Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-19
AN ITALIAN OUTBREAK.
Desperate Battle Between POlicemel
and Unpaid Railroad LabOrers.

Desperate Battle Between Policemen
and Unpaid Railroad LabOrers.
There was an outbreak of the Italian
laborers on the Philadelphia extension OF
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Thurs
day, saws Baltimore special to the Phlla-
delphia Press, which nearly eliminated
in n serious riot Friday. The trouble Oc-
CURED on a section of the road near Aber-
deem. Hartford county, Md. Several weeks
ago the fifty Italians employed by Alex
ander Harrigan, a sub-cOntractOr under
r. j. Parliament, were left without their
wages, Harrigan going away and giving
no reason to the men for his absence.
Rev. j. w. Steele and James Pritchard,
oneof the foremen of the gang, have been
pacifying the men and obtaining assis-
lance for them, as they had no money and
were unable to return to New \ ork.
Parliament, the chief contractor, Ihurs-
dav arrived at Aberdeen with $3.50 to pay
the 81 800 due the men. They refused to
take the former amount. AS Parliament
was about to leave, a crowd of the labor
ers surrounded him and, shouting in
Italian for their rights, seized the con-
tractor, hustled him off to little frame
building on the line and locked him up in
it, swearing that they would not llberate
him unless he paid them In null. Several
of them also threatened to kill him If he
did not pay them before Friday morning.
A telegram was sent to Chief Engineer
Douglass. of the Baltimore and Ohio, ask
ing if Parliament could draw on him for
$1,000. but the request was declined. A
similar message to the First National
Bank of Hayre de Grace brought no re-
Spouse. Sheriff Walker, OF Bel Air, was
summoned. The labOrers were in a des-
perate mood, and many of them We're
armed with pistols or knives. The Sheriff
q
tv. but the Sheriff was instantly knocked
down with club, and the deputy thrown
on the floor, relieved of his pistol and
handcuffed with pair of nippers he had
i'm his own possession. While the Sheritfs
were living on the floor bound. the
Italians consulted together, and some
of them wanted to hang the officers before
dawn.
Friday morning twenty of the citizens
of Havre de Grace organized themselves
into a police force and proceeded to the
Mace. Parliament was still locked up in
the room. Rev. Mr.. Steele had persuaded
the Italians to release the Sheriffs. The
clergyman and Parliament both signed a
paper on Chief Engineer Douglass guar
antee to the effect that the money would
be paid the men in few days. At the
same time the police from Hayre DE Grace
arrived. a crowd of citizens from Bel Air
also appeared, anu Il lOICe Vi my pOllCG-
men from Baltimore were on the way.
When they saw that they were outnum-
bered. the Italians became desperate and
made a rush for the shanty to get Parlia-
ment. and if they had not been charged
upon the contractor would have, no doubt,
been seriously injured or killed. When
the police presented their reYolVers the
Iaborers got clubs and hatchets, but they
soon became demoralized and dozen of
them started to run. Charlie, the inter-
prefer, escaped, but was chased and cap
tured several miles away.
For time there was a desperate fight.
The police fired on the mob and several
of them were shot, but not dangerously
hurt. Finally, about dark Friday even
ing. most of the Italians were arrested
and taken handcuffed to Bel Air, where
they have been placed in Jail.
Thomas Holland, Deputy Sheriff, was
shot in the groin and it is feared fatally
injured. Another of the officers was also
hurt. Much sympathy is expressed for
the Italians at Aberdeen. 1t is said that
the county people have been supporting
them for some time. Parliament, the con-
tractor, is now at Havre de Grace. He
says that the Italians Interpreter informed
him about midnight that they intended to
string him up to tree to-day at noon If
hp did not nav them.