflict up to
now (midnight). Great crowds of men
are now cOngregated on Main street,
near Sixth, Just outside OF the lines Of
the police, and three squares from the
Armory, where the colored men are
under arms. The greatest excitement
prevails in that locality. Serious fears
are entertained of a renewal of the con-
flict, and that the danger will not pass
for several days.
The general belief Of witnesses Is that
after the riot began both sides partiei-
pated to their utmost in the firing, but
there are no reliable accounts Of any
colOred men being shot. Witnesses say
that several colored men were knocked
down in the street The seriously
wounded are James Smith, wounded in
the fieshy part Of thigh, and Thomas
Warning, also in the thigh. Smith was
in the procession, and Warrington was
standing on the sidewalk where the FIR
ing commenced. One man was shot
the toe, another grazed across
the thigh, another through the arm,
anOtneT III titS !e4I 'huiAo, Willy 9S'e'0l
had their clothing cut by bullets.
LATER.
1870 a.m.-At this hour quiet appears
to have been completely restored. The
crowds have dispersed from the streets,
and the colored men have left their
armory and gone to their homes. The
streets in the vicinity Of the riot are en-
tirely deserted, with the exception Of a
few police. A large force Of police is
understood TO be in the vicinity, ready
for an emergency, but matters look now
as if no further trouble would occur to-
night.