An obscure settlement called Patenburg, on the Muthockaway
Creek, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, has just been the scene
of an outrage which, although of less extent, recalls by its
unprovoked atrocity the New Orleans riots of 1866, and the
draft riots in our own city. Full illustrations of the scenes
and incidents of the outrage are given on page 796. The facts,
briefly stated, were as follows:
In the neighborhood of Patenburg the railroad now building
from Easton to Perth Amboy is to run through the Musconetcong
Mountain by a tunnel which will be a mile in length. Work is
in progress in this tunnel at both ends. The approach to the
tunnel from the east is by a deep cut, on which large gangs of
laborers are now employed, some white an others black. The
Negroes work in gangs separate from the whites, and were
quartered in log-houses on the south side of the cut, the
quarters of the whites being on the opposite side. Immediately
at the village of Patenburg, half a mile from the tunnel, the
road skirts a mill-pond formed by a dam across the Muthockaway
Creek. Here some heavy rock cutting is required to be done,
and other gangs of laborers, all whites, are employed. About a
mile further east, on the farm of a Mrs. Carter, there is some
heavy earth-work in progress, upon which several gangs of
colored men have been employed, who were quartered in shanties
in that vicinity. In all there were about one hundred and
fifty Negroes and between two and three hundred white
laborers, mostly Irish, employed about the tunnel.
On Saturday, September 21, the laborers were paid off, and,
retiring to their respective quarters, spent the evening in
great jollity. The white laborers appear to have drank a good
deal of whisky; whether the Negroes did is not known. Late in
the evening a party of the latter went to the village on a
serenading expedition, and on their return fell in with a
party of Irish laborers, by whom they were violently
assaulted. They succeeded in driving off their assailants, and
retired to their own quarters.
The negroes immediately collected reinforcements, and, to
the number of fifteen or twenty, advanced toward the scene of
the first conflict. They were met near the same spot by a
still larger party of Irishmen, armed with pistols and clubs,
and, after a sharp fight, were discomfited, cut off from their
quarters, and forced back to Mrs. Carter’s farm. Here they
obtained further help, and then endeavored to save the cabins
of the first party, which had been already attacked by their
assailants. The Irish, better armed and more numerous, fired
upon them across a deep cut and drove them off. The abandoned
cabins were pillaged, and the money which the poor fellows had
received the day before, and which was mostly deposited in
sachels left in the quarters, was stolen. The Irishmen then
fired the cabins, and immediately got into a row among
themselves, during which one of the number, named Colls, was
killed, and his body left near the cabins.
During the night the Irishmen collected reinforcements, and
next morning renewed the fight. By spreading the report that
Colls had been murdered by the negroes, they roused their
countrymen to the utmost frenzy, and a party of about 150 made
an attack on the Negroes on Mrs. Carter’s farm just at
daybreak. Roused from sleep by the firing, the poor fellows
fled in terror and confusion, closely pursued by the
infuriated Irishmen. One of the negroes, Denis Powell, was
shot, and left dying by the road. A portion of the fugitives
sought refuge in the out-buildings around Mrs. Carter’s
house, under the porch, and elsewhere about the premises. The
Irish demanded admission to the house, and when the brave
woman refused, they beat in the door. Just at that moment a
poor old Negro was discovered crouching under the porch. He
was immediately shot, dragged out, and beaten to death with
clubs. After searching the premises, and finding no one, they
retired. On their way back they found Powell still alive, and
falling upon him, beat out his brains with clubs and stones.
Spying another fugitive, Oscar Bruce, in the act of climbing a
fence, they shot him down, and then, jumping upon his
prostrate form, stamped it and beat it with clubs until it was
unrecognizable as the remains of a human being.
This murder ended the bloody work. The butchers withdrew to
their quarters and disbanded. The leaders of the mob fled. To
the disgrace of New Jersey, no determined effort was made by
the authorities to arrest and punish the perpetrators of these
horrible outrages. Inquests were held on the bodies of the
murdered men; but the magistrates appear to be afraid to move
vigorously, and the murderers are not only still at liberty,
but seem likely to remain so. The Irish openly defy the
sheriff, who dare not make his appearance among them. Five
days after the massacre Governor Parker offered the paltry sum
of $500 reward for the arrest and conviction of the murderers,
but meanwhile the opportunity passed. As three colored
fugitives from the massacre have been arrested, while the
main body of their assailants remain at large, it is
reasonable to conclude that nothing but the pressure of public
opinion will compel the authorities of New Jersey to do any
thing toward bringing to justice the authors of this horrible
outrage.
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