The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-10-09
Political Riot in Cincinnati.

A riot occurred abont 10 o'clock Monday
night, on the corner of Fifth street and Broad
way, between fourth ward Greeley torchlight
procession and colored people, in which from
fifty to seventy-fvs shots were fired and several
persons wounded, but none, so far as heard of,
killed. The accounts of the affair by eye wit
nesses are very conflicting and it is almost i'm
possible to obtain reliable particulars.
The Greeley club was from ward in which
the population is largely Irish, and the locality
OF the riot W as one thickly settled by colored
people. The cOlored people say that during the
day word was sent them that they would be at
tackled this evening. This news came also to
the police and the officers of the district feared
riot and the colored men laid in a stock of
ammunition. The colored women of Allen
chapel, which is at the corner of 9th street an d
Broadway, were holding a sort of fair for til
benefit of their churches. They had colored
brass band playing on the street in front of the
church. This drew large crowd of people
and speech was called for A colored man
made them political speech on the street. and
while he was speaking the procession of Gree.
ley men marching west on 9th street toward
broadway came into the latter street and turned
to go down towards 4th street This was one
square distant from where the speaking was go
ing on at the colored church, on the cornsr of
9th street and Broadway, and the procession
turned down Broadway, marching away from
the crowd at the church. Here and at this time
the firing commenced. How it commenced is
uncertain, as no two stories agree
One account is that lot of colored children
rushed down to the corner to see the procession
go by and hurrahed for Grant and that the
torch bearers in the procession beat them and
drove them away and attempted to drive col
ored man away by beating him, and that he
drew pistol and fired at them. Others who
were not near by, but who saw the beginning,
say four shots were fired first from the process
sion and that the colored men fired back The
preponderance of the testimony is that the fir
ing was commenced by one very large colored
man who was standing at 9Th street and Broad
way on the sidewalk. The members of the
procession first started to run and then rallied.
The colored men, such as had pistols, seemed
to be using them and retiring north over Broad
way. Unarmed colored men ran to their ar
mory on New street, just north of 9th street
and east of Broadway. They got about thirty
muskets and rushed out to meet their friends.
They succeeded in driving back and dispensing
the members of the procession. They then
rushed to their armory where about 100 or 200
OF them are mder arms. They have all the
approaches to the armory guarded. One of
their leaders inside made them q speech, in
which he said:-''This attack tonight was or
ganized to intimidate you from voting to-mor-
row. Now want TO say to you, let every man
of you go to the polls and vote if at the cost of
your life" This speech was received with deaf
ening shouts.
When the riot was in progress the riot alarm
was turned on the fire bells and the Mayor,
Chief of Police, and the whole police force were
soon on the spot The police formed across the
street in platoons and drove the mad crowd
from the vicinity of the strife. They then
made such disposition of their forces rs pre-
vented renewal of the conflict up 10 the pres
ent writing, lmidnight) Great crowds of men
are now congregated on Main street near 9th
street. outside of the line of police, and three
squares from the armory where colored men are
under arms. The greatest excitement prevails
in the locality and serious fears are entertained
OF renewal of the conflict. The danger will
not be past for several days. The general be-
lief of the Witnesses Is that after the riot be-
gan both sides participated 10 their utmost in
the firing, but there are no reliable accounts of
any cOlored men being shot. Witnesses say
that several eolored men were knocked down
in the streets.
The seriously wounded are James Smith.
wounded in the fieshy part of the thigh, and
Thomas Warrington, also in the thigh. Smith
was in the procession and Warrington was
standing 90 the sidewalk when the firing COM
menced One man was SHOT through the toe,
another was grazed across the thigh, another
through the arm and another in the left thumb
while several had their clothing cut by bullets.
Two Germans lately fought duel near Fins
bury Park, London, with dagger-knives, stand
ing at arms length and toe to toe. After
twenty minutes severe fghting.one of them re-
ceived an ugly cash from the corner of his
mouth to his ear, when the seconds stopped the
affair, and the wounded man was carried to the
hospital, As usual, woman was the cause of
the fight.
A New Haven, ct. Lady had the whole Of an
expensive lace trimming to her dress stolen
from her in church the other day
A tremendous fire was started at Cherokee
Strip, Kansas, by widow who had lost q log
chain and set the grass on fire to find it, A great
deal of property was destroyed, and the widow
is no longer popular in that neighborhood.