The Baltimore County union., 1885-08-08
THE BANK OF MARYLAND RIOT.
.Slndnu American. Aug. I'd.


This week will be the iftieth anniversary of
the famous Bank of Maryland riot, which wreck
ed the house of Reverdy johnson, and for three
days kept Baltimore in state of anarchy. The
Bank of Maryland was incorporated in 1890.
The capital stock was 100000. At first only
$500, 900 was subscribed, and the bank began
business on that amount July l, 1871. Its hours
we're from nine to one, and from three to five.
The bank prospered, all the capital stock was
paid in, and the shares, whose par value was
$500, rose to $500, at which they were for many
years quoted in the market In 1882 scheme
was projected by Evan Poultney, the president,
Reyerdy johnson and John Glenn, the counsel
of the bank, and E. T. EllicOtt, D. M. Perine,
and H. McElderry, to secure controlling inter-
est in the institution. 1t was charged that the
bank was made to put up part OF the money ior
this purpose. At any rate, the syndicate,s plan
succeeded, and under the new management the
bank was launched out on a plunging policy,
which weakened it greatly, and largely reduced
its finances. While it was in this overtaxed con-
dition, in September, 1888, President jackson
withdrew the public funds from the Bank OF the
United States. A panic ensued. The Bank OF
Maryland stood up as long as it could, but on
doors. Then for eighteen months followed a war
of words and charges and countercharges in PAM
phlets and newspapers. The people began to
look upon the whole affair as stupendous fraud,
and on the 9th of August, 1885, crowd gathered
on Monument Square, and began to throw stones
at the windows Of Reverdy Johnson's house-the
building that is now occupied by the States At
torney, the Journalists Club and several business
firms. Mayor Hunt persuaded the crowd to leave
The next day, however, the Mayor, whose lnten-
tions were better than his wisdom or his discre-
tion, called town meeting, openly declared that
a riot was feared. and appointed six hundred
guards to protect Monument Square. The result
of this was to arouse the people into active law
lessness Saturday night the rioters gathered.
They opened the hostilities by volleys of stones
and bricks thrown at the guards, who, although
not armed, stood their ground bravely. A large
detachment of the mob stole away and attacked
Mr.. Glenn's house, on North Charles street, which
they despoiled of all its contents. They would
have torn the entire house down had not the
guards arrived with muskets.
Sunday the rioters became worse. They made
Mr.. Glenns house an utter wreck, and at night
they went through Mr.. Johnson's house, demol-
ished the splendid marble portico, threw down
the front wall, made bonfire of the magnificent
library, and did everything they could to make
the destruction complete. The houses ofthe other
men connected with the bank were also sacked,
and the night was one of the most terrible ever
passed in Baltimore Order was only restored
when Mayor Hunt resigned, and when the sturdy
old hero General Samuel Smith marched three
thousand law-abiding citizens to Howard's Park,
formed them into companies and armed them,
and showed to the mob the uselessness OF any
further rioting. The next year the state had to
pay SI02, ,552.S1 as indemnity to the sufferers. OF
this Reverdy johnson got O,632.5O.