At this period in the political canvass, when primary elections are the order of the night, I am reminded of an incident in which my old friend, John Kelly, figured more than thirty years ago, that seems to me worth recordin’.
Durin’ the days of the Native American party, and when that organization had merged into the Know Nothin’s, a secret society with grips, passwords and all that sort of machinery, it managed to get control of the primary election machinery of the Fourteenth Ward and played it for all it was worth.
They managed it so that although the majority of voters in the Fourteenth Ward, for instance, were foreign born and naturalized citizens and Democrats, the primaries were always controlled by the K. N.’s.
And they managed it very simply. For example, in a hall which stood on the corner of Grand and Elizabeth streets, where are the primaries were held, they “protected” that part of the room used by the inspectors in such a way that nobody could inspect the ballots cast but the K. N.’s inspectors ‘emselves. They fixed up a high partition and a box desk like a bank tellers’ or theatre box-office window, behind which the K. N.’s man, or inspector, sat in state, no Democratic inspectors bein’ allowed there, and although he received all the ballots cast, simply threw the Democratic ballots on the floor and destroyed or “lost” ‘em. Anyway, they were never counted. There was no access to this sacredly (?) guarded ballot-box, save through a narrow entrance fenced up and only wide enough to admit one man at a time. This was all very simple, but very aggravatin’, and one time the Democrats resolved to stand it no longer. So a lot of “plug-uglies,” among ‘em John Kelly, went to the hall and raised a rumpus. Kelly, as the strongest, toughest man of the lot, took the lead and commenced operations by knockin’ over the box behind which the K. N.’s inspector received the votes. He followed this up by knockin’ down the inspector. Then there was a “circus.” The K.N.’s rallied to the support of their inspector and a free, very free fight ensued.
Kelly was hit and kicked, but he kicked and hit back, and his friends helped him kick and hit, and after about ten minutes of the liveliest “skirmishin’” on record, the Democrats cleaned the hall of the Know Nothin’s and Kelly took command of the vacated fort.
But the K. N.’s didn’t stay licked. They went down to the foot of Delancey street and thereabouts, where the ship-carpenters were at work, and told ‘em how the case stood.
In those days there was such a thing as American ship buildin’ and the New York ship carpenters were a power, several thousand in number, skilled mechanics, and mostly strong men and good fighters. They were almost all native Americans, too, and voted for that party just then, and so were in favor of the Know Nothin’s.
So it didn’t take long for the defeated K. N.’s on this particular occasion, to gather a big crowd of the ship carpenters, who, after a fashion, marched en masse, as the French would say, to the hall corner, of Grand street and Elizabeth, now occupied by the Democrats.
On reachin’ the hall they surrounded it and howled, and even talked of settin’ fire to the place. Hearin’ these threats the Democrats resolved to carry the war into Africa and to attack the ship carpenters and the K. N.’s, instead of waitin’ and bein’ attacked by ‘em.
So they divided ‘emselves into squads of ten each, and sallied fourth from the hall, goin’ in different directions. The ship carpenters were not prepared for these tactics. They were used to “rough and tumble” fightin’, but not to “organized” resistance. So the Democrats in this particular fight got the best of it.
John Kelly was the leader of one of these gangs of “ten,” and he had a hard time of it with his squad. Before he got through, one of his eyes was banged in and two of his teeth knocked out, his clothes were torn, his legs were bruised and he was almost demoralized.
But he and his ten “pulled through.” And, on the whole, the victory rested with the Democrats, for they scattered the Know Nothin’s and their allies.
It speaks well for both parties that, although the fight was so bitter, no knives or pistols were resorted to. A great many were seriously hurt. There were scores of broken heads and broken limbs. A good many Democrats, a good many Know Nothin’s and a good many ship carpenters didn’t “show up” for several days, some for a week or so later. But there were no coroner’s inquests, and no funerals.
On the whole the effect of the row was for the general good. That there was comparatively little “cheatin’” or “countin’ out” at primary elections in the Fourteenth Ward for some years.
[Editor’s notes: John Kelly (1822-1886) went on to become a Tammany Hall Democratic leader, and U.S. Congressman in the mid 1850s. The specific election referred to in the above column took place in the 1840s.
The column writer, writing in the 1880s, uses the term “plug uglies” in a generic sense, to represent street toughs. There was a specific Plug Ugly gang in the 1840s and 1850s that flourished in Baltimore (not New York), but it was allied with the Native Americans/Know Nothings, not opposed to them.]
