Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1876 — A Democratic Outrage in New York State. [ARTICLE]

A Democratic Outrage in New York State.

One of the most unprovoked and disgraceful outrage* ever committed at a political meeting In tfcla part of the country took place on Wedneaday afternoon, the 6th lnut at Stony Hollow, on the line of the Ulster a Delaware Railroad, about five miles west of this city. The population of the place Is chiefly Irish, the men generally quarrymen, and a large majority of them an Democrats. There are a few Republicans in the place, but they have always had to be very dreumspect in the expression of their political opinions, and to almost fight their wav to the polls to vote. They organised a Hayes and Wheeler Club a few weeks ago, and raised a pole from which they designed to fly a flag; bat the pole was almost immediately ent down by a gang of Democratic roughs, and the following night the house of one of the officers of the club was burned. The President of the club, Mr. Richard Lamb, proposed to raise a new pole on his own premises, near his house, on the 6th Inst, and have a meeting of Republicans of the neighborhood, ahd he requested Mr. Tremper, President of the Kingston Club, Western Department. which had offered to present the Btony Hollow Club with a flag and Hayes and Wheeler banner, to attend on that occasion. Mr. Tremper made arrangements for the conveyance of hla club, gun squad and drum cores connected with li to Btony Hollow by rail, and at 8:45 Wednesday afternoon a special train took the party to Btony Hollow. Boon after this the West'Hurley Club arrived, led by a band. The pole was raised and the flag and banner houted, Mr. Tremper making an eloquent and appropriate presentation speech. Meantime, the local Democracy, with strong accessions from Jockey Hill, had been gathering, and began tbelr demonstrations by ringing cow-bells and hurrahing for Tilden. Gen. Gates arose to speak after the colors and banners had been presented and hoisted, and addressed himself, in the first instance, to the crowd of noisy Democrats, with a view to quieting them; but they were bent upon mischief, and were determined that there should be no speaking from the platform. The attempt to speak was renewed several times during the afternoon, and finally abandoned as useless. Many of the Republicans went among these men and talked with them, to induce them to desist from their outrageous behavior, but to no effect. Some of the Kingston people proposed to resort to force to protect the meettog from their insult and outrage, but it was deemed best to avoid a collision, if possible. The train soon after arrived, and when the Kingstop party waa aboartj, the KuKlux again Invaded Mr. Lamb’s premises, and began to cut down the pole. Some half dozen of the Kingston party, who were on their way from the premises to the cars, perhaps a thousand feet off, turned ana went back, and as they approached the body of rowdies who were at work cutting down the pole, they were fired upon by them. Two or three of the Kingston men, who were armed, returned the fire, when almost the entire body' of desperadoes drew their pistols and a general discharge of fire-arms followed. Those who were not armed used clubs and stones. The result was the following casualties among the Kingston men, as reported by the surgeon who dressed their wounds: Capt. Alfred Tanner, cut and bruised over face and head, his jaw fractured and two teeth broken; John T. Bond, pistol-shot in right temple, and a stone-bruise under right eye; James De L. Montanye, cut on forehead, and Frank Worden, pistol ball in back of neck, and bruised on body and limbs. Many others were cut and bruised by stones and clubs, but not so seriously as to require surgical attention. Several of the Ku-Klux were wounded, two of whom are believed to be seriously if not mortally hurt. The few Kingston men who went to the rescue of the pole behaved gallantly, and finally drove the vandals from the ground. When the train departed there was not one of the cat-throat gang in sight, but they had secreted themselves man adjoining wood, and stoned the cars as they passed. This was a prearranged attack upon the liberty of speech. Men came from sundry distant points around Stony Hollow, expressly to break up this meeting. They came armed and were ready to commit murder, and did commit murder so far as intention went. One man was seen to empty two revolvers, and to draw a third and lire two shots from it, when he dropped it and fled, incited thereby by the particular attention a Kingston gentleman was induced to give him out of compliment to his abundant supply of firearms. One man was seen to run into a clump of bushes and come out with a musket, which he had hidden for the occasion. Bat they were all alrants cowards, and when they found that some of the Republicans were armed they beat a hasty retreat, many of them leaving their pistols on the ground.— Kingston (Art Y.) Journal , Sept. 8.