Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-02-04
rna Riot at Liberty Furnace

The Riot at Liberty Furnace
The riot at Liberty Furnace OF which
mention was made in our last issue con-
,ruea during Wednesday. The MILL
torv company reached Liberty Fur
race about P. NJ. The rioters retired 10
the hills and brush back OF the Furnace
Cant. Magruder proposed to make an
attack upon them and drive them 10
oetber and surround them, and with this
Lew asked for two companies which
were promptly ordered by the Cover
nnr The winchester and Harrison
burg companies were at their depOtS al
aav. Wednesday, awaiting orders 10
move. Messrs. Wissler finding acoi,
LISBON was inevitable, communicated
With the rioters and agreed to discharge
,,e colored hands which they had re-
Gently employed, if the rioters would
dsband and furnish sufficient LABOR 10
rnn the furnace. The rioters at once
accepted the proposition. The negroes
were discharged the following morning
rhei- discharge was a matter OF neces-
si,v as the only thing that kept them al
,bs furnace was their fear that they
would be shot in attempting to leave
Tho attack which was made on them
on Tuesday night was cruel and III
every sense uDjustidable. About thirty
armed men entered the rear OF the cast
inc room and without warning opened
an indiscriminate attack upon the
peOroes. One was shot in the arm ana
one in the knee. 1t is rumocd tha'
serious apprehension about the recovery
of ihs one shot in the knee was isiI a
t.w days ago. The negroes ran IN every
direction and concealed themselves uh-
til the arrival of the military or clean
men, as they termed them. MI
Frank Wissler, Gen'l Sup't narrowly
escaped being shot as he was ABOUT
entering the casting room when the
rioters opened fire. The wisdom OF the
coppromise is questionable. While II
was the easiest made oisolving the dli-
6culty Tor the time, it is feared that 1t Is
only temporary solution, and lha'
tbose who were instrumental in getting
M the rot may shortly find some pre-
text for inanguratlng another.
The promptnes ofthe sheriff and his
daput,es as we'll as Of the military ID
this place and Of the companies IN
Winchester and HarrisonburG IN an
swering the call rehects credit upon all
parhes. This prompt action may con-
vince those who are disposed to dis
rspard law shat the law will be rigldly
enforced. even if it require the entire
military force ofthe State to do It,
While there are serious objections to
importing into a section OF country
where families Of women and children
are frequently left alene, and are from
the natsre OF their employment, beyond
the protection of the male members OF
The families, a large number OF negroes
and especially at a time when the ap-
prehensions of the people have been
aroused by outrsges almost daily COM
mitted by negroes In some section OF the
country, the mode selected to prevent
this importation, is one contrary to law
aud which opposes itself to the Legal
authority of the State. The gentle
men owning the two furnaces say they
prefer white to negro labor. but that
they have not been able to secure a
sufficient number Of steady, reliable
white hands to conduct their business
As they propose to do the present sea-
SOD. For this reason they employed a
number of negroes who were TO be
placed at work at wood chopping.-
These gentlemen certainly have the
right to employ on their own premises
such labor as will best answer their
purpose and in the exercise Of this right,
they will be protected by the State.
We sincerely hope that their business
will be uninterrupted BY any more
troubles like those Of last week. a
number Of rumors as to further mis-
conduct on the part Of the rioters are
circulated, but as We have no definite
information, we will not notice them,
hoping that they are only rumors.