By chance, an artist for Leslie's Illustrated Weekly was on hand at the beginning of the riot and continued to make sketches as it progressed Riots were commonplace in ante bellum urban areas. There were several spectacular riots in New York City. One was a clash over whether a British stage star was better than the American one. Others happened when police attempted to help slave catchers seize runaway slaves or free Blacks. Often though, riots were simply gang warfare. Five Points was the epicenter of squalid poverty in ante bellum NY City and a flash point between the two largest criminal gangs in the city--the Bowery Boys and the Dead Rabbits. Below is an account of a riot in July 1857 by Leslie's Illustrated Weekly Dead Rabbits Riot Frank Leslie’s Weekly July 18, 1857      The riot which occurred in the Sixth Ward, on Saturday night, July 4 th between the Dead Rabbits and the Bowery Boys was the most talked of fight among the many which have disgraced our city. One