The Killers: A Narrative of Real Life in Philadelphia

Appendix 3. Related Contemporary Documents

[217] APPeNdix 3 S related Contemporary documents the California house riot was widely covered in the periodical press, and in some cases at great length. Much of the coverage was based on or directly reprinted from Philadelphia newspaper sources such as the Public Ledger and the Inquirer. included here are accounts from several periodicals from beyondPhiladelphia:theBaltimoreSun;theMethodistepiscopalnewspaper theChristianAdvocateandJournal;theWashington,d.C.-basedabolitionist weekly the National Era; and the African American newspaper the North Star, of rochester, New York. Also included here is an excerpt from Zachary taylor’s december 24, 1849, message to Congress, part of which is quoted at the end of The Killers. “dreadful riot at Philadelphia: houses Burned, and Several Persons Killed and Wounded” (Baltimore Sun, october 11, 1849) We gave yesterday morning, by telegraph, a brief account of a terrible riot that was progressing at Philadelphia at the time we went to press. the Philadelphia papers of yesterday morning, due [218] Appendix 3 yesterday afternoon, failed, with the exception of the Pennsylvania inquirer. the letter of our Philadelphia correspondent, due by the boat last night, which we looked for with much interest, has also failed to come to hand. the following notice of the commencement of the riot we extract from the inquirer: it is with sincere regret that we record the occurrence of one of the most dreadful and sanguinary riots that has taken place for many years in our city. So far as we have been able to collect the particulars, it appears that a gang of men and boys, amounting it is said to several hundreds, and mostly armed with guns, pistols or knives, hovered about St. Mary’s street, which is chiefly inhabited by colored people, and those not of a decent and orderly class, generally speaking. At the same time, there were several knots or crowds of colored men hanging about, and two or three collisions occurred. this was the state of things shortly after nine o’clock. Before ten, an attack was made upon a tavern at the corner of Sixth and St. Mary’s streets, called the California house. this place was kept by a colored man, who was reported to be married, or at any rate, living with a white woman. Whether such were really the case, or merely a rumor, circulated to excite popular indignation, it is not in our power to state. At any rate, the house was soon in flames, the inmates driven out and fired upon, with many other colored persons—men, women and children—who were seen flying from their houses in extreme terror—chased by gangs, who pelted them with brickbats and fired after them with guns and pistols. Several were said to be wounded—and it was stated that more than one was killed. But this report we could not verify. the assailants are described as being composed of the “Killers” and other and Related Contemporary Documents [219] similar associations of disturbers of the public peace. Meanwhile the fire made rapid progress—but several engine and hose companies were soon upon the ground. And here a truly frightful scene occurred. the firemen who went to the conflagration for the purpose of saving property, were fired upon, not in solitary cases—but actually in a running fire and by volleys of several guns and pistols at once—the rioters being out in very strong force.— they were also assailed with showers of brickbats and their hose cut in every direction. in a word, the first companies that arrived were compelled, as the only mode of avoiding wounds or death, to leave the neighborhood. Still the firing continued. it is impossible to tell the number of killed and wounded, but we saw either five or six carried to druggists’ shops or to the hospital, on chairs or settees. We heard that two were shot while standing on an engine, and one was reported to be killed. the most moderate statements that were made at 12 o’clock admitted that at least twenty were wounded, and about four killed. Shortly before midnight, a body of police forced their way to the scene of action, fire, and bloodshed, and while standing in Sixth street, below lombard, we heard at least a dozen shots fired between St. Mary’s and South streets, while bricks were showered by the rioters, but as the body of men, which we were told were police, was not...