The negroes of this city are certainly in a very unfortunate condition - that is, those who are left behind. Since Monday night large numbers have departed for more congenial residences. Hundreds have gone to Brooklyn, and many more to New Jersey, while all trains and steamboats leading to the interior have been almost overrun with the flying blacks. A perfect reign of terror exists in the quarters of these helpless people, and if the troubles which now agitate our city continue during the week it is believed that not a single negro will remain within the metropolitan limits.

It is sad to see the fear with which the few negroes left go upon the street in order to procure the bare necessaries of life. One of our reporters, yesterday, while walking through Sullivan street - a great negro quarter - noticed this particularly. Now and then a woman would steal carefully through an alley, and gazing up and down the street before venturing in full view, would run at full speed to neighboring grocery. Some of the storekeepers said that they preferred to take articles of food to the colored people, as it was positively dangerous to allow them to remain for any length of time within their buildings. This feeling is general everywhere in New York, and the police are utterly powerless to protect the blacks, as the events of Monday and yesterday fully demonstrated. Men, women and children stealthily wend their way to the station houses every night to seek protection, being positively afraid to sleep in their own dwellings. Last night, in one station, twenty-eight colored women and quite as many children sought protection from the fury of the multitude. In many cases, they were followed by crowds, and some of them severely beaten.

The Fourth ward has been the scene, probably, of more destruction of negro residences than any other. There are, or were, a number of colored mens' boarding houses in Roosevelt street, and these were nearly all destroyed early yesterday morning. Two of them, corner of Roosevelt and Batavia streets, were kept by a black named Beverly. The crowd, once determined upon their destruction, soon gathered in large numbers about the neighborhood. A few of them finally entered and beat a colored man who was found there. The rest, a dozen in all, had expected the coming storm and fled. In a few moments everything of value in the house was
destroyed, and the building was fired. It soon burned to the ground. A German kept a store next door, but as it was frequented by colored people, it met the same fate, much to the anguish of its Teuton owner. The crowd distributed the contents, as victors do the spoils.

In Roosevelt street, near by, was a negro barber shop, and the crowd, now swelled to several thousand, scattered its contents about the street, and then applied the torch. It was not long before the shaving saloon had disappeared. It is unnecessary to say that the owners made no attempt to save their property.

The "Liverpool Lodging House," in Roosevelt street, a place well known to the police, who have but a poor opinion of its character, was next attacked and burned. This establishment was the resort of all kinds and colors. Dancing, singing, drinking, &c., were the chief items of the programme. Yesterday the debris was resumed, or such portions as could be used by the people.

In Vandewater street, a negro boarding house, kept by a man named Lyons [Albro Lyons, 20 Vandewater -- ed.], who, though black, is a strong democrat, was pulled to pieces, and is now doubtless, being used as fire wood by many of the residents of the Fourth ward.

Late on Monday night a colored man, John Brown by name, was attacked at No. 74 Roosevelt street and severely beaten, a severe cut being inflicted over his right eye. He ran at the top of his speed to the Sixth ward station house, and was taken care of for the rest of the night.

 Last night a negro was caught in Oliver street. An infuriated crowd began to beat him. He struck out in self defence, and getting clear ran away. The throng followed him to the pier foot of Oliver street, and succeeded in getting him upon it. He was driven to the end of the pier and forced into the East river. It is supposed that he was drowned, as his injuries must have disabled him so that he could not swim. No one made an effort to save him.

An old negro woman, nearly seventy years of age, was attacked in the Sixth ward and badly beaten. She was taken to the City Hospital, and will probably survive. Here it is proper to add that this is the only case of real violence reported in the Sixth. Negroes have been chased and
stoned, but have managed to escape without injury. No buildings have been destroyed, but the blacks are now all gone, and there is no cause for disturbance left. Capt. Jourdan is entitled to credit for the successful manner in which he has maintained the peace in his precinct.

In the Seventh ward there have been some popular demonstrations against the negroes. Yesterday two or three frame buildings, inhabited by colored people, in Monroe street, near Market, were torn down.

All the men at work in foundries, shops and on the streets stopped work and joined in with the crowd, forming a dense mass, apparently all united by a thoroughly sympathetic feeling. At a late hour there had been no other demonstrations. There were signs of a disturbance, however, in the neighborhood of Jackson street.

In the Fifth precinct, where a large number of negroes live, many of them have been severely beaten. One of them, a very sick man, was brought to the station house last night, the crowd having turned him out of bed and severely maltreated him. A few days since there were several hundred negroes in this precinct, but the streets, at least, now show no evident of their existence.

This is also the case in the Eighth precinct. The "Arch," is quite obnoxious to the throng.

The Twenty-eighth precinct, in Greenwich street, has also been the scene of much disorder. It was in this district that the negro was hung on Monday night. Yesterday morning a black man, named John Williams, was pursued by the crowd and knocked down upon the sidewalk. While in an insensible condition he was beaten so severely that he cannot possibly survive. He now lies in an extremely critical condition at the City Hospital.

At the station house in this precinct a negro, pursued by the crowd, took refuge. The sergeant and a couple of men were alone in possession of the building. They immediately passed the negro out by the back way, when an immense multitude assembled and demanded that the colored man should be handed over to them. The sergeant truly assured them that the man was gone, but they did not believe him and demanded permission to search the building. The police, overpowered, gracefully succumbed to vox populi, and a committee of the citizens searched the station house from garret to cellar, and, not finding the negro, expressed themselves satisfied and left.

The crowd has threatened to burn a sugar house in this precinct, and several foundries, giving as a reason that negroes were employed in them. The blacks, however, have been all discharged, and it is to be hoped that this will allay the excitement. One owner of one of the threatened buildings says he would like to give fifty per cent on the dollar to effect an insurance.

A large crowd yesterday evening moved to the saloon of Mr. Crook, on Chatham street, intending to beat, it was said, the colored waiters employed there. Captain Jourdan, with Sergeants Walsh and McGoun, of the Sixth ward, were on hand with a good force of men, and succeeded in preserving the peace.

In the Eleventh and Thirteenth wards, where many negroes live, there were several scenes of violence. Every black was beaten, and it is reported that two were killed. The police have no chance now to take care of either dead or wounded, and so no returns have been received. Several buildings were gutted, and the negroes driven out of the wards.

On the Battery a crowd severely beat some colored people who were waiting transportation, but a number of citizens, aided by the police, succeeded in preventing any loss of life.

Taken altogether, the day has been a severe one for the blacks. It ends, for some time, at least, their residence in this city. They must seek peace elsewhere, for in the present excited state of public feeling, there is no ease for them in New York. It is estimated that upwards of one hundred and fifty negroes have been killed or badly injured.

[Fortunately, this estimate proved to be greatly exaggerated --ed. 3/3/2004]

Click here to see a list of claims for riot damages

The throng in the Fourth ward, after having caused a general exodus of negroes, turned their attention to the Chinese who delight to reside in that precinct. The Celestials [Chinese] had been found guilty of being united to white wives, and their headquarters were sacked. The John Chinamen escaped, but in some instances their inconstant consorts have not followed them.

Click here to see census data showing the disappearance of African Americans from the Fourth Ward

Click here for a description of attacks on African Americans in other parts of the city.

Click here to visit another website with information on the subject

Click here to read about an 1861 police raid on an interracial brothel at Roosevelt and Oak streets