Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-08-22


As silently, us tcndtrlv.
The dawn of peace dcsccnds on me.
0, this is peace! have no need
OF friend to talk, or book to read
A dear companion hear abides;
Close to my thrilling heart He bdes;
The holy silence is His voice,
lie, and listen, and rejoice.
AN OLB-flME NEW YORK RIOT.
a:% ;:*s an: ,,s, sr Hs
a llospaa>-Tn~ Tragic Result.
a correspondent in New York paper
writes rs follows
About the middle of April, 1883. there
was climax Of feeling in Now York
against me tical students who for year
past had been rather reckless in body
snatching. So long AS they dissected the
,enlains of slaves, or the untortunates that
came from Potter's field, no one much
cared. Bnt grave under the protection OF
Trinity parish even, and several in the
Greenwich street burial ground, much
used by the Methodists, had been de-
spoiled. There was much talk and indiy
nation about the outroges. OF course
you remember the New York
hospital that tronted Yves Pearl on
broadway. In my fathers time it occu-
pied the block to Duane street and from
its rear windows WAS to be had an almost
uninterrupted view of green fields and
the river. The medical school of Column
bia'--not long before called Kings COL
lege-was attached to that hospital.
The college buildings remained until
about twenty years ago fronting on
Park place, and of course college and
hospital We're contiguous. The front Of
the hospital was said to be quite fine in
appearance; its grounds were finely laid
out with walks, Strawberries ana trees.and
at the back there was an open space that
the boys Of the period would play in. A
young Bob Saw\ er Or Ben Aller. while
| dissecting one April atternoon-1 think
/ the 13th-had opened window for the
sake of the river breeze, and from thence
! out OF mere joke held up an amputated arm
10 the boys. One of them-and observe the
curious and appalling condolences fate
| sometimes prepares, even as IN the case
tie two Harrisons, father and sou--more
! inquisitive than the rest, pulled a light
ladder which was lying near and erected
it against the hospital wall, so as to
climb up for better view. The saw
boncs,' still jocular, said Sonny, don't
that look like mothers arm? It was
thoughtlessly said, but curious enough,
within few months the boys mother
had died. Full Of this remark and
| thinking upon what no doubt he had
heard OF 'rc>urrections' the boy dropped
from the ladder and went off to find his
father, who was then engaged in laying
| brick on house in Fulton street. The
fat~er dropped his tools and went up to
| the graveyard that believe, was some
where near the Lispenard meadows, and,
oddly, upon digging, the body was not
| to be found.
it took but brief time in the little
city to bruit about the whole affair. The
workmen engaged with the father and
Infatuated widoWer soon raised small
mob. The story vas passed about as son
and fa her told it, and in an hour hospital
grounds and the hospital itself were filled
with unthinking and enraged cioters. who
rot content with driving out the alright
Cd students and keepers, practically rat
ted the bones and Quilted the museums
and laboratories. Intelligence was III
stantly sent to Mayor James Duane. Re-
co der Richard Varick and Sheriff Rob-
crt Boyd, and between them they raised
posse comitatus and went to the scene
Of riot. The poor mason declared that
lie recognized parts Of the remains of his
wife. Whether in his excitement he did
OK not could never be verified; but there
was no doubt that his wife had been
d;ssected
! The presence of the authorities for a
time allayed the disorder, but two of the
students had been roughly handled and
were in danger of being killed. My father
was then living with bis own father
III Dey street, and was engaged in home
study when the news came. He immedi-
ately repaired to the college and found
that the authorizes there were naturally
excited also, and that some Of the medi-
| Gals had been already locked up for safe
keeping in the jail that stood in the park.
!: was the general impression that more
bother must come Of it; therefore, think
ing discretion the better part of valor,
my father goes to the foot of Liberty
street-where boats were kept, and was
soon taken across to Jersey, where every
day he got word as to what went ON.
The evening Of the riot was fine
spring one, and there was no need of any
extra newspapers in those days. By tea
time, backwards, east, west, north and
outwards were full of the outrage. It
was 'Down with tie hospital Death to
the grave-stcalers,' etc. Even women
Joined in the cry. The feeling was
rampant also with many in better classes.
George Clinton was then governor.
Alexander Hamilton was a sort of general
peacemaker, as was John Jay. There WIS
in the evening consultation OF citize1s
and authorities at the house of the mayor,
who, believe, then lived somewhere at
the foot of Chambers street. To use the
medical phrase, they prognosed the affair
quite accurately, for in the morning not
sudden but preconcerted riot began
around the hospital. OFF went the rioters
to Columbia college to search for the
bodies, and to the houses Of all the
physicians after mutilated remains, but of
course, found nothing except affrightcd in
mates. The few students and debtors
who were inside we're seriously fright
ened, as at last became the authorities.
e Not even the eloqueice of Hamilton
nor the beloved face OF Jay could: accom-
p..ish; anything. Then Sheriff Boyd called
out = companv-of uniformed militia,
who: marched up the park fields and
marched, down again under a shower OF
stone, sticks and dirt, for as yet they only
had blank cartridges served out. Next,
few more being added, the militia
marched on the mob again, only this
time to lose their muskets. All day long
the crowd assaulted the doors of the OLD
Jail; but it was q strong old place, as rev.
dictionary prisoners had found, and well
barricaded inside. Not until nine o'clock
at night. was an effective force of militia
convened, but this time the soldiers all
had ball cartridges Even now there was
hesitation! John Jay being struck with
g stone and knocked down, the mayor