The Attack.
Mr. Walters lost no time in sending messengers to the various parties
threatened by the mob, warning them either to leave their houses or to make
every exertion for a vigorous defence. Few, however, adopted the latter
extremity; the majority fled from their homes, leaving what effects they
could not carry away at the mercy of the mob, and sought an asylum in the
houses of such kindly-disposed whites as would give them shelter.
Although the authorities of the district had received the most positive
information of the nefarious schemes of the rioters, they had not made the
slightest efforts to protect the poor creatures threatened in their persons
and property, but let the tide of lawlessness flow on unchecked.
Throughout the day parties of coloured people might have been seen hurrying
to the upper part of the city: women with terror written on their faces,
some with babes in their arms and children at their side, hastening to some
temporary place of refuge, in company with men who were bending beneath the
weight of household goods.
Mr. Walters had converted his house into a temporary fortress: the shutters
of the upper windows had been loop-holed, double bars had been placed
across the doors and windows on the ground floor, carpets had been taken
up, superfluous furniture removed, and an air of thorough preparation
imparted. A few of Mr. Walters's male friends had volunteered their aid in
defence of his house, and their services had been accepted.
Mr. Ellis, whose house was quite indefensible (it being situated in a
neighbourhood swarming with the class of which the mob was composed), had
decided on bringing his family to the house of Mr. Walters, and sharing
with him the fortunes of the night, his wife and daughters having declared
they would feel as safe there as elsewhere; and, accordingly, about five in
the afternoon, Mrs. Ellis came up, accompanied by Kinch and the girls.
Caddy and Kinch, who brought up the rear, seemed very solicitous respecting
the safety of a package that the latter bore in his arms.
"What have you there?" asked Mr. Walters, with a smile; "it must be powder,
or some other explosive matter, you take such wonderful pains for its
preservation. Come, Caddy, tell us what it is; is it powder?"
"No, Mr. Walters, it isn't powder," she replied; "it's nothing that will
blow the house up or burn it down."
"What is it, then? You tell us, Kinch."
"Just do, if you think best," said Caddy, giving him a threatening glance;
whereupon, Master Kinch looked as much as to say, "If you were to put me on
the rack you couldn't get a word out of me."
"I suppose I shall have to give you up," said Mr. Walters at last; "but
don't stand here in the entry; come up into the drawing-room."
Mrs. Ellis and Esther followed him upstairs, and stood at the door of the
drawing-room surveying the preparations for defence that the appearance of
the room so abundantly indicated. Guns were stacked in the corner, a number
of pistols lay upon the mantelpiece, and a pile of cartridges was heaped up
beside a small keg of powder that stood upon the table opposite the
fire-place.
"Dear me!" exclaimed Mrs. Ellis, "this looks dreadful; it almost frightens
me out of my wits to see so many dangerous weapons scattered about."
"And how does it affect our quiet Esther?" asked Mr. Walters.
"It makes me wish I were a man," she replied, with considerable vehemence
of manner. All started at this language from one of her usually gentle
demeanour.
"Why, Esther, how you talk, girl: what's come over you?"
"Talk!" replied she. "I say nothing that I do not feel. As we came through
the streets to-day, and I saw so many inoffensive creatures, who, like
ourselves, have never done these white wretches the least injury,--to see
them and us driven from our homes by a mob of wretches, who can accuse us
of nothing but being darker than themselves,--it takes all the woman out of
my bosom, and makes me feel like a----" here Esther paused, and bit her lip
to prevent the utterance of a fierce expression that hovered on the tip of
her tongue.
She then continued: "One poor woman in particular I noticed: she had a babe
in her arms, poor thing, and was weeping bitterly because she knew of no
place to go to seek for shelter or protection. A couple of white men stood
by jeering and taunting her. I felt as though I could have strangled them:
had I been a man, I would have attacked them on the spot, if I had been
sure they would have killed me the next moment."
"Hush! Esther, hush! my child; you must not talk so, it sounds
unwomanly--unchristian. Why, I never heard you talk so before." Esther made
no reply, but stood resting her forehead upon the mantelpiece. Her face was
flushed with excitement, and her dark eyes glistened like polished jet.
Mr. Walters stood regarding her for a time with evident admiration, and
then said, "You are a brave one, after my own heart." Esther hung down her
head, confused by the ardent look he cast upon her, as he continued, "You
have taken me by surprise; but it's always the way with you quiet people;
events like these bring you out--seem to change your very natures, as it
were. We must look out," said he, with a smile, turning to one of the young
men, "or Miss Ellis will excel us all in courage. I shall expect great
things from her if we are attacked to-night."
"Don't make a jest of me, Mr. Walters," said Esther, and as she spoke her
eyes moistened and her lip quivered with vexation.
"No, no, my dear girl, don't misunderstand me," replied he, quickly;
"nothing was farther from my thoughts. I truly meant all that I said. I
believe you to be a brave girl."
"If you really think so," rejoined Esther, "prove it by showing me how to
load these." As she spoke she took from the mantel one of the pistols that
were lying there, and turned it over to examine it.
"Oh! put that down, Esther, put that down immediately," almost screamed
Mrs. Ellis; "what with your speeches and your guns you'll quite set me
crazy; do take it from her, Walters; it will certainly go off."
"There's not the least danger, Ellen," he replied; "there's nothing in it."
"Well, I'm afraid of guns, loaded or unloaded; they are dangerous, all of
them, whether they have anything in them or not. Do you hear me, Esther; do
put that down and come out of here."
"Oh, no, mother," said she, "do let me remain; there, I'll lay the pistols
down and won't touch them again whilst you are in the room."
"You may safely leave her in my hands," interposed Mr. Walters. "If she
wants to learn, let her; it won't injure her in the least, I'll take care
of that." This assurance somewhat quieted Mrs. Ellis, who left the room and
took up her quarters in another apartment.
"Now, Mr. Walters," said Esther, taking off her bonnet, I'm quite in
earnest about learning to load these pistols, and I wish you to instruct
me. You may be hard pressed tonight, and unable to load for yourselves, and
in such an emergency I could perhaps be of great use to you."
"But, my child," replied he, "to be of use in the manner you propose, you
would be compelled to remain in quite an exposed situation."
"I am aware of that," calmly rejoined Esther. "And still you are not
afraid?" he asked, in surprise.
"Why should I be; I shall not be any more exposed than you or my father."
"That's enough--I'll teach you. Look here," said Mr. Walters, "observe how
I load this." Esther gave her undivided attention to the work before her,
and when he had finished, she took up another pistol and loaded it with a
precision and celerity that would have reflected honour on a more practised
hand.
"Well done!--capital!" exclaimed Mr. Walters, as she laid down the weapon.
"You'll do, my girl; as I said before, you are one after my own heart. Now,
whilst you are loading the rest, I will go downstairs, where I have some
little matters to attend to." On the stair-way he was met by Kinch and
Caddy, who were tugging up a large kettle of water. "Is it possible,
Caddy," asked Mr. Walters, "that your propensity to dabble in soap and
water has overcome you even at this critical time? You certainly can't be
going to scrub?"
"No, I'm not going to scrub," she replied, "nor do anything like it. We've
got our plans, haven't we, Kinch?"
"Let's hear what your plans are. I'd like to be enlightened a little, if
convenient," said Mr. Walters.
"Well, it's _not_ convenient, Mr. Walters, so you need not expect to hear a
word about them. You'd only laugh if we were to tell you, so we're going to
keep it to ourselves, ain't we, Kinch?"
The latter, thus appealed to, put on an air of profound mystery, and
intimated that if they were permitted to pursue the even tenor of their
way, great results might be expected; but if they were balked in their
designs, he could not answer for the consequences.
"You and Esther have your plans," resumed Caddy, "and we have ours. We
don't believe in powder and shot, and don't want anything to do with guns;
for my part I'm afraid of them, so please let us go by--do, now, that's a
good soul!"
"You seem to forget that I'm the commander of this fortress," said Mr.
Walters, "and that I have a right to know everything that transpires within
it; but I see you look obstinate, and as I haven't time to settle the
matter now, you may pass on. I wonder what they can be about," he remarked,
as they hurried on. "I must steal up by-and-by and see for myself."
One after another the various friends of Mr. Walters came in, each bringing
some vague report of the designs of the mob. They all described the
excitement as growing more intense; that the houses of various prominent
Abolitionists had been threatened; that an attempt had been made to fire
one of the coloured churches; and that, notwithstanding the rioters made
little scruple in declaring their intentions, the authorities were not
using the slightest effort to restrain them, or to protect the parties
threatened. Day was fast waning, and the approaching night brought with it
clouds and cold.
Whilst they had been engaged in their preparations for defence, none had
time to reflect upon the danger of their situation; but now that all was
prepared, and there was nothing to sustain the excitement of the last few
hours, a chill crept over the circle who were gathered round the fire.
There were no candles burning, and the uncertain glow from the grate gave a
rather weird-like look to the group. The arms stacked in the corner of the
room, and the occasional glitter of the pistol-barrels as the flames rose
and fell, gave the whole a peculiarly strange effect.
"We look belligerent enough, I should think," remarked Mr. Walters, looking
around him. "I wish we were well out of this: it's terrible to be driven to
these extremities--but we are not the aggressors, thank God! and the
results, be they what they may, are not of our seeking. I have a right to
defend my own: I have asked protection of the law, and it is too weak, or
too indifferent, to give it; so I have no alternative but to protect
myself. But who is here? It has grown so dark in the room that I can
scarcely distinguish any one. Where are all the ladies?" "None are here
except myself," answered Esther; "all the rest are below stairs."
"And where are you? I hear, but can't see you; give me your hand," said he,
extending his own in the direction from which her voice proceeded. "How
cold your hand is," he continued; "are you frightened?"
"Frightened!" she replied; "I never felt calmer in my life--put your finger
on my pulse."
Mr. Walters did as he was desired, and exclaimed, "Steady as a clock. I
trust nothing may occur before morning to cause it to beat more hurriedly."
"Let us put some wood on these coals," suggested Mr. Ellis; "it will make a
slight blaze, and give us a chance to see each other." As he spoke he took
up a few small fagots and cast them upon the fire.
The wood snapped and crackled, as the flames mounted the chimney and cast a
cheerful glow upon the surrounding objects: suddenly a thoroughly ignited
piece flew off from the rest and fell on the table in the midst of the
cartridges. "Run for your lives!" shrieked one of the party. "The powder!
the powder!" Simultaneously they nearly all rushed to the door.
Mr. Walters stood as one petrified. Esther alone, of the whole party,
retained her presence of mind; springing forward, she grasped the blazing
fragment and dashed it back again into the grate. All this passed in a few
seconds, and in the end Esther was so overcome with excitement and terror,
that she fainted outright. Hearing no report, those who had fled cautiously
returned, and by their united efforts she was soon restored to
consciousness.
"What a narrow escape!" said she, trembling, and covering her face with her
hands; "it makes me shudder to think of it."
"We owe our lives to you, my brave girl," said Mr. Walters; "your presence
of mind has quite put us all to the blush."
"Oh! move the powder some distance off, or the same thing may happen
again. Please do move it, Mr. Walters; I shall have no peace whilst it is
there."
Whilst they were thus engaged, a loud commotion was heard below stairs, and
with one accord all started in the direction from whence the noise
proceeded.
"Bring a light! bring a light!" cried Mrs. Ellis; "something dreadful has
happened." A light was soon procured, and the cause of this second alarm
fully ascertained.
Master Kinch, in his anxiety to give himself as warlike an appearance as
possible, had added to his accoutrements an old sword that he had
discovered in an out-of-the-way corner of the garret. Not being accustomed
to weapons of this nature, he had been constantly getting it between his
legs, and had already been precipitated by it down a flight of steps, to
the imminent risk of his neck. Undaunted, however, by this mishap, he had
clung to it with wonderful tenacity, until it had again caused a disaster
the noise of which had brought all parties into the room where it had
occurred.
The light being brought, Master Kinch crawled out from under a table with
his head and back covered with batter, a pan of which had been overturned
upon him, in consequence of his having been tripped up by his sword and
falling violently against the table on which it stood.
"I said you had better take that skewer off," exclaimed Caddy: "It's a
wonder it hasn't broke your neck before now; but you are such a goose you
would wear it," said she, surveying her aide-de-camp with derision, as he
vainly endeavoured to scrape the batter from his face.
"Please give me some water," cried Kinch, looking from one to the other of
the laughing group: "help a feller to get it off, can't you--it's all in my
eyes, and the yeast is blinding me."
The only answer to this appeal was an additional shout of laughter, without
the slightest effort for his relief. At last Caddy, taking compassion upon
his forlorn condition, procured a basin of water, and assisted him to wash
from his woolly pate what had been intended for the next day's meal.
"This is the farce after what was almost a tragedy," said Mr. Walters, as
they ascended the stairs again; "I wonder what we shall have next!"
They all returned to their chairs by the drawing-room fire after this
occurrence, and remained in comparative silence for some time, until loud
cries of "Fire! fire!" startled them from their seats.
"The whole of the lower part of the city appears to be in a blaze,"
exclaimed one of the party who had hastened to the window; "look at the
flames--they are ascending from several places. They are at their work; we
may expect them here soon."
"Well, they'll find us prepared when they do come," rejoined Mr. Walters.
"What do you propose?" asked Mr. Ellis. "Are we to fire on them at once, or
wait for their attack?"
"Wait for their attack, by all means," said he, in reply;--"if they throw
stones, you'll find plenty in that room with which to return the
compliment; if they resort to fire-arms, then we will do the same; I want
to be strictly on the defensive--but at the same time we must defend
ourselves fully and energetically."
In about an hour after this conversation a dull roar was heard in the
distance, which grew louder and nearer every moment.
"Hist!" said Esther; "do you hear that noise? Listen! isn't that the mob
coming?"
Mr. Walters opened the shutter, and then the sound became more distinct. On
they came, nearer and nearer, until the noise of their voices became almost
deafening.
There was something awful in the appearance of the motley crowd that, like
a torrent, foamed and surged through the streets. Some were bearing large
pine torches that filled the air with thick smoke and partially lighted up
the surrounding gloom. Most of them were armed with clubs, and a few with
guns and pistols.
As they approached the house, there seemed to be a sort of consultation
between the ringleaders, for soon after every light was extinguished, and
the deafening yells of "Kill the niggers!" "Down with the Abolitionists!"
were almost entirely stilled.
"I wonder what that means," said Mr. Walters, who had closed the shutter,
and was surveying, through an aperture that had been cut, the turbulent
mass below. "Look out for something soon."
He had scarcely finished speaking, when a voice in the street cried,
"One--two--three!" and immediately there followed a volley of missiles,
crushing in the windows of the chamber above, and rattling upon the
shutters of the room in which the party of defenders were gathered. A yell
then went up from the mob, followed by another shower of stones.
"It is now our turn," said Mr. Walters, coolly. "Four of you place
yourselves at the windows of the adjoining room; the rest remain here. When
you see a bright light reflected on the crowd below, throw open the
shutters, and hurl down stones as long as the light is shining. Now, take
your places, and as soon as you are prepared stamp upon the floor."
Each of the men now armed themselves with two or more of the largest stones
they could find, from the heap that had been provided for the occasion; and
in a few seconds a loud stamping upon the floor informed Mr. Walters that
all was ready. He now opened the aperture in the shutter, and placed
therein a powerful reflecting light which brought the shouting crowd below
clearly into view, and in an instant a shower of heavy stones came crashing
down upon their upturned faces.
Yells of rage and agony ascended from the throng, who, not seeing any
previous signs of life in the house, had no anticipation of so prompt and
severe a response to their attack. For a time they swayed to and fro,
bewildered by the intense light and crushing shower of stones that had so
suddenly fallen upon them. Those in the rear, however, pressing forward,
did not permit the most exposed to retire out of reach of missiles from the
house; on perceiving which, Mr. Walters again turned the light upon them,
and immediately another stony shower came rattling down, which caused a
precipitate retreat.
"The house is full of niggers!--the house is full of niggers!" cried
several voices--"Shoot them! kill them!" and immediately several shots were
fired at the window by the mob below.
"Don't fire yet," said Mr. Walters to one of the young men who had his hand
upon a gun. "Stop awhile. When we do fire, let it be to some purpose--let
us make sure that some one is hit."
Whilst they were talking, two or three bullets pierced the shutters, and
flattened themselves upon the ceiling above.
"Those are rifle bullets," remarked one of the young men--"do let us fire."
"It is too great a risk to approach the windows at present; keep quiet for
a little while; and, when the light is shown again, fire. But, hark!"
continued he, "they are trying to burst open the door. We can't reach them
there without exposing ourselves, and if they should get into the entry it
would be hard work to dislodge them."
"Let us give them a round; probably it will disperse those farthest
off--and those at the door will follow," suggested one of the young men.
"We'll try it, at any rate," replied Walters. "Take your places, don't fire
until I show the light--then pick your man, and let him have it. There is
no use to fire, you know, unless you hit somebody. Are you ready?" he
asked.
"Yes," was the prompt reply.
"Then here goes," said he, turning the light upon the crowd below--who,
having some experience in what would follow, did their best to get out of
reach; but they were too late--for the appearance of the light was followed
by the instantaneous report of several guns which did fearful execution
amidst the throng of ruffians. Two or three fell on the spot, and were
carried off by their comrades with fearful execrations.
The firing now became frequent on both sides, and Esther's services came
into constant requisition. It was in vain that her father endeavoured to
persuade her to leave the room; notwithstanding the shutters had been
thrown open to facilitate operations from within and the exposure thereby
greatly increased, she resolutely refused to retire, and continued
fearlessly to load the guns and hand them to the men.
"They've got axes at work upon the door, if they are not dislodged, they'll
cut their way in," exclaimed one of the young men--"the stones are
exhausted, and I don't know what we shall do."
Just then the splash of water was heard, followed by shrieks of agony.
"Oh, God! I'm scalded! I'm scalded!" cried one of the men upon the steps.
"Take me away! take me away!"
In the midst of his cries another volume of scalding water came pouring
down upon the group at the door, which was followed by a rush from the
premises.
"What is that--who could have done that--where has that water come from?"
asked Mr. Walters, as he saw the seething shower pass the window, and fall
upon the heads below. "I must go and see."
He ran upstairs, and found Kinch and Caddy busy putting on more water, they
having exhausted one kettle-full--into which they had put two or three
pounds of cayenne pepper--on the heads of the crowd below.
"We gave 'em a settler, didn't we, Mr. Walters?" asked Caddy, as he entered
the room. "It takes us; we fight with hot water. This," said she, holding
up a dipper, "is my gun. I guess we made 'em squeal."
"You've done well, Caddy," replied he--"first-rate, my girl. I believe
you've driven them off entirely," he continued, peeping out of the window.
"They are going off, at any rate," said he, drawing in his head; "whether
they will return or not is more than I can say. Keep plenty of hot water,
ready, but don't expose yourselves, children. Weren't you afraid to go to
the window?" he asked.
"We didn't go near it. Look at this," replied Caddy, fitting a broom handle
into the end of a very large tin dipper. "Kinch cut this to fit; so we have
nothing to do but to stand back here, dip up the water, and let them have
it; the length of the handle keeps us from being seen from the street. That
was Kinch's plan."
"And a capital one it was too. Your head, Kinch, evidently has no batter
within, if it has without; there is a great deal in that. Keep a bright
look out," continued Mr. Walters; "I'm going downstairs. If they come
again, let them have plenty of your warm pepper-sauce."
On returning to the drawing-room, Mr. Walters found Mr. Dennis, one of the
company, preparing to go out. "I'm about to avail myself of the advantage
afforded by my fair complexion, and play the spy," said he. "They can't
discern at night what I am, and I may be able to learn some of their
plans."
"A most excellent idea," said Mr. Walters; "but pray be careful. You may
meet some one who will recognise you."
"Never fear," replied Mr. Dennis. "I'll keep a bright look out for that."
And, drawing his cap far down over his eyes, to screen his face as much as
possible, he sallied out into the street.
He had not been absent more than a quarter of an hour, when he returned
limping into the house. "Have they attacked you--are you hurt?" asked the
anxious group by which he was surrounded.
"I'm hurt-, but not by them. I got on very well, and gleaned a great deal
of information, when I heard a sudden exclamation, and, on looking round, I
found myself recognized by a white man of my acquaintance. I ran
immediately; and whether I was pursued or not, I'm unable to say. I had
almost reached here, when my foot caught in a grating and gave my ancle
such a wrench that I'm unable to stand." As he spoke, his face grew pale
from the suffering the limb was occasioning. "I'm sorry, very sorry," he
continued, limping to the sofa; "I was going out again immediately. They
intend making an attack on Mr. Garie's house: I didn't hear his name
mentioned, but I heard one of the men, who appeared to be a ringleader,
say, 'We're going up to Winter-street, to give a coat of tar and feathers
to a white man, who is married to a nigger woman.' They can allude to none
but him. How annoying that this accident should have happened just now, of
all times. They ought to be warned."
"Oh, poor Emily!" cried Esther, bursting into tears; "it will kill her, I
know it will; she is so ill. Some one must go and warn them. Let me try;
the mob, even if I met them, surely would not assault a woman."
"You mustn't think of such a thing, Esther," exclaimed Mr. Walters; "the
idea isn't to be entertained for a moment. You don't know what ruthless
wretches they are. Your colour discovered you would find your sex but a
trifling protection. I'd go, but it would be certain death to me: my black
face would quickly obtain for me a passport to another world if I were
discovered in the street just now."
"I'll go," calmly spoke Mr. Ellis. "I can't rest here and think of what
they are exposed to. By skulking through bye-streets and keeping under the
shadows of houses I may escape observation--at any rate, I must run the
risk." And he began to button up his coat. "Don't let your mother know I'm
gone; stick by her, my girl," said he, kissing Esther; "trust in
God,--He'll protect me."
Esther hung sobbing on her father's neck. "Oh, father, father," said she,
"I couldn't bear to see you go for any one but Emily and the children."
"I know it, dear," he replied; "it's my duty. Garie would do the same for
me, I know, even at greater risk. Good-bye! good-bye!" And, disengaging
himself from the weeping girl, he started on his errand of mercy.
Walking swiftly forwards, he passed over more than two-thirds of the way
without the slightest interruption, the streets through which he passed
being almost entirely deserted. He had arrived within a couple of squares
of the Garies, when suddenly, on turning a corner, he found himself in the
midst of a gang of ruffians.
"Here's a nigger! here's a nigger!" shouted two or three of them, almost
simultaneously, making at the same time a rush at Mr. Ellis, who turned and
ran, followed by the whole gang. Fear lent him wings, and he fast
outstripped his pursuers, and would have entirely escaped, had he not
turned into a street which unfortunately was closed at the other end. This
he did not discover until it was too late to retrace his steps, his
pursuers having already entered the street.
Looking for some retreat, he perceived he was standing near an unfinished
building. Tearing off the boards that were nailed across the window, he
vaulted into the room, knocking off his hat, which fell upon the pavement
behind him. Scarcely had he groped his way to the staircase of the dwelling
when he heard the footsteps of his pursuers.
"He can't have got through," exclaimed one of them, "the street is closed
up at the end; he must be up here somewhere."
Lighting one of their torches, they began to look around them, and soon
discovered the hat lying beneath the window.
"He's in here, boys; we've tree'd the 'coon," laughingly exclaimed one of
the ruffians. "Let's after him."
Tearing off the remainder of the boards, one or two entered, opened the
door from the inside, and gave admission to the rest.
Mr. Ellis mounted to the second story, followed by his pursuers; on he
went, until he reached the attic, from which a ladder led to the roof.
Ascending this, he drew it up after him, and found himself on the roof of a
house that was entirely isolated.
The whole extent of the danger flashed upon him at once. Here he was
completely hemmed in, without the smallest chance for escape. He
approached the edge and looked over, but could discover nothing near enough
to reach by a leap.
"I must sell my life dearly," he said. "God be my helper now--He is all I
have to rely upon." And as he spoke, the great drops of sweat fell from his
forehead. Espying a sheet of lead upon the roof, he rolled it into a club
of tolerable thickness, and waited the approach of his pursuers.
"He's gone on the roof," he heard one of them exclaim, "and pulled the
ladder up after him." Just then, a head emerged from the trap-door, the
owner of which, perceiving Mr. Ellis, set up a shout of triumph.
"We've got him! we've got him!--here he is!" which cries were answered by
the exultant voices of his comrades below.
An attempt was now made by one of them to gain the roof; but he immediately
received a blow from Mr. Ellis that knocked him senseless into the arms of
his companions. Another attempted the same feat, and met a similar fate.
This caused a parley as to the best mode of proceeding, which resulted in
the simultaneous appearance of three of the rioters at the opening. Nothing
daunted, Mr. Ellis attacked them with such fierceness and energy that they
were forced to descend, muttering the direst curses. In a few moments
another head appeared, at which Mr. Ellis aimed a blow of great force; and
the club descended upon a hat placed upon a stick. Not meeting the
resistance expected, it flew from his hand, and he was thrown forward,
nearly falling down the doorway.
With a shout of triumph, they seized his arm, and held him firmly, until
one or two of them mounted the roof.
"Throw him over! throw him over!" exclaimed some of the fiercest of the
crowd. One or two of the more merciful endeavoured to interfere against
killing him outright; but the frenzy of the majority triumphed, and they
determined to cast him into the street below.
Mr. Ellis clung to the chimney, shrieking,--"Save me! save me!--Help! help!
Will no one save me!" His cries were unheeded by the ruffians, and the
people at the surrounding windows were unable to afford him any assistance,
even if they were disposed to do so.
Despite his cries and resistance, they forced him to the edge of the roof;
he clinging to them the while, and shrieking in agonized terror. Forcing
off his hold, they thrust him forward and got him partially over the edge,
where he clung calling frantically for aid. One of the villains, to make
him loose his hold, struck on his fingers with the handle of a hatchet
found on the roof; not succeeding in breaking his hold by these means,
with, an oath he struck with the blade, severing two of the fingers from
one hand and deeply mangling the other.
With a yell of agony, Mr. Ellis let go his hold, and fell upon a pile of
rubbish below, whilst a cry of triumphant malignity went up from the crowd
on the roof.
A gentleman and some of his friends kindly carried the insensible man into
his house. "Poor fellow!" said he, "he is killed, I believe. What a gang of
wretches. These things are dreadful; that such a thing can be permitted in
a Christian city is perfectly appalling." The half-dressed family gathered
around the mangled form of Mr. Ellis, and gave vent to loud expressions of
sympathy. A doctor was quickly sent for, who stanched the blood that was
flowing from his hands and head.
"I don't think he can live," said he, "the fall was too great. As far as I
can judge, his legs and two of his ribs are broken. The best thing we can
do, is to get him conveyed to the hospital; look in his pockets, perhaps we
can find out who he is."
There was nothing found, however, that afforded the least clue to his name
and residence; and he was, therefore, as soon as persons could be procured
to assist, borne to the hospital, where his wounds were dressed, and the
broken limbs set.