Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-13


declared voting should not take place.
The mayor endeavored to calm the crowd,
but his words only infiamed 1t more. Then
an order was given to capture the swivel
gun, and body of marines, under Major
Tyler, advanced to do so. The men in
charge of the cannon abandoned 1t and re-
tired. but the crowd hurled volleys OF
stones and fired several shots at the ma
rines. The latter were then ordered to
fire, and did so. The crowd thereupon took
fight in all directions.
There were killed in the riot Archibald
Dalrymple. a brakeman on the Washing
ton branch of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road; d. II. Aston, constable, who was
formerly member of the grocery firm of
Rawlings g. Co.: RAINY Neal. a colored
waiter; a colOred man named Redding of
Georgetown. a youth sixteen years old
named Christian Lindig and an infant. A
large number of persons were wounded,
some very badly.
The plug uglies made their way back to
Baltimore hastily as possible. In order
t. insure further safety of citizens strong
body of flying artillery from Fort McHenry
was ordered to Washington and got here
the evening of election day.
Elected Mayor of Washington.
The active part Mr.. Berret had taken in
legal voters led to his being chosen to be
the candidate of the anti-know nothing
party in 1858. and he was elected. receiving
3,6SS to 3,11T cast for his opponent, Richard
Ha}iach, eX-marshai of the District of Co.
lumbia, who was the union candidate. The
campaign was lively one, and not devoid
of bitterness, but both candidates did all
in their power to prevent this.
In 1880 the contest was waged over again,
Messrs. Berret and Wallach being oppo-
nents, while William B. Magruder ran as
an independent candidate He received LAT
votes; Mr.. Berret. 3,434. and Mr.. Wallach.
$40. The latter gave notice that he would
contest the election of Mr.. Berret on the
cry-T,- ,,1 Ar y,, h,,t n Il De-,
peculiar turn of events Mr. Wallach did
become mayor. In 1861, when the civil
war broke out Congress enacted a law re-
quiring all officers of the government, ma
tional. state and municipal to take the
oath of allegiance to the United States.
MIR. Berret by reason of his position as
mayor was president of the board of police
commissioners of Washington and George
town. When the oath was rendered to the
members OF the board Mr. Berret declined
to take it. He said that while he was a
states right man. he was also a strong
Union man, and further declared that there
Vas no necessity for his taking the oath
when he had already subscribed to 1t when
fnaugurated as mayor.
Arrested and Made Prisoner of War.
This position was not satisfactory to the
government and accordingly on August "a,
1861. Mayor Berret was arrested by a pro-
yost marshal's guard and taken to Fort La
fayette. N. Y. His residence in this city
was searched, but no evidence of his COM
piicity or sympathy with the rebellion was
discovered.
During the brief period of his imDrison-
ment Washingtons municipal affairs be-
came complicated. Both branches of the
city council were convened in special ses-
sion to perform the duties of mayor, but it
Deing necessary that there should he
mayor to execute the corporation's laws
the two boards on August Is, 1861 elected
Richard Wallach to serve as mayor until
the regular mayors return. James NJ. Car
llSie,then corporation attorney resigned his
place on account of this action, and Joseph
H. Bradley succeeded him. Early in SEN
TENDER Mayor Berret was released from
prison. On the 18th of September he re-
signed the mayoralty and two davs later
returned to Washington His resignation
old not reach here until September "a. and
tnen the question arose as to whether the
city had mayor. Mr.. Bradley, as corpo-
ration attorney, decided that Mr. Wa1Iach
was mayor according to law, as Mr.. Berret
nau resigned, and hence had no claim to
the office Notwithstanding this opinion.
the city council in order to make assur-
ance doubly sure, on October II, 1851. elect
ed Mr.. Wallach mayor to fill ont Mavor
Berret's unexpired term
Accepted Inevitable.
1t was generally understood then and ID
no" known TO be a fact that Mayor Berret
was released from arrest after he had
agreed TO resign his Office and take the
oath 1t being regarded as absolutely es-
seht1ai 10 nave man at the head of city
AFFAIRS In the nations capital during that
critical period about whose absolute LOYALTY
no oouDt nao been or could be entertained
with his characteristic philosophy Mr. Per
ret accepted the alternative and after re-
turning to Washington showed much zeal
IN movements for the betterment of local
INSTITUTIONS where sick and wounded SOL
dlerS were cared for and In other WAYS
Illustrated that his proclivities were largely
Tor the Union He became a close friend OF
PRESIDENT Lincoln and was rendered by him
the commissionership of emancipation for
the District of Columbia but declined the
oHer He was also on terms of intimacy
with President Grant, and In 1878 was
nominated by the latter to be a member OF
the poard or police commissioners Of the
District and was unanimously confirmed by
the Senate.
When the movement to change the form
of government of the District was bepun
and gained strength and Importance Mr..
Berret was one of its most vigorous oppo-
nents and joined with the late Messrs. Geo.
w Riggs. w. W. Corcoran and other infiu-
entail and wealthy men in protests against
the reform. He also was identified with the
same parties in attempt to secure an
injunction to prevent the board of public
works to carry out the scheme of city i'm
provement, which, directed by Alexander
r. Shepherd, result ed in Washington becom-
ing the most beautiful of cities that 1t is
today. Mr.. Berret lived to regret this &C
tiDl on MS part, ana IN mis- later years there
was no citizen more thankful that the at
tempts referred to Were fruitless
Significant Testimony.
He gave significant testimony to this
upon the occasion Of the memorable BAN
quet to Governor Shepherd, rendered him
by the citizens of Washington at the Ar
lington Hotel November 81, 1895. Mr. Ber-
ret was the presiding officer of the evening
and in his opening address spoke in part as
follows:
AS one of the oldest inhabitants of
Washington and having had associations
for many years with its public affairs, I
recall wildly the history of the times in
which our honored guest was an active
participant. He came into power first as
the chief OF the board of public works un-
der the administration Of that highly hon.
orable citizen. Governor Henry D. Cook.
The plan that our guest inaugurated, IL
carried out to it's logical end. will render
this capital what the nation has the right
to expect of 1t. the rival of any capital
city Of the old world.
when l remind you gentlemen that
these things were accomplished under cir
cumstances most extraordinary. and which
would have had the effect OF causing a
man OF ordinary courage to have quailed in
the presence of obstacles, which, l regret
to say. in the end could not be wholly over
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