CHAPTER VI.

THE TOCSIN SOUNDS IN BALTIMORE.

The Gathering Mob—Thronged Streets and Angry Men—Terrible Exhibition of Passion and Temerity—Soldiers Stoned by Rioters—Sharp Volleys and Sudden Deaths—A Night of Terror—Alarm Bells—The Torches’ Red Glare.

The sun was still high above the horizon when the crowds in the streets of Baltimore had increased to such an extent, and manifested so turbulent a disposition, that the authorities were forced to realize the imminent danger which impended over the city. Peaceable citizens trembled when they beheld the surging masses of passion-blinded workingmen in possession of the thoroughfares. It was a threatening throng. In the neighborhood of the armories, gangs of men and boys, and even women, had collected and hooted and jeered the assembling militia-men. Those crowds were composed of a few railroad men, workers in machine shops, factories, mills, founderies, and vast numbers of those who live by preying upon others—thieves, professional ruffians, the scum of the city, jail-birds, or those who were hurrying with rapid steps to enter prison doors, drunken loafers, tramps just returned from making a circuit in quest of food and the pickings of rogues, with a considerable intermixture of peaceable citizens who had come out to gratify an idle curiosity, and been drawn into the seething mass of grimy workingmen and odorous thieves. The excitement was intense, and the tide of passion rose with every passing moment.

The Mayor and the Commissioners of Police foresaw the coming storm, and realized how powerless they were to arrest its fury if the militia should be withdrawn from the city.

Meanwhile the militia regiment which had been ordered to Cumberland, were slow to obey the summons of the sergeants, and had not yet prepared to march to the Camden depot to take the train. The attitude of the street crowd was fearfully threatening. All along the route which it was expected the troops would take on their march to the station, the streets were thronged by dense masses of people, engaged in discussing the situation. The passer-by needed not to inquire on which side the sympathies of these throngs were bestowed. They were, as a mass, the friends of the strikers.

Mayor Latrobe, at once issued a proclamation, reciting the riot act, and ordering the mobs which had collected at four different points in the city to disperse. But proclamations had no effect on the aroused passions of the dangerous classes. What did they care for law, when they already felt themselves sufficiently strong to subvert all lawful authority? Later in the afternoon Governor Carroll received a communication from Mayor Latrobe, which he embodied in the following order to General Herbert:

BALTIMORE, July 20.

_Brigadier-General Jas. R. Herbert, Commanding First Brigade M. N. G._

SIR: I have just received the following communication from Ferdinand C. Latrobe, Mayor of Baltimore:

BALTIMORE, July 20.

_His Excellency John Lee Carroll, Governor of Maryland._

DEAR SIR: In view of the condition of affairs now existing in this city, and the violent demonstration that has taken place within the last hour. I would suggest that neither of the regiments of State militia be ordered to leave Baltimore this evening. I make this suggestion after a consultation with the Commissioners of Police. Very respectfully,

(Signed) FERDINAND C. LATROBE, Mayor of Baltimore.

In consequence of the above request, the order to proceed to Cumberland with the Fifth Regiment is hereby revoked, and you will hold the men under your command ready to aid the city authorities in case they should be required in preserving order throughout the city.

(Signed) JOHN LEE CARROLL, Governor.

It was past six o’clock in the evening when collisions between the mob and the police and militia became alarmingly frequent. At this time the streets were literally overflowing with excited crowds of people. It was now evident to the most temporizing that a collision could not be avoided. The authorities must put down the mob, or be over-ridden by it. Hesitation was out of place, and delay dangerous.

The want of alacrity on the part of the militia in assembling, induced General Herbert to cause the general militia alarm to be sounded. This step was not approved of by Governor Carroll. The number 151, the militia call, was tolled from all the alarm bells. The excitement was terrible. It was the first time in the history of the city that the dreadful tocsin had fell upon the ears of the citizens. The wildest commotion ensued. The people poured into the streets in every quarter of town, and rushed excitedly towards the City Hall Square. Women and children, old and young men, constituting vast streams of humanity, flowing at the same time on all the streets, through which access to the square could be had, with awe-inspiring tumult, moved onward to the common center of interest. Again the dreadful bells pealed forth 151; and the shouts and cries, cursings and prayers of that maddened throng, composed as it was of every class, but most largely of reckless, idiotic, drunken, imbecile, poverty stricken, unwashed, grimy men, seamed with every line which wretchedness could draw or vicious habits and associations could fix on human faces, presented a spectacle that made one feel as though it was a tearful witnessing in perspective of the last day, when the secrets of life, more loathsome than those of death, shall be laid bare in their hideous deformity and ghastly shame.

Meanwhile the Fifth Regiment, Maryland National Guards, had completed preparations and marched by a different route from that anticipated by the rioters, to the Camden Station, and thereby avoided any serious conflict on the streets.

The alarm sounded from the City Hall called the members of the Sixth Regiment, Colonel Clarence Peters in command, to hurry to their armory, corner of Fayette and Front streets. In front of this armory a mob numbering three or four thousand persons had assembled. The demeanor of this mass was very threatening, and it was with great difficulty that the soldiers could assemble. Shortly after eight o’clock orders were given to this regiment to move out towards the Camden Station which was threatened by a great mob of malcontents. The roughs began to make more active demonstrations. A perfect storm of bricks, stones and other missiles were hurled at the building. The windows were watched, and when a soldier appeared a shower of missiles and pistol balls were at once aimed at him. It was with exceeding difficulty that the soldiers could make progress through the densely crowded streets. They were followed on the march by a vast mob, who with demoniac yells and blasphemies ceased not to pelt the marching column with bricks, stones—anything they could seize, capable of inflicting wounds. The militia behaved as if wanting in coolness and courage. But as yet no reply was made to the incessant peltings of the mob, which every moment became more daring.

The marching detachment was in actual danger of being overwhelmed by sheer force and weight of numbers. When the troops had reached the intersection of Frederick and Baltimore streets, the mob pressed so closely upon them that they were constrained to protect themselves. No command to halt was given; no orders to fire, but the men acted without orders. A sharp rattle of musketry rang out above the tumult of the mob. A whistling of bullets was heard, men were seen to drop, cries of agony were mingled with curses and howls of rage. Women screamed and fainted on the streets; children mingled their piercing cries with the general uproar. There was a shrinking back of the crowd for a moment, and the militia marched on. But the rioters quickly rallied and by the time the troops had proceeded two squares the throng was as great as before, and the mob threatened to rush upon and disarm and murder the soldiers in the streets. When opposite the office of the _American_, newspaper, another halt was called, and another volley of bullets were poured into the midst of the howling mass of men who pressed upon the marching column. Men sank in their tracks and expired. This second discharge was received by the rioters with mingled cries of agony, threats and jeers. Paving-stones were gathered from the streets and hurled by strong arms into the ranks of the soldiers. The determination of the mob was a fearful exhibition of aroused passions. The momentary check given the rioters was taken advantage of by the militia to continue their march. But again the mob rallied and assailed the troops as the head of the column turned into Charles street. Another halt, another fusilade, a few more dead on the streets, was the result. Then the soldiers proceeded, amid the hoots and jeers of a maddened populace, to the depot.

[Illustration: THE MOB FIRING THE CAMDEN STREET STATION.]

The Fifth Regiment had already arrived at that point. The mob collected there was vast in numbers, and threatening in demeanor. The malcontents were ordered to disperse; but they paid no attention to the command. The lower part of the depot was in the undisputed possession of the rioters. The engineer and fireman of the train which had been got ready to convey the Fifth Regiment to Cumberland, had been forcibly taken from their engine, and threatened with death if they dared approach it again. As the Fifth Regiment approached the depot it too was assailed by the mob, with showers of missiles. Several soldiers were hurt by being struck. The soldiers dared not attack the mob until reinforced by the Sixth Regiment. When that regiment arrived the rioting began. The soldiers formed in line, and charged bayonets. The gleam of the bright steel in the gaslight had a magical effect on the courage of the rioters. They shrunk back aghast at this exhibition of death dealing implements. The depot was cleared of the mob in a short time. A strong guard was placed about the grounds to protect the property. The mob, however, was not conquered. Threats that the depot would be burned were made. At 10.30 o’clock a fire was started at Camden Station. At first the rioters refused to allow the firemen to play upon the flames; but at last the fire was extinguished without doing much damage.

Subsequently two fires were started in the southern part of the city, which, however, were extinguished without involving very heavy losses.

The mob still held all that district of the city, and boldly declared their purpose to destroy all property situated in that quarter, if their every demand was not complied with. All the shops and warehouses of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company are located in the portion of the city which was held by them.

The order of the Governor countermanding the order to send away the troops, was of the very first importance. Without the presence of these troops, Baltimore would have been completely in the power of the “dangerous classes,” for it was the vicious and depraved that now came forward as leaders of the workingmen. There was much more need for soldiers in the metropolis than at the wayside station of Cumberland.

During all the time while the military were dealing with the mob at the depot, the excitement throughout the city had gone on increasing. Nine o’clock, ten, eleven, twelve, one o’clock came, and still there was scarcely any perceptible diminution in the numbers of people thronging the streets. The spectacle was something fearful. The loud mouthings had given place to deeper cursings. The froth of the first ebullition of passion had been swept away by the breath of an intenser hate. Men cursed society, defied all law, and swore to wreck the peace of mankind by inaugurating a reign of social chaos. The streets had been stained with blood; “ten lusty lives had been snuffed out” by “the whiff of volleys of bullets.” Twenty-three more strong men, who had rejoiced in the strength and vigor of manhood when the sun went down, were now mangled and helpless. The scent of blood whetted the appetite of the mob for more blood. In the hour of madness, society encounters its gravest perils. Then the bonds of union are broken.

The names of the killed by the volleys fired into the mob by the Sixth Regiment on its way to the depot, were Thomas V. Byrne, Patrick Gill, Louis Sinovitch, Nicholas Rheinhardt, Cornelius Murphy, William Hourand, John Henry Frank, George McDowell, Otto Manck, and Mark C. Doud. Several of these were respectable and peaceable citizens, who had been drawn to the scene of disturbance by mere curiosity. Two more persons, James Roke and George Kemp, wounded at the time, died of their injuries afterward.

All night the excitement continued. The citizens of Baltimore were in a state of nervous anticipation, which banished sleep from their eyes. What would the morrow bring? What dire disaster come upon the city? These were questions each asked but which none could answer. The blind Polyphemus was directing blows from the mighty arm of the giant Briærius. Who could tell what blind fury might or might not do!

The two regiments of militia remained at the Camden Station during the night. The feeling against members of the Sixth Regiment was quite bitter. The members of that command could not leave the station the next day after the firing without risk. They had to secretly leave their quarters in citizens dress, without arms. To admit that one was a member of the Sixth, was to expose one’s self to the danger of being torn in pieces.

It was evident that there were agencies at work outside of the workingmen’s strike. The people engaged in these riots were not railroad strikers. The Internationalists had evidently had something to do with creating the scenes of bloodshed. The threats of their leaders made at meetings held the same evening were evidently not merely idle vaporings. Women frenzied with rage, joined the mob and incited the men to stand firm in the fight. The scenes of the night of the 20th of July, 1877, in the city of Baltimore, were not unlike those which characterized the events in the city of Paris during the reign of the Commune in 1870.

So alarming had become the situation, so great and so determined had become the lawless elements, that Governor Carroll was constrained to appeal to the Federal Government for assistance, which he did by making a formal call on the President of the United States for troops, the same evening after the bloody fusillades.