| 355 "The same night three doors of the store of Messrs. Gilbert and Whitney were split open, and after midnight the goods lay scattered in the streets, such as calicoes, handkerchiefs, shawls, cambrics, etc. An express came from the village after midnight to a party of their men who had embodied about half a mile from the village for the safety of their lives, stating that the mob were tearing down houses and scattering the goods of the store in the streets. The main body of the mob fled at the approach of this company. One Richard McCarty was caught in the act of throwing rocks and brickbats into the doors, while the goods lay strung around him in the streets, and was immediately taken before Samuel Weston, Esq., and a complaint was then made to said Weston and a warrant requested that said McCarty might be secured; but said Weston refused to do anything in the case at that time. Said McCarty was then liberated.
"The same night some of their houses in the village had long poles thrust through the shutters and sash into the rooms of defenseless women and children, from whence their husbands and fathers had been driven by the dastardly attacks of the mob which were made by ten, fifteen, or twenty men upon a house at a time.
"Saturday, the 2d of November, all the families of the saints in the village moved about half a mile out, with most of their goods, and embodied to the number of thirty for the preservation of life and personal effects. This night a party from the village met a party from the west of the Blue and made an attack upon a branch of the church located at the Blue, about six miles from the village. Here they tore the roof from one dwelling, and broke open another house, found the owner David Bennett sick in bed, whom they beat most inhumanly, swearing they would blow out his brains, and discharged a pistol the ball of which cut a deep gash across the top of his head. In this skirmish a young man of the mob was shot in the thigh, but by which party remains yet to be determined.
"The next day, Sunday, November 3, four of the church; viz., Joshua Lewis, Hiram Page, and two others were dispatched for Lexington to see the circuit judge and obtain a
(page 355) |
