New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-24
COL. MANN TO w. d. KELLEY.
A REPLY TO THE ooNGREssMAN's CHARGE.
THE COLONEL STATES HIS SIDE OF THE MOBILE
RIOT STORY.


RIOT STORY.
co,.,o, w n Mann who was charged by Con-
,rressmon w. d. Kelley, of Pennsylvania III Ic'-
ter extracts from which were publisne. III rhc
T,ihrr. nm NAV IA, with having excit,d I'll N Icy
riot Of Mobile. Ala, on May IA, 1867 mas prepared
Lone and comprehensive defence against this
ser;ous accusation and has sent copy 10 Oohsress
man Kelley. In this document Coionci Hi"il Say
po,oro writing have obtained the documents refer
once. and statements which put me IN po'i''O" " ~,
trto In toto the charges made by you -, ~.
:. ,ho, time own. nor had owned Inc MooAc
Tsy aid not ayow responsibility Tor i'' u'Voi'iss''
,,no IN the parlor Of the Battle House. as you ua,
or elsewhere and distinctly say now .hH' 'u a.
whatever to do win s,,ssaa in i. before
Sou ssi OF an innammatory character ana
i,onaea 70 provoke riot 1t Is true tnat Oh quo n',
49,, =, the 1lth Of May, 1867, learning vi your aii ."
the Rattle House In Mobile and hoiuins sOu - -,
ct which your age and your high ana hohoraoo po',
~ q. thn councils Of the Nation merited pao you
uoh IN 'n As entered your apartment
or .,ose and advanced toward me- as ha'uran' a"-
,ooontIv surprised to welcome me as guess VIM '
- ou, room in response to an Invitation ai'or ehus
" 80 - Instead .you opened upon me the worst
w a. =, .buse that any man dared utter 70 me-
,xhn YOU had exhausted your BREATH toiu 9ou ''.s
- not tho owner OF I" The Times" nor rcspon''cco
Gov us editorials but that as the Editor Oh s,s
i ersona friend Of mine, would SEQ him. ana did
W." -, that he would do anything TO aiay any oai
on,,ment which you claimed existed among inc peopo
.,.rd YOU But you continued to conduct yoursen ~
sucb violent manner that, as you huS' ieAl'O0''
promptly withdrew.
THE EDITOR AT THE MEETING.
.,s, leaving you 1 saw the Editor OF The Times
a ho told me that had not intndel 10 take any ho'ee
NJ YOU or Your meeting, but that III vie" Vi "'ooo ga
nrcss,ons OF yours he would attend the meeting Sci
and occupy by your SIDE as wen as 'aA' se'di
omhers OF his staff to report your meeting AS matter
:, foot "a YOU know WELL Major St. Paul Editor OF Inc
Times with members OF his sta was present 81
vour meeting all Immediately surrounding tho 'apie iro
which YOU spoke. Major St Paul sat directly oy your
eide and IL is not conceivable that any shots were hred
:. con nv tho mob because any firing at you would
have been likely to Kill Major St Paul. than Whom therc
was no more popular man in Mobile
Won saw Let me say that the outbreak was PROVOKED
nv no ndscreet word OF nine" Perhaps your woruS to
exact quotation CT which, follows was sworn 10 Dy
many witnesses indiscree' but only weak ana
covardly: Some one Put him down. AZ which
Judge Kelley bitterly retortcd Nobody haa oe''e' Wy W
nut me down. The 18th United States Infantry are at my
back and II they protect me ana my i'sh' tHo
limited States Army cam half-drunken white loaier
in the crowd made reply this threat OF yours In LOUD
words and the Chief OF Police attempting 10 arrest h hc
resisted drew revolver and fred IN the ar ih"' w
shot was toe match that exploded the Domo-shcn many
shots were fred but It certain that had they BEN urea
h Confederate soldiers as most OF tho white men pres
emit were with the intention OF hurting you IRIS lying
letter Of yours had not been writ"
SEVERAL INVESTIGATIONS MADE
Tn the rest of his defence, Colonel Mann points
ont the feet that the Mobile riot was investigated
by the Coroner, by the Mayor of Mobile ana Dy
United States military commission under General
r. II. Ruger, and that Colonel Mann's name is not
mentioned in the reports of any OF them lie
adds the testimony of John L. Rapier, the present
proprietor of " The Mobile Daily Register, show
ing that on the night Of the riot Colonel MANN
attended the second and last concert OF inc TatIl
company at Odd Fellows Hall. Nr hapier was
witness of the riot and states that only one man,
n German named Gabriel Olsen, was killed near
the stand and he by negroes. The greatest stress
in the defence is laid upon the affidavit OF Chare3
Bdwell who swears that he carefully reaa anu
examined every article published in Inc mobile
Times from April IA to May 10, 1861 ana hau
fonnd not only no inilammatOry article against
udpe Kelley but not even an allusion 10 Ihe visit
which the Judge afterward made TO mobile. Inc
Colonel says in conclusion:
Inasmuch as you in the House OF Representatives.
and faithfully and persiseny voted to enrich your friends
while was trying to do my little mite In the field toward
hnnnr our rebellous OF the South It was but
cbt and consistent that friends should give you
an ovation and should applaud your fairy tales OF danger
and your lying conemptIbe and vlanous assault upon
an ex.sodler Of the Union 1t pains me to be obliged
IN write in such terms whose age should make
him venerable and to whom therefore, chvarous man
should address such language but the enormy OF your
ontrage upon me may excuse It, and again. am reminded
that Won have son competent to demand and receive any
satisfaction which he may feel himself entitled TO by
reason Of this plain speaking TO his aged father
w. d. MANN.