Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-08-31

FIGHT AT iiiE FERRY lIANBtAt'- -
SEVERAL llE,ps i}RotES-On SUNDAY while
the Ferry boat was coming over from Rock
men hidden away in the engine room, who
were trying TO get across without paying
the usual fare This of course was entirely
wrong, and the engineer told them they
must get out Of that, and pay their fare -
At the gangway, Capt Robinson demanded
fare, but they refused, saying they had paid
once but this was not believed. One Of
them forked over, ard the other was car
ried back to Ecck Island and act ashore
where he was taken. lie went away in
great huf, and informed Capt. Robinson
tliat he would pay him oil for that After
while he came back with some others,
paid his fare, and then got into a row with
the boatmen Stones were thrown and
considerable heavy fighting done. One
stone struck engineer Richards on his head
while he was fastening the boat on this
side, cutting his head severely The row
mere COlHNeuctu III -Soou edt nest. Iile
policc9 en- seeing that there was a fight on
the boat went down in a hurry, and were
met in a very unceremonious manner with
clubs, brickba stones de. Officer Gildea.
while attempting TO arrest two men whom
he saw fighting, was struck on tie head
with a club aud then thrown intothe river
4 -. rl1- lr,al- jia
ribs policeman Deany was struck over
the head with bar OF iron, and had his
skull fractured badly, policeman Carr was
hit on tho head with some hard substance,
! and got his left hand pretty badly hurt;
policeman Young was hit with stoue
which broke rib, aud cracked another, and
used up. The boat hands were also badly
hurt, Richards, engineer, had his head badly
cut with flying stone; Geo. Collins had
| his hand badly mashed, which was proba-
bly, caused by dealing heavy blows with
hi fist and John Newton had his scalp
pulled up by flying missile in the shape
of sharp rock. The fight is said to have
been very fierce.
In reference to the police getting into this
,crape so deeply. there seems to be some
misunderstanding The boatmen claim that
they did not know the police as such when
they came TO the boat but supposed them
to be enemies hence the resistance but
the policemen say that they went there and
told the persons fgting, that they were
policemen, and as such were making az
rests. The boat hands say that one thing
in particular made them think that the
policemen were enemies; and that was
they heard Mr.. Gildea, say, pitch in boys.
which they construed as an order to hight
the harder, but Mr.. G.. informs us that
such was not the case, but that he went
quietly upon the boat and commenced ma
king the arrests when he was knocked over
the head with a heavy weapon of some
kind and then pitched into the river. Al
the best it is bad affair, and one which We
think our police did their best under the cir
cumstances. They went to the spot to ar
rest rascals, and were themselves mistaken
it is said, for fighting men, and were re-
ceived accordingly. We hope the mat
/ ter will be thoroughly investigated, anc
the ones that are to blame, punished. 1
. was one of the most severe, as well asth'
most disgraceful occurrences which ha
j transpired in the line lately. We hope tina
, our policemen win not cease in their vigi
lance until the matter 10 properly siftsd.
Al Policeman DslAny y very ssriously In
! luseG sna oone e.sss sse ehtselaiasd tha
n ~ notpo6St