The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-03
CITY INTELLIGENCE,
THE MOYA BOYS.


Exit the Moyal This afternoon, with grand
flourish of trumpets, waving of banners, f1tter-
ing of handkerchiefs in tb e hands of the Nova
mensing bellies this rSmarkable company will
make iss fnSt i!n Sues parade generously give
literary association. Hereafter, therefore, MAJ
we expect to see TIE boys in the role of contro-
versallsts upon the forum, instead of in the
streets, placing heir opponents hors de combat
with shafts of wit and logic, instead of with
spanners and fire-horns. Behold in the future
the willy McN lullin ruling upon points ef order,
ana quoting from Zeigler and Matthias, instead
oil dlsclplD ling his Jealous supporters in the sci
ence OF tis tcuffs; and the belligerent Moya boys
laying OF. the babiliments of war for the robes
of peaC :.
At o. le o'clock the Boys" numbering $50
with POLISHED boots cleaning red shirts, and
furbt he'd belts and hats, took their stations at
the .ope and drew the oarrirge from the house.
Fro ,m every window in the square bunting was
W Aved. Great crowds clogged the pavements
! he vicinity resounded with cheers, which per-
ceptibly heightened as the Accommodating po-
tentate of the downtown Democracy--William
McMulliD, ESQ.,, Erasped the polished fre-horn
and toof his distinguished position at the head
of the line. kcClurg's Liberty Silver Cornet
Band took the lead; bat its most stirring notes
struck a daTp. upon the heart Of the crowd
The liveliest melody sounded in the ears of the
Moypmeneirg boys as a drge. This was the
route:-
Eighth to Fitzwater Fitzwater 20 Tenth, Tenth to
Chesnut T. Fifth, Fftn to 6oipfnbia avenue, Colum
bic avenue to Broad, Broad to Callowhill, Calow-
hill to Thirteenth, Thirteenth 30 Chestnut, Chestnut
to Eighth, Eighth to FitzwateT and dismiss.
The carriage valued at $500, and the new hose
on 1t, worth $500, are thip afternoon 10 be given
10 the Moyamensing Hook and Ladder Company
of Chester which is to pgrpetuate all the virtues
Gf there areany), but we hope not the vices of
the old MoyamensinE company, now on the
verge Of disruption as a fire organization.
The Moyamensing Hose Company was erga-
nized in June, 1887, being the twenty-seventh
fire company theE in the department. Its
founders were John Cunningham, Thomas Gra-
ham, Sat1uel Reed, John X. Laughlin, Patrick
Gall of whom are now dead), and William j.
Reed row living. The company was frstlocated
on Eighth street, below South but in the year
1910 took up their present quarters in Eighth
street, below Fitzwater just before consolida-
tion William McMulin-a man destined to be
immortal in the annals of Moyamensing-joined
the company and soon became treasurer, which
position he held until about the year 1860, when
he was exalted to the Office of President. Since
then he has guided the destinies of the Moya
boys with mastery hand. This company soon
became notorious for its belligerent propensi-
ties. The Moya boys were terror to the rest of
the department The Moya boys did not wait
for opportunities to display their bellicose quail
ties, but made them. Times were, when an
alarm for fire in the southern section of the city
was signal for sanguinary struggle. This
disposition to fight from the first seemed in
At the same time, it drove number
of respectable men out of the
organization and it soon was notorious for run
ming the worst gang of rowdies in the depart
ment. This conduct of the "Moya" unques
tienably was the entering wedge of public
disgust that eventually toppled over the
obnoxious Volunteer Department While at
times the Moyas were arrayed bellige rently
against two-thirds of the other companies, there
were some particular organizations against
which they had deep-set hatred, which cropped
out in many pitched battles.
First among these "bright particular stars, in
the coterie of fighting companies with which
the Moya contended was the Shitfler, which
they never spoke of but as "Black Republican"
organization. The difficulties were the out
cropping of no political differences, for in the
Moyamensing Company were many Republicans,
S1t they t6s eef q m 1e Naive
can riots years ago. The Shiffler boys took
their name from George, Shiffler, an
who and was waeed ae0 war an asans
the Moya, because its members were mostly
imported Milesians. There were between these
companies some sanguinary conflicts If the
MoYa boys, weak in numbers, ventured too far
into the Shifiler district, they were suddenly
pOlnced upon, belabored until almost unrecog-
nzable, and their carriage captured and dumped
into the river. If, on the contrary, the Shiiller
boys were not on the alert, without warning the
Moya boys rushed at them and obtained a
sweet revenge by MASKING them with spanners
and slashing them with knives Between the
two eternal warfare was declared, and always
= maintained.
One of the most terrible fights on record was
r. that which occurred between tHe MOyamenSlng
boys and the Franklin Hose Company, at Ninth
and FitZwater streets, on Sunday in June,
1859. ITor full six hours the battle ragged fire.
arms nd weapons of every kind were used;
some we re killed, but great number OF the
,belligere uts, with number of innocent persons,
were mai med. 1t was in this fight that Sandy
ellis bre athed his last. For his loss the Frank
lin Hose boys redoubled their efforts to subdue
the Moya, but with i'll success.
Another OF the great fights was between the
Nova and Eeirmount Engine Company, at
Fourth and Green streets, in Mayor Wilkinson g
ON record, "a nd efter vast amount of blood had
been shed and srnmuniton wasted the conflict
was stopped by the police. The battle was a
draw at would require much more space than
we can devote TO narrate all the misdongs OF
the notorious company which virtually goes out
exelaim, MAY we never see its like again"
a CURIOUS CAsE-THE DEATH OF MARY
BuRK-MGry Burk, alias Sarah Willis, who was
struck on the head With spitt0on thrown by
Thomas Keen ON the 18th ultimc, died at her
this morning. IL appears that on 4he date men
toned Keen who had been living with Mary
Jane Taylor, became engaged in 4 Trangle with
her, and Macy Burk interfered by seizing a
spittooh and throwing IL at Keen. cen seized
the Rpitt0on anS hurled K at her, sSiking her
on the head and cutting a bad wound. Keen
was arrested on two charges; the first was pre-
ferred by Mary Zane Taylor. On this he was
held In $3.50 bail tC keep the peace, the woman
desiring nc greater punishment. He was again
before tks magistrate on the charge of assault
ing Mary Srrk and his bail was fixed for a
further hstTlng. Whether that hearing ever
came off has not been ascertained Where the
accused is eaunot be s-ated. Has he jumped
his bail?
II -(lnp ~ kha IL