toward the procession unfriendly.  A shot was fired, by whom I am not able to state, but believe it to have been by a policeman, or some colored man in the procession.  This led to other shots and a rush after the procession.  On arrival at the front of the Institute there was some throwing of brickbats by both sides.  The police, who had been held well in hand, were vigorously marched to the scene of disorder.  The procession entered the Institute with the flag, about six (6) or eight (8) remaining outside.  A row occurred between a policeman and one of these colored men, and a shot was again fired by one of the parties, which led to an indiscriminate fire on the building through the windows by the policemen.  This had been going on for a short time, when a white flag was displayed from the windows of the Institute, whereupon the firing ceased, and the police rushed into the building.

“From the testimony of wounded men, and others who were inside the building, the policemen opened an indiscriminate fire upon the audience until they had emptied their revolvers, when they retired, and those inside barricaded the doors.  The door was broken in, and the firing again commenced, when many of the colored and white people either escaped throughout the door or were passed out by the policemen inside; but as they came out the policemen who formed the circle nearest the building fired upon them, and they were again fired upon by the citizens that formed the outer circle.  Many of those wounded and taken prisoners, and others who were prisoners and not wounded, were fired upon by their captors and by citizens.  The wounded were stabbed while lying on the ground, and their heads beaten with brickbats.  In the yard of the building, whither some of the colored men had escaped and partially secreted themselves, they were fired upon and killed or wounded by policemen.  Some were killed and wounded several squares from the scene.  Members of the convention were wounded by the police while in their hands as prisoners, some of them mortally.

“The immediate cause of this terrible affair was the assemblage of this Convention; the remote cause was the bitter and antagonistic feeling which has been growing in this community since the advent of the present Mayor, who, in the organization of his police force, selected many desperate men, and some of them known murderers.  People of clear views were overawed by want of confidence in the Mayor, and fear of the thugs, many of which he had selected for his police force.  I have frequently been spoken to by prominent citizens on this subject, and have heard them express fear, and want of confidence in Mayor Monroe.  Ever since the intimation of this last convention movement I must condemn the course of several of the city papers for supporting, by their articles, the bitter feeling of bad men.  As to the merciless manner in which the convention was broken up, I feel obliged to confess strong repugnance.