History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 183

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358

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gun for the Missouri Engine-House, where it was de- posited under guard. Afterwards the gun was removed from the engine-house and the doors closed. The police made a descent upon it in its new position, captured the cannon and those who had it in charge, and placed the gun in the jail-yard and the prisoners in the calaboose.

The Missouri Fire Company authorized, as a body, a disclaimer of any participation in the events of the night, and particularly in relation to the cannon.

About ten o'clock on the night of the 25th of May, 1850, a mob of about five hundred persons assembled in the neighborhood of Third and Almond Streets, and proceeded to make an attack upon several houses of ill-fame in the vicinity. They succeeded in de- stroying entirely all the furniture and contents of four of these houses and slightly injuring one other before the efforts of the mayor and police could disperse the mob. Several of the ringleaders were arrested.

On Monday, April 5, 1852, St. Louis was again the scene of a serious election riot. The election was for mayor and city officers, and after a heated and angry campaign, in which the feelings of both parties were wrought up to a high pitch, the day of election arrived. Early in the forcnoon, while the voting was progressing quietly in the five upper wards of the city, a disposition was strongly evinced among those surrounding the ballot-boxes of the First Ward to throw impediments in the way of the Whig voters. Later these persons, who were sufficiently numerous to over- awe the more respectable and better-disposed citizens, abused and maltreated a number of persons, some barely escaping with their lives. Mayor Kennett, in company with other gentlemen, repaired to the polls, and was received with repeated groans and hisses. Finally, Mr. Kennett and his friends retired. Joseph Jecko, the Democratic candidate for the office of city attorney, then addressed the rioters and warned them against the consequences of their violence. His speech was effective in preventing an immediate repetition of their acts.

The report that the Germans had taken possession of the polls in the First Ward reached the other wards about two o'clock. Accounts followed each other rapidly of the outrages which were being per- petrated. About three o'clock large numbers of American citizens, Whigs and Democrats, the greater portion, however, being composed of the former, be- gan to move towards Soulard's Market, where the First Ward polls were held. In that vicinity, the side- walks of Seventh and Fifth Streets, and Park Avenue were densely crowded with Germans. Numerous at- tacks were made on the Americans as they passed

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down; stones and other missiles were thrown, and oe- easionally shots were fired from the houses. A squad of Americans numbering about two hundred at last arrived opposite the market-house, and, led by a few men who were well armed, marehed with a shout for "free suffrages" to the building, and took possession of the polls without resistance. The Germans dis- persed, and took refuge in the coffee-houses along the street above and below. The Americans continued to flock down from the upper wards until their foree amounted to some thousands. Nearly as large a number of Germans was gathered here and there, as spectators or participants, in knots on adjacent streets.

As soon as the Americans had permanent posses- sion of the Soulard Market building, Mr. MeDonough, a Whig, addressed the assemblage, and invited all citizens of the First Ward who had not voted, Whig or Demoerat, German, American, or Irish, to come forward and deposit their votes. He explained that the reason of the presence of so many Americans from other portions of the eity was to seeure them their free suffrages. Mr. Abeles, one of the judges of the election, followed Mr. MeDonough. He spoke in German, and repeated in substance what Mr. Me- Donough had said. On this a number of persons ap- proached the polls and deposited their ballots.

Personal collisions, in the mean time, were oeeur- ring among those who were congregated in the vicin- ity, and several persons were wounded by fire-arms discharged from the windows and doors of the houses. At last a portion of the mob began to demolish the beer-houses, whose tenants had been most active in the assault.

The Soulard Market-House was riddled, as also a house at the corner of Park Avenue and Fifth Street, and the tavern of Mr. Neumeyer, at the corner of Park Avenue and Seventh Street. Some persons had at an early stage of the proceedings taken refuge in this house, and through the windows occasionally pelted the passers-by with stones. The mob besieged the tavern, and having broken a panel of the door, was about to enter when a gun was placed through the aperture and fired, the contents lodging in the breast of a young man named Joseph Stevens, a member of the St. Louis Fire Company. Stevens staggered a short distance across the street and fell dead. His death infuriated the mob. The house was immediately entered, the furniture, bar fixtures, ete., demolished, and the building fired. The flames spread rapidly and the house was soon destroyed.

The firing and fighting with stones continued until after dark. It having become known that the ean- non of Capt. Almstedt's artillery were in an armory

near by, the mob started to proeure them, and soon returned with two brass six-pounders. These were earefully charged and rolled to the corner of Park and Carondelet Avenues, where they were placed so as to sweep with murderous certainty either side of Second Street, on the sidewalks of which were immense erowds of Germans. The fight was still kept up with pistols and stones, and the party having posses- sion of the eannon were awaiting the proper provo- eation to use them. Affairs were in this alarming state when Marshal Phelps, accompanied by Capt. Almstedt, arrived, and by dint of argument and per- suasion prevailed on the belligerents to desist. Mr. Phelps happened, fortunately, to be acquainted with many of the parties, and his personal influence effected what no official authority could have accomplished. The crowd dwindled away gradually, and by midnight that portion of the city had resumed its wonted quiet.

About ten o'eloek at night, however, a demonstra- tion was made against the Anzeiger des Westens print- ing-office by a mob numbering from fifteen hundred to two thousand, the provocation being the pub- lieation of certain articles in that paper. By nightfall, however, by direction of the mayor, the company of Grays and the Riflemen had been gotten together and were drawn up in two lines to prevent access to the building. The rioters made no attempt to break the ranks of the military, and late at night they dispersed. Eight or ten persons were severely and about twenty-five slightly wounded.

The most serious riot that had yet oeeurred in St. Louis took place on Monday, Aug. 7, 1854, and as usual arose out of an election contest. Many per- sons, principally foreign-born, upon presenting them- selves at the polls to vote, were deelared disqualified. This enraged them, and as they inereased in numbers they gathered in knots and vented their anger in various ways. At length at the Fifth Ward polls a boy was stabbed by an Irishman, who immediately fled towards Morgan Street. A portion of the crowd rushed after him and followed him into the Meehan- ies' Boarding-House, Second and Morgan Streets, which was immediately assailed with stones and brieks. Several other houses in the vicinity were attacked, their windows riddled and furniture broken. Firing commeneed here, there having been none at the polls. Guns and pistols were fired by unseen hands from windows, and some firing was returned from the street. In half an hour after the riot commeneed the erowd at the seene of disturbance probably reached five thousand persons. As the forces inereased the in- mates of the houses attacked were all routed. From Second and Morgan Streets the mob proceeded to

1839

MOBS AND RIOTS.

Cherry Street, and on Second Street above Cherry about a dozen houses were stripped of their contents. There was seareely a house in this neighborhood in- habited by Irishmen that was not assailed by the crowd.

Finally the mob returned to Morgan Street. Here the firing was renewed, and a large body of levee-men was stationed at the foot of Morgan Street to prevent the rioters from passing to the Levee, which it was their evident intention to do. The levee-men had collected a quantity of arms, and held their ground with deter- mination. The attacking party was several times driven baek, and two men were killed and several wounded. At length a solid column was formed and a charge made, each man with two stones in his hand, which were used with some effeet. The bloekade gave way, and the whole mob poured down the Le- vee. The residents of Battle Row seattered in every direction panie-strieken, but finally rallied. A con- siderable number took refuge in their houses, and a continuous firing was kept up from the windows, while the thousands in the streets were pelting their houses with stones and brieks. The residents at length were foreed to retire and leave their houses to the merey of the mob.

Every Irishi establishment between Morgan and Loeust Street, a distance of three squares, was at- tacked, and the windows and furniture broken and destroyed. About five o'clock a boatman, who was not engaged in the fight, but was standing with some of his companions looking on, was killed by a shot fired from one of the houses in Battle Row.

The work of destruction continued in the neighbor- hood of Battle Row until dusk. The mob then pro- ceeded on its way, destroying houses on Cherry, Mor- gan, Fifth, and Green Streets. About ten o'clock it had reached the corner of Franklin Avenue and Eighth Street, where, after destroying Drayman's Hall, it sep- arated into small companies and attacked every drinking·house it could find on Green, Seventh, and Morgan Streets, and Franklin Avenue. About this time the mayor with a posse of poliee arrived on the ground and endeavored to restore order, but in vain. The mayor then ordered out the military. The Na- tional Guards and Continentals and St. Louis Grays were soon in readiness, and through their efforts the larger bodies of the rioters were dispersed without bloodshed. Small bodies of men, however, roamed through the streets of the Fifth Ward all night. About noon of the following day, a large erowd of Irishmen from the Levee collected about the corner of Morgan Street and Levee. There was considerable noise in the vicinity all day, but the police preserved

order. A rumor got afloat that two large bodies of Irishmen were on their way to the city to reinforce their countrymen, and on the strength of this rumor the mayor ordered the military organizations to hold themselves in readiness. Assemblages gathered upon the street corners in various sections of the eity during the day, and as night fell the excitement and tumult were intensificd. About ten o'eloek heavy firing was heard from some quarter up-town, and the military moved in that direction. They marehed up Green Street, and at the corner of Fifth and Green eame upon a mob which was engaged in conflict with a similar mob at the corner of Sixth and Green Streets. The street was entirely blockaded at both corners. The erowd at Fifth Street opened and permitted the Continental company to pass through. The Grays were just in the rear. About midway the square the Continentals were fired into by the mob at Sixth Street and from the houses around. The Continen- tals returned the fire, scattering the mob, and the poliee succeeded in making some arrests. Two of the Continentals, Messrs. Spore and Holliday, were wounded, as were several of the mob. The Grays also fired into a mob in an alley between Sixth and Seventh Streets and wounded several. At midnight this quarter was comparatively quiet, but the riot still raged in other sections. At the corner of Seventh and Biddle Streets, and near St. Patrick's Church, a man was flourishing a pistol and making free use of it, when, an attempt was made to disarm him by several of the bystanders, among whom was E. R. Violett, of the firm of E. R. Violett & Co. In the struggle, or directly after, Mr. Violett received three shots in the shoulder. He died instantly.

Soon after this an affray occurred at the corner of Broadway and Ashley Streets. in front of the Hum- boldt House, kept by a man named Snyder. Three persons were dangerously wounded, and Snyder was instantly killed by a shot through the head.

In this way collisions were occurring constantly in all quarters of the city, but especially in the Fifth Ward, and so continued the entire night. At day- light on Wednesday morning the streets were full of men, some in companies of fifteen or twenty, shouting and calling on Americans to protect their lives and homes. During the night the mayor issued a proela- mation calling a meeting of the citizens at twelve o'elock on Wednesday, to take measures to restore peace and quiet to the eity. At eleven o'clock the mer- chants met at the Exchange, and devoted the business hour to the consideration of the existing riots and their suppression. The meeting was organized by calling James H. Lucas to the chair, and appointing

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Hudson E. Bridge secretary. After brief addresses by Messrs. Lucas, Blennerhasset, and P. G. Camden, on motion of Walter B. Carr, the following resolu- tions were unanimously adopted :

" Resolved, That the mayor be requested to issue his procla- mation, calling upon all citizens of the city to abstain from as- sembling at any of the places where disturbances have recently taken place, and to remain at their homes at night during the existing excitement.

" Resolved, That the mayor be requested to suspend for the present the existing police, and to detail a temporary patrol force from among the citizens, to be composed of discreet and reputable men, and that they be authorized to use such author- ity as may be vested by the laws to arrest offenders against the peace and quiet of the city."

The meeting immediately adjourned to the court- house, where another meeting was held, at which Mayor How and the Hon. Edward Bates addressed the people. Joseph Charless, after a few remarks, offered the following resolutions :

" Resolved, That it is the duty of every good citizen in a crisis like the present to support the mayor in preserving the peace and quiet of the city, and that, in the opinion of this · meeting, the object can be most effectually accomplished by the selection by the mayor, from the ranks of the oldest and best- known citizens, of one thousand persons to act as a special po- lice and committee for the restoration of order, whose duty it shall be to patrol the city, and disperse all assemblages of per- sons manifesting a disposition, as well by moral suasion as the exercise of force where it may be found necessary.

" Resolved, That the supremacy of the law shall be sustained and the spirit of disorder quelled at whatever cost, that the fair name of our city may no longer be disgraced by bloodshed and murder, and to that end we pledge ourselves to sustain the mayor in maintaining the public peace as proposed in the above reso- lution."

These resolutions were unanimously carried.

Gen. Ranney proposed that N. J. Eaton be ap- pointed captain of the new police force. It was also proposed that the proprietors of the drinking estab- lishments should close their doors at dark, and that parents, guardians, and 'masters should restrain the boys under their control from roaming the streets at night.

Mr. Bates then asked the citizens before him to volunteer one thousand efficient men, and the meeting adjourned to the City Hall to carry these practical suggestions into effect. The regular police organiza- tion was temporarily suspended by order of the mayor, and Capt. Eaton was appointed to take charge of the special police. A meeting of persons who had en- rolled their names during the afternoon was called at five o'clock at the court-house, and about seven hun- dred met at the appointed time. Capt. Eaton read the names of thirty-three well-known citizens who were requested to act as captains. He then assigned to each of the captains twenty men, from whom he was

to select his lieutenants ; the captains and lieutenants all to be mounted. The military were also ordered to hold themselves in readiness, if additional force should be required. Capt. Eaton appointed Maj. M. L. Clark to take charge of the outdoor operations, and made such other disposition of his force as was neces- sary. These timely and vigorous efforts completely crushed the riots, and at midnight the city was quiet.

As nearly as could be ascertained, about ten persons were killed and about thirty wounded.

The mayor, after an informal consultation with the Board of Aldermen, appointed Messrs. Foster, Knott, and Moore, all competent builders, to examine into the naturc and report the amount of damage sus- tained. This duty they performed, and reported the names of those whose property was injured by the rioters as numbering about ninety-three, and assessed the total amount of damages at $4250.80. Some of the assessments were as low as two dollars, and the highest about four hundred dollars.

The mayor, in a communication to the City Coun- cil on October 10th, said,-

" Auxious as I am to erase from my memory all recollection of a time so discreditable to the fair fame of our city, I still cannot depart from this subject withont, in a becoming manner, alluding to some of those whose assistance was so cheerfully given in sustaining the laws, and in particular to the military organizations under command of Cols. Renick and Knapp. To these gentlemen, and the members of their respective commands, I am deeply indebted. It became my unpleasant duty to order the Continentals, under Capt. Blackburn, and the Washington Guards, under Lieut. Deegan, to fire upon the mob; and the promptness with which they discharged their disagreeable task showed that they were fully alive to the duties and responsibilities of the citizen-soldier, and were determined to perform their duties at any hazard. In this case five of these brave men, members of the Continentals, were wounded, some of them severely. I am also under many obligations to the companies of Capts. Pritchard, Prosser, Byrne, Morrow, English, Suebott, Allen, and Steife, for the valuable and efficient aid rendered me in those the most anxious hours of my life. If the mob was not suppressed at once, it was not for want of assistance from these gallant men, but owing to the continually changing scene of their operations,-hardly quelled at one point before disturb- ances would burst forth at another and a more distant one,-and not until a general meeting of the citizens authorized me to enroll a volunteer police force of one thousand men, under com- mand of Capt. N. J. Eaton, was the public peace restored. This large force, a portion of which was mounted, was distributed in various parts of the riotous district, and completely put an end to the existing disturbance. In alluding to them, I can only say that they were worthy of their gallant commander, whose cool judgment and promptness of action well qualified him as a valuable auxiliary in a time of doubt and danger."

On a Sunday morning in May, 1853, a riot occurred which resulted in the death of two men. A member of Franklin Fire Company interfered in a dog-fight which was going on under the patronage respectively of the residents of Green and Cherry Streets. His

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interference was resented by the owner of the dog and resulted in a fight. Being reinforced by some of his fellow-members and others, an attack was made upon the dog-owner and his friends. They drove their op- ponents through their houses and up into the city. Some of the houses in which the rioters had taken refuge were partly demolished, and the refugees when caught were severely beaten. One man was killed outright, and another so badly beaten that he died a few days afterwards.

The neighborhood of Almond and Poplar Strects, between Main and Fourth, previous to July, 1860, had been inhabited by a number of degraded men and women, whose habits excited the popular indignation to such a pitch that, on the night of July 25th, a gen- eral assault was made upon their dwellings. When the attack upon the first place was begun there were some two or three hundred men and boys engaged in it, which number was rapidly increased to a thousand. Bricks and stones were hurled at the windows, on the roof, and against the walls, driving the occupants into the back yard, and from thencc to whatever shelter they could find. The commotion soon brought a dozen or more policemen to the scene, who endeav- ored, without any plan or system, to quell the disturb- ance, but their efforts were wholly ineffectual.

After breaking all the windows, doors, furniture, etc., at this place, the mob continued on its course, driving out the occupants and destroying and burn- ing beds, furniture, garments, etc. It attacked simul- taneously eleven houses, and heaped all their furniture in the street and set fire to them. The work of dem- olition went on until more than twenty houses had been robbed of their contents, after which the mob dispersed. Policeman Kennedy, on returning to his bcat from the scene of excitement, fell down opposite Wyman's Hall and died in a short time from ex- haustion.

Railroad Riot of 1877 .- The period of inflation and factitious prosperity that immediately succeeded the war was followed, as all painfully know, by a long term of depression. The burden naturally fell heaviest on the working classes, among whom privation begot discontent and distress.

The great lines of railroad, of course, suffered with the rest in the general stagnation. To afford all the facilities in their power to the manufacturers and pro- ducers, they reduced their freight charges to so low a point as scarcely to cover the cost of transportation. The force of hands employed at this time by the Bal- timore and Ohio Railroad was about three times as large as was necessary for the business of the road, and with the greatly reduced revenue of the line it

was absolutely necessary to make some reduction in this branch of expense. This could easily have been done by discharging the superfluous hands, but in view of the great suffering that such a step would cause it was thought better to keep on as large a force as possible and reduce the wages, and it was hoped that the men themselves would see it in that light.

On July 11, 1877, a circular was issued by the road (after the other great competing lines had taken the same action) giving notice that the wages of all hands earning more than a dollar a day would be reduced ten per cent. from July 16th. At this the brake- men and firemen of the freight-trains began to make preparations to resist, and on the appointed day they refused to work along the whole line. At once ap- plications were made in Baltimore by men out of work to take their places, and though a disposition was shown to drive off these men, they were protected by the police, and the freight trains were moved out of Baltimore. The passenger-trains were not inter- fered with on that day.

Martinsburg, W. Va., was one of the company's principal relay-stations, where the hands and engines 'of the freight-trains were changed. The population was to a large extent composed of employés and dependants of the road, and in sympathy with the strikers. When the trains from Baltimore reached this point all the firemen abandoned them. Others offered to take their places, but these were forced from the engines by the strikers, who openly declared that no more freight-trains should be run until the former scale of wages was restored.

As the Martinsburg authorities were powerless, Vice-President King, of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- road, telegraphed to Governor Matthews, of West Virginia, asking his assistance to suppress the riot. The Governor ordered his aid, Col. Faulkner, to take the necessary steps; but the latter soon found that the Berkeley Guards, whom he had called out, were too much in sympathy with the rioters to be depended on for any efficient service. Governor Matthews then telegraphed to President Hayes for the assistance of the United States forces. The Presi- dent at first hesitated, doubting whether the emer- gency justified Federal interference ; but on receiving a dispatch from President Garrett, of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, showing the serious character of the disturbance and the rapidly-increasing danger, he issued a proclamation commanding the rioters to dis- perse, which was printed in hand-bill form and dis- tributed all along the line. At the same time he ordered eight companics of artillery, serving as in- fantry, under the command of Gen. French, to pro-

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History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 183

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898 Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1358

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358