The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1950-12-21
First Big Riot In Ohio

First Big Riot In Ohio
Out Of a quarrel between a few
Irishmen and a small party of
negroes on the corner of Sixth Street
and Broadway, Cincinnati, one even
ing in September, 1841, came one of
the worst and longest riots Ohio ever
has known.
Only two or three were hurt in
the original fracas-superfcial in
juries likely to occur in any brawl
on the street. But the fighting grew
and spread until from 8 o'clock Fri
day night until 3 o'clock Sunday
morning the city was turmoil and
at the mercy of a mob ranging at
times from 200 to 1,500 persons.
The little Tuesday evening set-to
was renewed Wednesday night and
a party of Irish, armed with clubs,
attacked negro boarding house on
McAlister Street, demanding that a
negro believed secreted in the house
| be turned over to them. Several ad-
joining houses occupied by negro
families were included in the attack.
In the fights that followed several
persons on each side were injured
More Trouble
, On Thursday night another en-
counter took place between crowds of
white men and boys and some
negroes in the vicinity of the Lower
Market Square. In it one or two
were cut with knives.
Thursday night mob, mostly
said to have been from Kentucky,
gathered at the fifth Street market,
unmolested by citizens or police.
That was about eight o'clock.
Armed with clubs, stones, brick
bats and whatever they could gather,
the mob marched to Sixth Street
and Broadway and attacked a negro
confectionery next to Broadway
Synagogue. Windows and doors were
broken in. This attracted an i'm
mense crowd. The mayor, leading
banker and other prominent persons
tried to quiet the crowd but their
addresses were yelled down with
''Down with him! Run him off, and
| the like.
Gun Play
The mob advanced with clubs and
stones and repeatedly were fired on
by the negroes. Cincinnati's Negro
Riot of 1841 was ap.
AT the rifle and revolver fire the
mob scattered but Immediately rail-
lied and were repulsed again and
| again. Men were wounded ON both
| sides and were carried off-many
reported dead. The negroes rallied
several times, advanced upon the
crowd and fired down the street into
| it.
The foregoing continued until after
| a. M, when party of whites
procured an iron six-pounder from
the riverfront, loaded it with boiler
punchings and hauled it to the battle
ground-against the protests Of the
mayor and police. 1t was set up on
| Broadway and pointed towards Sixth
Street.
Negroes Flee
The yells continued but much OF
the firing ceased. Many of the
negroes fled to the hills, Attack on
| the houses was resumed, with much
firing of guns on both sides. 1t
continued through most of the night
and exaggerated rumors of dead and
wounded filled the streets. The
cannon had been fired several times.
About 2 o'clock the militia, sum-
moned by the mayor, succeeded in
keeping the mob at bay. And dur
ing the following day several blocks,
including the battle ground, were
surrounded with sentinels and kept
under martial law. The negroes
there were kept in its limits and
others were added as fast as they
were rounded up. That was for their
own protection.
Citizens held a meeting in the
court house Saturday morning, ad-
dressed by the mayor and prominent