Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-09
A Political Riot in Cincinnati.
A Good Deal of shooting, but Nobody
Killed.


CINCINNATI, Oct. IA riot occurred about
ten O'Clock tonight the corner of Fifth street
| and Broadway, between the fourth ward Gree
ley torchlight procession and colored people, in
which from so to IS shot 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 a ward in which the popu-
| lation is largely IRISH and the locality of the
riot was one thickly settled by colored people.
The colored people say that during the day word
was sent them that they would be attacked this
evening. This news came also to the police,
and the officers of the district feared riot and
the cOlOred men laid in stock of ammunition.
The coored women Of Allen Chapel, which is
at the corner of Sixth street and Broadway,
were holding a fair for the benefit
of their church. They had colored
brass band playing on the street in
front of the church. This drew a large crowd
of people and a speech was called for. A col
ored 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 90 down towards Fourth
street. This was one square distant from where
the speaking was going on az the colored church,
on the corner of Sixth street and Broadway,
and the procession turned down broadway,
marching away from the crowd at the church.
How it commenced is uncertain, as no two stO-
ries agree One account is that Il lot of colored
children rushed down 10 the corner to see the
procession 20 by and hurrahed for Grant, and
that the tOrch-bearers in the procession bear
them and drove them away, and attempted to
drive colored man away by beating him. and
that he drew pistol and fired at them. Others
who were not near by, but who saw the begin
ming, say four shots were fired first from the
procession, and that the coored men fired back
The preponderance of the testimony is that
the firing was commenced by one very large
COored man. who was standing at the corner of
Fifth street and Broadway on the sidewalk
The confusion then became fearful. The mem
bers 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 Broadway. Unarmed colOred men
ran to their armory on New street, north of
Sixth 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
$50 or 200 of them are under arms. They have
all the approaches to the armory guarded One
of their leaders inside made them a speech, in
which he said; "This attack tonight was or.
gained to intmdate 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
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 as prevented a renew
al of the conflict up to the present writing (mid-
night Great crowds of men are now congre,
gated on Main street, near Sixth street, outside
of the lines of police and three squares from the
armory where coored men are under arms.
The greatest excitement prevails in the locality,
and serious fears are entertained of a renewal
of the conflict. The danger will not be past
for several days. The general belief
of the witnesses ia that after the
riot began both sides participated TO their ut
most in the firing; but there are no reliable
accounts of any colored men being shot. Wit.
nesses say that several colored men were
knocked down in the streets. The seriously
wounded are James Smith, wounded in the
heshy part of the thigh, and Thos. Warrington,
also in the thigh. Smith was in the procession,
and Warrington was standing on the sidewalk
when the firing commenced. One man was
shot through the toe, another was grazed across
the thigh, another through the arm, and an,
ther in the left thumb, while several had their
clothing cut by bullets.
CINCINNATI, Oct. Sat halfpast one o'clock
this morning all was quiet at the scene OF the
riot last night. The rioters had all dispersed,
and the negroes had evacuated their armory