News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-01-10
AN OLD FEUD RECALLED.
THE AsTOR PLACE RIOT IN NEW
YORK CITY.
The Order to Fire on the Mob and How it
was Given to the Soldiers.
It has often been claimed. SAYS a S,n

| IL HAS O1tou Deeu CldluuSu, says d Ot"t-
day Mercury correspondent, that the
military authorities were somewhat TO
blame in precipitatin' bloodshed at the
Astor Place riot, but the truth is that
they not only were not to blame at all.
but deserved commentator for their
self control. Findin' matters gettin
worse instead of better by the comm
of the soldiers. Recorder Talmadge
showed that he had first-class nerve by
comm boldly forward, facin' the howl
in, cursin mob, and maxim speech in
favor of law and order, saying to the
mob I: "Depart-return to your homes;
delay not let this street be cleared at
once, or the soldiers here-your own
brothers-the armed citizens of New
York will fire upon you, as sure as there
is a God above us"
But the mob only went on worse than
before. They set up an awful yell );
then they groaned at Talmadge, and
fred stones at him, one OF which hit
him on the breast, though not wound1n
him seriously. Then Talmadge turned
| to General Hall, who was in charge of a
battalion, and said: General, you will
have to fire on 'em after ALL.
'sWhere is the Mayor?" asked Gen.
Hall. "He alone should give the order
to fire."
But the Mayor, Woodruff, was in the
New York Hotel.
Then Hall asked for the Sheriff,
Westervelt. Westervelt stepped up, but
was non committal, and wanted the
general to take the responsibility, which
was natural enough. But Hall didn't
see it yet.
Then General Sanford and Colonel
Duryea came up to Hall and Talmadge
and said that this sort of thing wouldn't
be endured by the National Guard any
longer. They were bein' shot at and
stoned and wounded by the mob, and
were not allowed even to protect EN-
selves in return.
"What do you say now, Mr.. Sheriff p
asked General Hall, who was deter
mined, if he could, to get his orders be-
fore he gave 'em.
''Your duty is only too plain, Mr..
Sheriff, " remarked Recorder Talmadge
You cannot do otherwise than give the
order and fire."
The sheriff said nothin' for moment,
turned on his heel as if to go, then sud
denly turnin' back, he went up to Gen
eral Sanford and said "Do as you
think right, General"
This might have seemed enough to
the sheriff, but it wasn't enough to San
ford. He, like Hall, wanted to get a
definite order from somebody. So San
ford looked the sheriff full in the face
and asked him plump and plain ''Do
YOU give me the order to freP' AuC
then Sheriff Westervelt said these de
cisive words which settled the life anG
death of large number of people: 90
do, sir.
Then Sanford turned to Matsell, who
was standin' near him, headin' the police
as fat and round as watermelon, bu
as cool as a cucumber. "Matsell," sale
Sanford, "call in your policemen. W.
shall have to employ bullets in half :
minute"
Sayin' this, while Matsell called in hi
police, Sanford and Duryea went rounC
once more and for the last time tryin' t.
pacify the mob and disperse 'em. Blu
the mob didn't care continental.
Fire and be hanged" Fire if yo1
dare" 'To- your guns, " ''Yo1
talk, but you dare not shoot, were som
Of the exclamations heard on all sides.
One fellow in the crowd took up bi;
stone and held it in front of him. ''Fir
into this" he cried, and then he hurle
> the stone right against the soldiers
woundin' one of 'em severely, at whic
the mob set up laugh.
!, Another chap tore open the bosom c
his shirt and struck his bare breast vic
lently with his clenched hands. "Fir
into this" he cried, hittin' his breas
once more. 'Shoot me here and tax
the life out of free born American cit
zen for British actor, if you dare.
, The crowd around went madder tina
ever at this speech, and chap hard by
= a regular rough, took up PAWN stone
|, and with yell hurled the stone fu
;, against the sword arm of General Sal
ford. disablin' it for the time.
= This seemed to act on the mob like th
first taste of blood on the tiger, an
= others began firin' missiles at Sanford
:. but missin him in their haste.
1t was again doubted whether tn
military and the police together coul
. quell the mob. One man prophesied
. ge aeral uprisin' throughout the entil
city of New York.
y 1t was really, as Col. Duryea afte,
= ward remarked, speakin' of it, ''an awfl
# moment.
J. But it was only moment.
f. The first order to the soldiers to fire O
d the mob was given by General Hal
IS Gle arly and distinctly he spoke the te
" rible word, ''firel" 1t was heard plainl
along the whole line of soldiery, ami
o. all the cussin' and clamorin' of the mol
az Dub OuIJ OIO LuuohCu AODPOA'N'ON " "
IN order, and some of the mob laughed
mockery.
W Then General Sanford took up tt
20 word. "Fire Fire p he called o.
IS twice, at the top of his lungs.
" A number of muskets this time obey
,e the command; but the firm did not b
10 come general.
g. Then Colonel Duryea took up t
le word. "Fire, Guards Fire y he call
ID out.
e. And the Guards fired, in earnest.
lg Such is the history of the memorat
W firm on the mob at Astor Place by
d, eye witness; and from his account it
w evident that the military endured
ce they could endure no more, and show
patience as well as obedience.
n STAY THERE.-An eccentric farm
e. living in Ohio had flock of sheep tt
he had not been shorn for six years. T
ok wool has grown over their eyes a
;al is so long that it draps on the orour