year,

66

CHARLES EBERLE, sworn-One evening in the spring of last I was in our school house; Mannhardt came in and told me that the Corporation had met; that Meyer's Corporation had sent a petition to get leave to preach Irish in the school house at Camptown, and that some members of our Corporation would favor it; and particularly Mr. Witman, Mr. Lex and old Haaswho would have thought, we would have elected members inte our Corporation of such kind, but they shall not succeed, these. traitors." About two or three months after, he came to my house in Sixth-street, and said, the plan for Irish preaching in the Camptown school house had been defeated; that he did not think they had voted for such men as Witman, Lex and Haas. I observed that I was sorry that the Congregation was uneasy about it, but that I thought the members in favor, did not mean any harm by it, or had any bad intention in it. Mannhardt said, "I know what the intention is, they intended to introduce Irish preaching into our Churches; but before that shall happen, blood shall flow. I said, O! O! Mr. Mannhardt, and he repeated," blood flows." Then he said, "I once delivered a speech in the school house at Camptown, by which I stirred up all the Camptowners, I have it in my power to do it yet, and I shall do it again." Some of them came to my house, and regretted it had happened. I was a member of the Corporation in 1806-7-8. Generally a few days before, we met in the Vestry room, went into the accounts, and proposed some who should be appointed; the nomination was always made publicly in the Corporation; members of the Corporation were in the habit of going there quietly. I never saw any thing like wine or beer on the table. Elections were always quiet and orderly; excepting twice, when by some members of Meyer's Congregation, it was proposed that the Judges should be appointed by the Congregation; once by Graeff who shewed a paper, saying some court or body gave it, that the Congregation had a right to nominate the Judges; no violence was used; no person struck; a little kind of noise, but quiet immediately. The German paper is Mannhardt's hand writing. On the 6th of January, I went between 12 and 1, and it looked a little noisy; the gentlemen said as I came in, if the Irish go so, it goes very well; Mr, Lex, Mr. Wagner and

Krebs were with me.

JOHN GEYER, Esq. affirmed-I was not in the habit of attending the meetings; I was in the Corporation when this petition was read: ; several persons came in, who had no business, and one person who came in had a cane or cudgel, and I was fearful of an attack; I desired two constables to attend and keep the peace, in case of riot and disorder. My fears were not groundless. Witman got up and made a motion that Wagner and I should be elected, and a considerable majority appeared in favor of it. Wagner was seized; Buehler caught him and threw him off, but he did not fall to the ground, in consequence of the number that had hold of him; some by the feet and some by the neck. Wagner said, "don't choke me;" one person then had hold of his throat. They

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are all strangers to me. I told Mills to disengage Wagner, and he jumped up into the rounds. A cry, was made during the morning to throw Witman out; Buehler jumped up and said, you were engaged this morning, and you must desist'; he said he would not; but did; I did not continue there the whole day; in the evening I dispersed several mobs, and I never saw so much riot, or so much drunkenness s; a collection of people with Mannhardt at their head, were in Indian file staggering after him. I saw this man, Reisch have Wagner by the throat. He led them on towards the school house, in Cherry alley; this was about dark. I was present at the corporation, when the motion was made to appoint the Judges, and they refused, because a resolution existed that the President should do it. The President was asked several times to appoint them, and he refused; I asked him myself; on the day of election, I went there to ascertain whether the President would appoint them; but he did not on that morning publicly. It was at one time the practice of the Congregation to appoint them, on the morning of the election. While I was there, the President appointed in the Corporation. I never knew an election held when the Judges were appointed, except publicly by the Corporation, or by the Congregation.Badges were used, and tickets with eagles.

Cross Examined.

I never saw any colour or mark on any ticket at former elections, and I have generally voted. On the morning of the election, I requested the constables to attend, or the day before---certainly on the morning I was there part of the time of counting up.

WILLIAM WAGNER, Sworn-On the 25th September, at the first meeting, I was present. We got there in the evening, some time after candle light, appointed our chairman and had just commenced, when I heard a noise, and saw from twenty to thirty people enter; men; they placed themselves near and about the door. Some came forward and stood near the desk 'till a motion was made; they then disturbed us with noise, crying out "aye" and "no" to every question. Many went up in an indecent manner to the chairman with hats on, &c. It continued that way the best part of the meeting; it was impossible to take a question. In a riotous manner near the close, they used threatening language and gesturesSinith was one and Schwartz:-Smith said to Burkhardt, that he had turned Judas and deserved to be hung. Soon after that, the noise and tumult became general, and we found we could do nothing, and had to go away; many, and I among them went the back way:-I did not think it safe to be among them. Another meeting, a few days after, was called; we came at the same hour and found the school house full:-I asked why they met; they said, they had business of importance in relation to the schools, and the other school house was not large enough. We then retired into the adjoining school room, but the noise was so great we could not proceed.There was various noises, singing and knocking against the partition, but they finished it with a psalm. We continued, and appointed a committee to draft an address, I be

lieve, and then adjourned. Mr. Long at the election, was reading off the accounts. Immediately after, Witman got up, and: said he had a paper, that the right of choosing inspectors was vested in the Congregation. A great noise and tumult arose, "pull the Irishman out, &c. !" When subsided, he put the question again and it was carried, two to one. I did not think it safe to go in. After being called several times, I went up to the railing and put my hand on the top rail, when I was caught violently by several persons, and violently pulled down:-I then made a second attempt, and was again caught, and in the scuffle the cannon stove was thrown over about five feet from me.-I then felt the heat very severely, and found I was in danger of being burnt or torn to pieces, and got out with a desperate effort. I was much exhausted; my clothes nearly torn off; shirt collar torn. Mr. Buehler jumped over after me, and said he was determined I should come out. I saw others in the act of getting over, but I was engaged with Buehler; and Mr. Geyer interfered, and reminded him he was breaking the peace, I had a right to be there. Buehler then stated, he was my friend, and did not mean to hurt me, but I should come out for I had no business there. I then saw Hoeckley and Lehr, taking the votes. Through the day, violence was offered to several of the persons there. Witman was assaulted and had his book taken away; and Buehler got up on the railing another noise sometime after and ordered Witman out, saying, he should be taken out by the hair of his head. Drinking was there. I saw some intoxicated either with rage or liquor. I was in the enclosure and heard a noise, "make way for Mannhardt-here comes our captain!" A lane was formed, and he came through it with a person at each side of him.

GEORGE KREBS, affirmed-I was elected into the Vestry first in 1790; I continued off and on for twenty one years. From 1790 and before, the Inspectors were always chosen by the Congregation assembled in the school house, let them be few or more. The Corporation always met and attended for the purpose of keeping good order. No enclosure was known untill 1806 or 1807. I have known a person in the enclosure using the pens, &c. who was not a member of the Vestry. John Graeff did so. In November, the second Monday, I was at a meeting of the Charitable Society, composed of members of the German Lutheran Congregation. After opening the business, and in the heighth of business, Charles L. Mannhardt came in at the head of a number of men, may be one hundred or one hundred and twenty. He addressed himself to me; he was not a member of that society, he had been once and declined:He said, "Mr. President, I introduce to you a number of good and real Germans, and wish them to be taken as members of this society, they being members of the German Lutheran Congregation." I objected to the motion, on the ground that they were not orderly members, and that Mannhardt had not characterized them properly; I being opposed, and finding myself in an awkward situation, being used to having order and deco

rum, proposed, that if a real member would make a motion which would be seconded, I would put it that was done; there was not more than thirty belonging to the society; when I put the question, they all voted themselves in by a loud voice. After they had been voted in so, I took the liberty to call them to order. One of the self elected members then came and put himself in an attitude of fighting. Almendinger came up to the table and in broken English said, "Mr. Krebs, the next election," with doubled fists. One or two of his friends asked him to withdraw and he did soon after this. There came one more direct to me, named Christian Smith, who addressed me in these words," Mr. President, if we can't gain the next election for church wardens and elders by fair means, we will take the command of our Saviour and smite with the sword." I not being acquainted with any such passage in the scriptures, but completely the reverse, I called again to order; knowing this to be profane. I hastened the business on as much as I could. I resigned my membership in the society. In 1850 was the first appointment not by the congregation; I was then, if I recollect right, not in the corporation. In 1806, a proposal was made, that on account of the great numbers, to let the judges be appointed by the corporation, and let the President next day proclaim. Since then the corporation has nominated, and the President proclaimed. I was not disturbed in giving my vote. Inever saw ham and beer and wine, at any former election on the table. Cross Examined.

I think I was an inspector in 1806-like I might in 1810. I never did bespeak wine or liquor at Miller's tavern this I answer in the fear of God, There was a bill came before this society for liquor, but I objected to its being paid. Never knowing a judge to be a candidate, I handed my vote to Mr. Lehr, not Hoeckley. HENRY BURKHARDT, sworn On the 25th September, as I went to the school house where this meeting was held, there was a great noise; the cry was, "are you Irish too ?-cant you talk no Ger man ?" Some proposals were made to lay before the meeting, how the English might be introduced with the German, to keep the youth together that the church might not be destroyed. After much confusion, I got up and mentioned the thing was not rightly understood, and Smith got up and said, "you damned Judas, did sell your mother language like Judas did Jesus; take a rope, make it round his neck and hang him!" A person by the name of Jacob Knoess, made use of the same language as Smith did. I stept. forward and said to Smith, what do you mean, I am for German as much as you, or more; he said, "we know you." Speel came and said, "you better go home." By that, one John Mackie came up and struck me on the face, and I went out of the back door. ¡ Mr. Lex was struck that evening by the same man. Sometime before the last election, a petition was sent in from St. John's church, for the priviledge of the school room in the Northern Liberties, for English preaching. Donneck came to my house and talked about it, and said, they wanted to drive the Germans from

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the church-I said it could not be done, for a majority rules-he said, "before it takes place blood must flow;" he said, "there was a great many who would sacrifice their lives, and would do the same as they did once in London, when they wanted to have English preaching in the German church, and they rolled the beer and the brandy in the church, and had a fight, and they fought like fighting cocks, and the same they must do here; and if English preaching would come, and a preacher would go up into the pulpit, he knew one Theobald Smith, who would bring his hammer along, and hammer him out of the pulpit.". On the day of election, Theobald Smith had a stick, who is not in the habit of carrying one. Cruse had a club about two feet long, and not like a walking cane. Buehler, Jacob Shuh, and one Reich, laid hold of Wagner. In

the afternoon of election I stood at the corner with agner. In some other gentlemen, Shuh came up and spoke to Stief about English preaching, and said, "as for you, after a while, you will be just as much as an old hat you throw in the air, and if I would say another word he was the very man that could tear me all to pieces, and poke me in the gutter;" I told him he had better try it. In Fourth street Jahns said, "they had plenty of beer and wine, and victuals to eat, and they live very well." I never knew them at former elec

tions.

THURSDAY MORNING, 10, A. M.

GEORGE KLINE, sworn I was at the school house about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I went to give my vote. I found they had two barrels of beer emptied, and a great wet as if spilled, and in the cupboard, crúms, puddings, sausages,&c. Mr. Mannhardt asked a person who came in, to partake of wine, he presented beer-it was in a glass tumbler. I went to Cherry street and gave in my vote; I returned, and saw Mr. Mannhardt give another person a dollar note to go and spend, and told him he would wish him to go and bring in as many German tickets as he could. I did not hear any thing about ammunition. He told him "he had been hard at work that afternoon, and he thought he ought to allow him something for his trouble." I heard blows given but I did not see any, on the table and on the stove. I saw Loos, I turned to see where the blows came from, and could not see any stick, but saw the point of a man's stick through a man's cloak. I made no more to do but went out of the school house. I saw Yager there, Millar. I heard a little combustling there.

Cross Examined.

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I was a member of the congregation. Witman served a supœna on me. Mr. Witman and Mr. Lex took down in writing what I said. I was offered nothing to drink. Mannhardt said, our provisions ore out now and I have none to give you, but here's a dollar note, and you can go and spend it, and you can go and bring in as many votes as you can, and at 8 o'clock they should try to be altogether there, that was the limited time, and then they should be on their guard." I saw two or three sleighs at the door before I