New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-02-04

FRED. GRUBER SHOT AT, AND A POLICEMAN SERI-
oUsLY WoUNDED--Jackson Fire Company No. Is
had ball at Odd Fellows Hall on Saturday night.
1t was largely attended and gay and brilliant
affair; the members of the company and their lady
and gentlemen guests enjoying themselves in the
pleasantest and happiest manner till daylight yes
terday morning.
But some outside rowdies, principally youths and
little cubs, who ought to have been spanked and
sent home, made themselves disagreeable by
standing in the street around the entrance of the
hall, watching and making remarks about ladies as
they got out of the carriages and obstructng their
entrance to the hall in such manner as to render
their passage through the crowd difficult aud disa-
greeabe in the extreme. Some ladies who arrived
in mask complained to the managers not only Of
this, but of and insulting language uttered
from the crown at their expense.
The foreman of the company, Mr.. J. Fred. Cru
ber being one of the managers of the ball, hear
ing of this, went outside and politely requested
the crowd to keep the passage clear for the ladies,
and got officer Patterson, Of the Camp street beat,
to stand in front the entrance to keep the young
rowdies from crowding the visitors. Subsequently,
| Foreman Gruber went ont, and, in his capacity of
manager, assisted several parties of ladies in aight
ing from their carriages. At last party of ladies
| in mask arrived; when he helped them and their
gentleman companion out of their carriage, the
crowd aforesaid closed around, leaving no passage
| clear for them. Gruber then told them that they
must stand back; and forcing himself through the
crowd, parted them right and left with his arms.
As he did this, be was struck on the back of his
head with the barrel of pistol; the blow stunned
| and staggered him, and as he reeled, he was shot
at the bullet missed him, but it went through the
| left knee of Officer Patterson who at the moment
was on the other side of Gruber. Patterson ex-
claimed that he was wounded; Officer Coste, who
had just arrived, and others, secured the man who
| did the shooting, one Tom Wall, and trotted him
across Lafayette Square to the lookup, whilst CRU
ber and others took charge of Patterson and sent
him to Charity Hospital. The crowd of rowdes
then kept aloof and Gruber returned to his duties
as one of the managers of the ball. All this hap
pened at about 8 O'Clock, just as the ball was
| opening.
At about IL o'clock Lieut.. Boylan went to the
| ball and arrested Gruber, the rowdy Wall having
owned to the shooting, but declared that he did i
in self-defense, Gruber having disturbed the peace
and committed an assault and battery upon him
Gruber was locked up, but almost Immediately re
leased on bail by order of Recorder Emerson, witt
was visited and acquainted with the facts Of til
case.
Yesterday at noon, the word from Charity Hos
pital was that officer Patterson was dangerousl
wounded, the shot through his knee being of such
nature as to threaten the necessity of amputatiol
Tom Wall, who did the shooting, is young ma
! about q years of age-well known as a st. Mary
market rat and rowdy-the unpunished perpetratt
. of previous like deeds-and young gontlema
!; whose incarceration in the Penitentiary would be
benefit to himself and to the community. Fl
charge of assault and battery against Gruber is Il
best proof Of his hardened audacity, Instead