The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-05-10
THE COLORgD CITIZENS.
HOW 1T ALL HAPPENED.
The Radical Ring Leaders melted
Them to Riot and They
Got Worsted.
A SHAMEFUL SPECTACLE.

TORY INFLUENCES To DISPLAY MOB VIO-
LENCE-A BLOODY SEQUEL.
OF all the farces ever enacted, of all the
outrages ever perpetrated under the pre-
tence of aD election, that of yesterday in
this city takes the lead. For a week be-
fore the election the Radicals had been
running in and quartering their imported
voting cattle in different parts of the city
until the pre- ssnce of strangers, brought
here to vote the Republican ticket, was
noticeable on every street. To make sure
of success, however, this was not enough,
and the low down class OF negroes were
trained tor reporters. To make assurance
doubly sure the hoodlum element of the
colored population was melted to deeds of
violence that would bring the blush of
shame to the cheeks Of the Radical mana
gers if they were not sunk so low in their
own rascslities that they are beyond the
point where they can feel shame. All day
long wagon LOADS of these black bummers
went from ward to ward
wHooPING, YELLING AND BRANDIsHING
CLUBS,
and threatening destruction to all who OPP
posed them. In marked contrast with
their conduct was that OF the respectable
and orderly portion of the colored people.
They went quietly to the polls, cast their
votes and walked away or stood around to
watch the progress of the election. At
Fourth Ward the disreputable portion of
the negroes took possession OF the polls,
challenged nearly every Democratic voter,
and, in a great many cases, succeeded in
driving them away, even after they had
taken the trouble to swear in their votes.
II at any time anything was said, the clubs
were all raised threateningly, and men
were glad to go away without voting.
Naturally this created some bad feeling on
the part of the whites, but the rowdies
among them were kept In control by the
better class, and it was not until the
negroes commenced q row in the Sixth
Ward that anything serious happened.
At about ten minutes before O'Clock 200
or more negroes, becoming excited by
purposely circulated reports OF a row in the
Fifth Ward, started off with yells OF
"RALLY BOYS, RALLY To THE FIFTH
wARD!"
On getting to Washington street they
were told that the supposed row was at
the Sixth Ward. They continued on their
way, brsndishing clubs, pistols and "a
zors, and yelling like demons. Going
down Illinois street two policemen tried
to stop them, and one got knocked down
and beaten for his pains. On arriving at
the Sixth Ward voting place, where every
thing had been quiet, they, be-
insulted and tainted the voters
almost beyond endurance. Failing to
get fight they started back up street, but
at the WoodOurn-Ssrven Wheel Works
they met another party Of negroes. They
stopped to engage in conversation and
blow how they controlled the city, pre-
venting " bite men from voting. Taey re-
cd hoir tn
whip the voters of the Sixth Ward, and
finely struck a white man on the head
with club. This was the signal
for q riot that st one time threatened
to spread TO all parts of the city.
Clubs were procured from the wheel
works, and
A RUNNING FIGHT WAS KEPT UP
with occasionally shot until they got to
Washington street at the corner OF Illinois
when regular battle occsrred and three
negroes were reported killed, Johnny Nc
Cloud, the notorious hoodlum, being
amongst them. All reports of such deaths
are, howev r, unfounded. Twenty-Five or
thirty shots we're fired altogether, the first
being about one square north of the Sixth
Ward polls. Only seven negroes were ar
rssted. The police behaved with great
gsllsntry and used every effort to quell
1t until it exhausted itself.
STATEMENT OF EYE WITNESSES.
STATEMENT OF FRANK M'CARTY, S55 SOUTH
MERIDIAN.
was at the Sixth Ward polls when the
negroes came; noticed that they carried
clubs, and saw revoIvers In some of their
hands; there were between so and 100 in
the crowd of negroes; they stopped on the
opposite side ofthe street and commenced
abusing the white men OF the Sixth Ward;
called them hard names and said they (the
negroes) could whip them. The first of
the disturbance was when a negro struck
q workman az the Ssrven Wheel Works.
Seeing the fight, the police, who had been
doing duty about the Sixth Ward polls,
went over to the negroes to quiet and dis
arm them; at this the negroes commenced
shooting; the Sixth Warders then armed
themselves with clubs and powders aud
H'went for" the negroes; one negro was
terribly beaten, even while the police
were trying to protect him; the negroes
then ran from South to Louisiana street zone
negro ran in a house, but he was caught,
pulled ought and beaten with one of the
clubs the negroes had brought with them
when they came to attack the Sixth Ward
ers. The negroes continued running up
Illinois street. When opposite the main
entrances of the Occidental Hotel, saw a
negro IRE at policeman. The Sixth
Ward boys continued to drive the negroes
around and down Kentucky avenue, but
before they reached Tennessee street an
other mob OF negroes came up Washington
street, and closed in around on Kentucky
avenue. The Sixth Warders then found
themselves between two n1obs Of negroes
The firing then became general, until the
negroes all ran away. The white men
only used the clubs taken from the
negroes, until after the negroes began
the firing.
STATEMENT OF J. W. HAHN, III NORTH
TENNESSEE STREET.