The sun., 1873-07-25
BATTLE WITH THE POLICE.
THE PICSIC EXCURSION OF THE
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBIA.


The Kuishts Arms se,zed Their Pistsi-
Drewa--A Pslice Captain wsupAed- Re-
ta!intion by his Snbordiuateu-A struggle
Ending In BreLen Hesas.
On Mondny committee from the organ
ization styling itself "The Knights OF Colum-
bia" applied to the Police Commissioners for
permission to go on q combined picnic and
tantct excursion to Lion Park on Wednesday,
speaking Of the festival IA one of annual occur
renee. The permission was nrnnted, aud the
Knights of Columbia perfected their arrange
inents. They hired Lion Park for the day, en-
gagged Donnyan's band for The ddD. aud procured
muskcts from gun stores. The knights turned
out tweuty-oue strong on Wednesday morning,
and AFT er aomo marching and countcr r marching
through the streets, preceded by their hired
musicians, they boarded ears and went to tn
park, accomplni, Il by four or 1yo hundred adj
mirina friend. uf both sexes. There the martial
music was chantcd 10 softer airs, suited to the
The rest Of the tory Ia told by the police ~
fulIows;
INC knicn's with their wives, sisters. sweet
hearts, and friends, were bent On enjoying ther-
selves thoroughly. They began IN rrymakinS IN
tho grateful shades oi the PARK trees. aud the
ch htrining INIT TO .cuutscd bv DpnaVcn and his
assistants failed tu neVirc sufficient degree Of
joIlity,
wass, ready and effective cxpedient. AZ went
well until shortly nftcr o'clock. Then "a
lag valued at Si,1, belonging to- the company,
was missed froh tie stsn from wbith 1t had
been Hoatcd. 4 great comm otiun cnsupd. and a
search showed that one Patrick Mcklroy had
Lowered the flag. folded " M, and was travelling
IN tho direction of the Manhattan depot on the
Hudson River Railroad as fact as his legs would
carry him. Ie was soon oyertaken aud The nag
vna rrcartwed. while McElruy was treated by
the knights t. au unmcrciful druIbing. They
wound an 10y handing him over to- an orircr uf
the ManhaltauVille police. Capt. Nc Donucll. ~
the ,i"uminRdelc station, VIII" ~as Ia th' pork
IN civilian dress made an Investigation. fcariu Y
that the enraged knights milht
BEAT THE FLAG srrAIflt TO DEATH.
he sent three uf his men with the Mani rttan-
Captain Of the Knights. whose name s variously
given as Lpuuey, LunBay, and Lunly, declined
To make complaint against MrElroy and hc
was on that account permitted To ~ at Large.
The picnickcrs seemed not to relish the inter-
fcrencoof Captain Mcdonald. they styled him
. detective and inquired concerning his au-
thoritN to- inspect their festivities. He auieted
them for a ime 10y saving that he was police
man, there solely Tor tho purpose OF preventing
a breach OF the peace. But there was left a
ranking anmosity against the officers, which
later IN the evening manifested Itself by insult
OF them who was endeavoring to quiet bcllig-
erent drunken man. About six u'clock Dona-
van and his band proposed Ia close their days
work. The Knights, who by this time we're all
more Ut less
~ LtQUoR,
Indignantly protested that d" for the day meant
until the picnic was over. Dunsyan as stouty
asserted that his engagement did not call for
night work, and refused to furnish any more
music unless his men we're paid 81 each a. nd-
ditionHl compensation for additional work. the
sum demanded amounting TO goo Tue Captain
OF the Knights thcrcupon ordered his men 10
STATIC themselves on and around the mu clans
platform, and TO prevent at all hazard, any
were so many threats aud So much hard swear
ing att, Dding this alteration that Captain NJ
ponneil bean to arprehend riot lie scut to
the lcssccs ~ the park, SiNt Ludwig kapf n
sons, and directed them 60 secure all the mus
kct~ they could lay hands on and lock them mp
out Of reach. At the same time he desuatchcd
a walter TO the police station with an order for
hi- entire reserve force. seventeen men The
quarrel with the band was nj length adjusted IN
some WY, but not bc4or" one Of the knights,
who IN t-tcd that a htua check should be { ken
in payment. dropped arcvoly"ru us h. Inbutt
IA. at, and seycr.u Ithc.. had simultaneously
exhibited similar weapons.
sTEtILNG MARCH.
Cip' Mcdonnell, reserves rea he'd the park
withput the knowledge of the knights. aud
were stationed an an Outhuusc with DIRE, ttuus
Mt - present themselves until they were sig
nailed. shortly afterward one nf the picnic
party Who was not wearing "A uniform got into
an alteration with a policeman. lie vu 'kcd
himself Ito great Jury, about what II FAs IN
pu--ihc To- tNli, and ended hy mounting tile
platform and striking one Of the musicians.
Capt. Mcdonnell started 10 interfere. The COM
man-er Of the kni-hts stopagd hum with the
C,pt. Mcdonnell replied, ~ have nothing to do
VIII tue dispute between you and the band, but
! am here e. prevent y breach ~ the peace. and
viii do it lundy said that his company had
paid Tor tho grounds. and the police had no
right there. and II they did not withdraw they
. wouid Toe pitched uut Mhilo Lc was talking
one OF the Knights struck Capt. Mcdonnell IN
the right leg with the butt of a musket. aud al
the same instant another Knight rodded atm
. Ia the left side. The combined ercct ~ the tW .
blows was to PROSTATE the Captain. In falling.
he escaped blow aimed NJ his head. At this
point the reserves were signallcd. They sur
, prised the rioters In the act OF
ATTACKING THE CAPTAIN
and officers Fay and Hasgerty. Zach police man
singled out a uniformed knight ana began 10
I club him. The knights rctslatcd with their
dubbed muskets, ana for a few IN nutes a hand
to-hand battle RACED. The policemen, however,
soon established their superiority, and the
I o; them escaped with badly bruised heads.
/ MIX Hopkins, Peter Flgn, Michael Martin.
john Gillespie, and william Nandelber< were
not So lucky. iu addition TO beng trisuuully
+ beaten, they were taken to the police station,
and after her wounds had been attended 80,
| they were lock al up for the night. Yesterday
! morning thel were taken before Justice Nc
/ Uu .Ge of the Harlem Police court, and required
, 70 1--WE $50 bal! each g. keep the peace, Michael
Martin being also held for ti.al Ia the Special
/ After the park had been cleared there was
further tr' ubie IN the Eighth avenue cars among
/ the returning eAcursiousts Many Of the wumcn
! we're as much intpNicated an were the men
vino was not touched by a policeman, fell iu
! convulsions for no apparent reason except that
4 an olheer was looking AT aim,
WHAT GEN. DURYEE THINKS.
Five muskcts and ten haYonets were captured
by capt. VI, Donnel and his men, and tncN ar,
in the hands of the Property Clerk in the Police
: Central once,
rtere mere but two Commissioners In til,
Central Once yesterday, namely, Russell ana
! Duryee. when Gen. Durvee heard of the fight
he naturally said that that justihed him in Rru,
! Ing the police, and he quoted the following eN
. tract from his communication to the Governor
! on the subject:
! lrrespOHflblo armed military bodies, accustomed "a
drl anu acting unler command ~ desperate inca,
! Vt perpetual menace to the Legal suthurtttts AMI
fpruidahic source OF danger 10 socirty 1hcy cuul.
not be controlled by thc luuCr Untss thty als1 wpr
armed and trl cd. There nuucr. organization
IN the city composed quiet and wcdispos,d person
| to which these suggestions do not Apply hut II d
scarcely compatible Win puDlc safety III city nle,
with powerful dangerous class anu subject to SUD
excitement, to allow armed military organizations /,
meet drli, and attain the dsciphne Of regular
unless they we're organized undcr and by virtue lax
| aud su Jected to proper aud responsible command.
II T. probable that at their meeting to-day IN,
| Police Board will take action on the subject
aud pass a resol ition to refuse permits To targe
| companies in future.
THE WORKING BOTS' UNION