The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-09
The Riot In Chelsea. rIass.


FIGHT BETWEEN THE IRISH AND THE FRIENDS OF
THE ANGEL GABRIEL"-sEvERAL PERSONS IN
JuRED-ATTACK ON THE CATHOLIC CHURCH-THE
MILITARY CALLED oUT-READING OF THE RIOT
ACT-GREAT Observation-Disclosures, ETC.
From the Boston Herald, May 81
The usually quiet village of Chelsea yesterday the
being used for devotion and rest, was day Of excite
ment and strife The circumstances Of the affair,
learn BY visiting the scene and conversing with those
At about IL O'Clock, A. NJ the individual who re-
oices in the soubiques of the CANCEL Gabriel" and
whose vehement denunciations against the Romish
Church have created several small disturbances within
few weeks appeared in Maverick square, and pro-
ceeded to harange crowd Of people that assembled at
ments when mpetuous Irshman, probably excited
by the language used by the orator. dstur
bance. Soon after fight ensued between some Irish
and men in the crowd but the police interfered took
of the Irshmen Off and dispersed the mob At this
juncture carriage from Medford, where the CANCEL
Gabriel" had spoken in the morning, arrived on the
ground and she speaker was taken in and started for
Fast Boston On driving of was ascertaned that an
Irishman was in the carriage, and he was forthwith
elected with considerable violence After this inter-
ruption the orators progress met With obstacle and
the party arrived at East Boston safely The orator
then mt upon Eagle HILL for the purpose Of address
ing croYd there assembled but the police up and
olcersd lynn to leave the ground immediately Finding
meeting could not proceed the orator and his
friends returned to Chelsea.
In Chelsea after the departure of Gabriel the excite
ment engendered by him increased rapidly and there
were number of fights between the Irish and Ameri
cans. This diminishing continued until about O'Clock
~ OF the junction Railroad bridge. Here the fighting
vas carried on in good earnest The Americans
posted AT end Of the bridge and the Irish at the
other The bridge is about fifty yards in length, and
across il stones and missiles of various kinds
thrown in showers Pistol shots were heard here but
We could not learn that anybody hurt with the
cepton Of officer Milton, who hit the back Of his
head with stone, but not dangerously injured. The
rishmen were finally driven from the bridge, and they
took refuge in what known the nfty houses" on
Central The crowd after driving the Irish into
their houses demanded that the man who hurled the
be To
them; but he not to be found Constables Foster
sanderson Cady, and Hobbs who were on the ground,
arrested an Iishman armed with q cutlass, who was
threatening to kill and who had cut man named Day
on the head. They also took of several others who
were throwing stones and using weapons.
The mob however did not TO be satisfied with
these arrests, and stones continued TO be thrown
pect repuy sheriff Rusg ordered the bells to be rung to
call the citizens together The people responded to the
summons and to the assistance Of the officers of
the town. The rioters seeing that they could not do
further to the houses Of the Irish than the
breaking Of windows started for the Cathpc Church
Mount Bellipgham, about quarter Of mile distant.
There they gathered the number of one or Two
Thousand and began to hur stones ut the windows This
10, Ts tine cry wa. tear
mob from proceeding any further but doubt whether
they could have effected much in the way of queng the
At this time between Eve and six O'Clock the bells
were again rung, the riot act' read by Sheriff
Rugg, and military company, the Chelsea Light In
fan,ry Capt; Fellows, were ordered out Before the
company had arrived at the of the riot a boy
climbed to the roof of the church. and threw the cross
fastened on the gable end Of the building, to the
ground The boy accomplished the feat by the aid
OF the rain conductor, and after it was done,
The result Of tds act operated check upon the r
otous they appeared to be satisfied with the fall Of the
cross, and we doubt II the town officers could have hit
upon better or more certain expedient to save the
church from the fury Of the mob.
The Irish having all left the vicinity and there being
mob began TO dperse party of two three hundred
from East Boston who had come to participate in
the gng started for their homes about half past six
tavern on Mddesex street, occupied by the Irish,
they greeted with voey of stones from party Of
lrhmen on the roof Of the tavern general aght soon
commenced which lasted until the Irishmcn driven
into places Of concealmen when the East Boston party
went on their way home.
So far cord ascertain last night there were but
two lersoDs badly iniured-Oficer Milton Irish
man. who was picked up senseless and bleeding and
ricd oil by his friends All the parties arrested
Irish ard OF these but four remained in the lookup last
night.
renewal Of the roting at night. large oonstabulary
force in to patrol the streets and dperse all
to remain under arms for the whole OF the night.
Thus passed off Sunday in the usually quiet village OF
Chelsea II cannot be said with truth that Chesca Is
dead" after the events Of yesterday But hope that
in the resurrection OF the town shall not have to
chronicle such another dsgracefu the above
Let the authorities be the alert stop in their in
cipency the which lead TO religious rots-let
them stop all such fanatic fools and as the can
gel Gabriel from addressing street assemblages and
officers been moro active and energetic yesterday there
would have been but little fighting
EXCITEMENT AT EAST BosToN-THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH THREATENED.
About three o'clock In the afternoon of Yesterday the
CANCEL Gabreli came from Chelsea, with his friends
and attempted TO hold forth at Maverick square, The
police officers would not permit this, and he was willing
TO leave but his friends would not permit him to be
slenccd thus and he went TO the hill the third sec
tion, with the purpose Of enghtening the inhabitants Of
that region. But the police interfercd again and he
went back to Chelsea About five or six O'Clock large
crowd came back from Chelsea, and made disturbance
In the square, and of them threatened the Catholic
church. Officer Drew arrested one of their number
named Vim. Lewis, and committed him TO the watch
house This excited the crowd the more and they
threatened 10 take him from custody.
They also threatened the church. and the numbers
increased some Of them threw stones at that building
They deferred from breaking by the report that
Eve hundred 1rishmcn, EARNED 70 the teeth - in.
side, ready and willing to give them reception.
About O'Clock the number large one thou
sand and messenger despatched to the city for
sistance Captain Allen, with twelve from the
Ire watch Captain Harrington with fifteen men from
the north watch and several policemen went over, and
IN short time succeeded in dispensing the crowd At
half 10 O'Clock every thing was quiet Lewis
committed to jail and will be taken before the police
court today on charge of disturbing the peace,