The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-27
ROWDYISM RAMPANT.
7TsaBACEFUE DISORDERS IN THE
CITY ON CHRISTMAS EYE.

DIsGRACEFUL DISORDERS IN THE
CITY ON CHRISTMAS EYE.
King Street I'm tho Hands OF hiotoui
mob-Windows Smashed, StorekeeP'
ers Obliged to Shut Up, and shePPeri
Compelled TO Abandon the Thorough
| fare-A Passive Police and an IndiE-
nant Community.
The spirit of reckless rowdyism and law
lessness In the streets of Charleston, which
has been noticeable for many weeks past, and
| which has been reported from time to time IN
the local columns of The NEWS, appears to
have eliminated last Tuesday evening, when,
for the space of more than one hour, the most
freouented portion of our busiest thorough
fare was practically given over to the posses
sion of a swarm of ruffianly men and boys,
who roamed at will through King street, max
ing night hldeous with their yella, firing OF
crackers, torpedoes and pistols, joatllng, In
sulling and terrifying respectable citizens,
and hurliug all sorts OF missiles through the
valuable show windows of the stores that line
that thoroughfore.
THE OUTBREAK.
The stores and sidewalks were we'll filed In
the early part of the evening with the usual
througs OF Christmas eve shoppers and sight-
seers, and for about an hour after dark no open
disturbance was remarked. The footing OF
Christmas horns, however, and tie firing OF
squibs and crackers, In direct defiance OF the
Mayors proclamation, were incessant, and the
parties engaged in these nulsancea, finding
themselves unchecked, began to enlarge their
encroachments upon the peaceable passers.by.
Little professions OF the tooters were formed,
and as each of these passed along the s'de-
walk, 1t was augmented by crowds OF
ragged and noisy recruits, until the little
bands became formidable crowds and roamed
at will emboldened by their own numbers, and
ripe for any mischief. By eight o'clock the
crowds had became yelling mob, and the
acts of rowdyism had grown to the proper
tions of riot. The stores and street, from
Queen to Calhoun streets, had been filled with
ladies and gentlemen engaged In making pur-
chsses, and most of these retreated In alarm
to their BONES, or to the other streets which
had not yet been invaded by the rlotous
gangs. The merchants were forced to shut
up their stores to save their property, and
the street was in short time abandoned 10
the mob, which continued yelling and fghtng
for some time longer.
SMASHING PLATE-GLAss WINDOWS.
The following are some Of the most notable
cases Of window smashing that were brought
TO the attention of our reporters. There were
MANY other similar offences reported, but
these, which we can youch for as authentic,
are quite sufficient to show the grave charac-
ter of the disturbance: The show window OF
Fogarties Book Depository was struck by q
brlckbat, about eight O'Clock, which broke
valuable pane OF glass. About nine o'clock
a large black bottle was thrown against 8
pane In one of the show windows of Mr.. A. b.
Hayden's jewelry establishment; the bottle
shattered the glass and was shattered Itself,
some of flying fragments narrowly miss-
| Inr the heads nf the clerks In the store. The
broken pane was nine feet long by three
broad and half an inch thick. It cannot be
replaced for less than one hundred dollars.
Mr.. Hayden's clerks went out into the street
and found large number OF whites
| and negroes fighting, but they could
not find policeman. About half an hour
later fragment of brlckbat was hurled
through the window of Messra. Felix Fisher
& Co.'s fruit store, under the Masonic Temple,
and broke pane Of French plate glass, nine
feet long BY one aHd halt feet wide. This
glass was valued at seventy-fve dollars. A
pane worth thirty dollars was broken about
the san hour 10 the store of Messrs. Elias d
Bros, at the corner of King and George
streets; another In Messrs. johnson d Browns
hat store. another, In the store OF Mr.. W. j.
Yates, 4Ss King street, aud still another In
the millinery store of Mrs. Cohen, No. S7a
King street. Mr.. William Matthiessen, cloth
| ler, corner OF King and Wentworth streets,
also had valuable glass broken about the
same time. About eleven O'Clock colored
man, while leaving Lniey's grocery store,
near Horbeck's alley, was assaulted by q
number Of white men. A brickbat thrown al
him passed through Mr.. Linley's window, shat
teripg pane and breaking several goblets on
| the inside.
MORE SMASHING ON CHRISTMAS.
On Wednesday afternoon apane was broken
In the window of Messrs. Lewis Elias d Co.i
shoe store, under the Masonic Temple, and
another in the window of Elias & Bros. estab'
llshment, corner of King and George streets
The former was valued at seventy-ave dollars
| and the latter at thirty.
WHERE WERE THE POLICE.
During all these disorders the police were
either not 10 be seen or else absolutely passive
It would seem to be a legitimate subject fy
inquiry whether their inacuon was voluntat=
or the result OF orders from the authorities
The King street disturbances were not by any
means the only disorders that disgraced the
opening of the holidays. There were several
bloody encounters 10 various sections of the
city during the last torty-eight hours, and the
number of druken men and boys, staggering
about the cheerless streets, during the whole
OF Wednesday, was far greater than was ever
before seen In one day In Charleston. The
INDIGNATION OF THE MERCHANTS
on King street at the rude and wanton inter.
ruptlon OF their business on Christmas eve
when, OF all nights in the year, shoppers are
wont to crowd The stores and to make the
largest purchasers, was and is Intense, ant
there has even been talk Of holding public
| r,oo,tnp m oynrosa tho oenere1 condamnaiinr