Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-26
THE BATTLE or YORK AVENUE.
Accounts OF an Encounter Between
Women and the Plugging OF Boy

Accounts OF an Encounter Betwee n
Women and the FtoEging of Boy
from ire Ns,5 York Sun.
York avenue begins at dust heap IN
New Brighton. near the ferry, and ends at
another dust heap at the summit OF a
range of bare and stony hills that are
given over to bare-legEed urchins and
goats. One side OF York avenue contains
a stone sidewalk, over which tower few
dust-colored frame buildings. The other
side is vacant. 1t was on York avenue
that Alright took place the other day. This
much is frankly admitted, but about the
other facts there is a wide divergence OF
statement.
at was on Saturday afternoon said
Mrs. McGuucuddE in speaking of the
affair. II was sitting IN me parlor sew
ing and the childer was playing IN the
sthreet There was me boy Eddie, Patsy
sullivan, and several others. heard
them ENJOYING themselves for about half
an hour. as near as | can reckon. Then l
heard some wan say:
al kin lick ye.'
sit was the voice of me son, Eddie.
Now. | never let that boy fight. ] always
whip him for it. and when ! heard some
boy give yell took an old barrel staye,
and went out There was a erowd In the
road as if there WAS dog fight going on.
There were lot OF men from the village
standing around in a ring. ! broke
through the crowd and seen four boys roll
ling in the dust. ] reached for my boy and
hauled him out. HI was so black with
dirt wouldn't ha' known him except he
the patch in his pants. Without waiting
TO wash him, | gave him whipping aell
remember till the day be dies. Then l
went back home again. A few minutes
afterward Mrs. sullivan, next door, came
in without knocking.
"'Mrs. McGill cuddy,' says she.
"'You didn't knock. ma'am,' says /,
reminding her Of her duty.
"'What did We mean by hogging me
boy Patsy says she.
al didn't says |.
eyer a liar saws she.
"And then, without waiting for me to
make a reply, she hit me with a fiatiron
she had concealed under her apron, and
Pm just out of bed with the injury"
"ldont know whether Ii was a Saturday
or a SUNDAY, but / think IL was" observed
Mrs. sullivan when questioned concern
ing the affair 81 was at work in me
kitchen-I take n few summer bOarders,
list for cOmpanv's sake-Whin wan Of me
neigh bOrs came IN and told me that Mrs.
McGillicuddy had whipped me boy Patsy
for fighting. Now, / never let Patsy
fght. HIS father was killed wan election
day in fight. But TN not let any wO-
man bate my child whin am well and
able to do it myself. So ! called on Mrs.
McGlllicuddy and axed her what she
meant By touching little Patsy. / was as
quiet and smiling as If 1 was passing the
time of day.
al niver touched yer brat,' said she,
angry like.
"'Mrs. McGillicuddy,' saws l. 4 think
you must be abOring undher a mistake
81 spoke as lady-like as if we was at an
evening swarie.
Eyer Harp says she.
"And then she up and give me the butt
Of a broomstick. Nlver a blow did l
strike at all, and Pm jist down sick over
the narvous shock 1t give me system.
When l found that she wasn't going to
trate me Ike a lady went home. Inside
or an hOur l heard great CHATTER and
noise in the road. looked out and there
saw those boys a-ighting again. l
picked up a little strap and whit out.
could hear my Patsy at the bottom of the
heap a-yelling bloody murder. ! couldn't
see the face OF him, but / caught him by
the leg and hauled him out.
"'Take that, you little divvilr said, as
made the dust fly wild me strap. You lit
tie bratl I'll teach you to fight ike COM
mon tarrierp"
81 padded him good. ASH sit here that's
the truth.D
my boy Johnny" said Mrs. Edward
Patterson, who lives in the neighbOrhOod,
WAS playing In York avenue the other
afternoon. he often plays with the boys
who live there. He is Is years old.
Sneak little lower, please; he is in bed
IN the other room, just getting over his
slnjuries. AS l was saying, he was play
Ing in York avenue, when one OF the boys
suggested a wrestling match. After they
began playing some OF the older bows
came up and made a ring. While they
were wrestling Johnny SAYS a strange
woman rushed out and grabbed him by
the coat collar. and beat him with club
until he could hardly breathe. Then she
went away, and he ran of with the other
boys. Poor little fellow, he was so sore
he could hardly move. After while the
same boys got around him again and
called him cry baby and a coward, and
they began wrestling again. The strang-
est part Of this is that they had not been
PLAYING more than a minute when anoth-
er woman rushed out and swo0ped down
on poor little Johnny. She called him all
manner OF names, and beat him with a
strap until he was black and blue from
head 70 foot. / have made inquiries in
the neighborhOOd. but can get no reason
why the poor child was so maltreated He
says two Irish women beat him, and il her
husband was not out Of town they would
hear from hlm.''
SIXTY MINUTES IN AMERICA.