and respectfully assured the mayor and citizens that they would use
every effort to conduct themselves orderly and expressed their readiness
to give bond according to the law of 1807 or leave the city quietly
within a specified time. But these steps availed little when the police
winked at this violence. The rioters boldly occupied the streets without
arrest and continued their work until Sunday. The mayor, sheriff and
marshal went to the battle ground about three o'clock but the mob still
had control. The officers could not even remove those Negroes who
complied with the law of leaving. The authorities finally hit upon the
scheme of decreasing the excitement by inducing about 300 colored men to
go to jail for security after they had been assured that their wives and
children would be protected. The Negroes consented and were accordingly
committed, but the cowardly element again attacked these helpless
dependents like savages. At the same time other rioters stormed the
office of _The Philanthropist_ and broke up the press. The mob continued
its work until it dispersed from mere exhaustion. The Governor finally
came to the city and issued a proclamation setting forth the gravity of
the situation. The citizens and civil authorities rallied to his support
and strong patrols prevented further disorder.[42]

It is impossible to say exactly how many were killed and wounded on
either side. It is probable that several were killed and twenty or
thirty variously wounded, though but few dangerously. Forty of the mob
were arrested and imprisoned. Exactly what was done with all of them is
not yet known. It seems that few, if any of them, however, were severely
punished. The Negroes who had been committed for safe keeping were
thereafter disposed of in various ways. Some were discharged on
certificates of nativity, others gave bond for their support and good
behavior, a few were dismissed as non-residents, a number of them were
discharged by a justice of the Court of Common Pleas, and the rest were