Daily Republican., 1888-07-23
ATTACK ON THE MILITIA.
OVarcrowaed "LIItio Italy" the scona
OF an InciP'snt Riot-The Meeting In
Kelly HAli-Tha Protest,


OF an Inejp'snt Riot-The Meeting In
Kelly Hali-The Protest.
A crowd OF 800 Italians attacked 8
detail OF soldiers from the encampment
early Saturday evening in PhIlAdelphls
and attempted to rescue an italian
cAmp-duty shirker, whom the soldiers
had arrested.
AT 4 o'clock IN the afternoon Second
Lieutenant A. E. MAehold, Company
A. Sd Regiment, received an order from
the ReRimentAl headquarters to visit
Philadelphia with q detail and Arrebt
Lhe thirty absent members Of the rsRI-
ment who were still In the city. He
brought two sergeants and ten men
with him and reached the Broad Street
Station between and 8 O'Clock.
From the station the militia marched
to the Sd Regiment Ermory, at Broad
and Wharton streets, where q guard of
two men were left In waiting. Lieu.
tenant MAchold then marched the rest
OF his detail TO Eighth and Carpenter,
where a man named Fernando, an ItRl'
iAn, lived and worked.
The neiGhborhood Of Eighth and Car
pointer streets is known as "LittIe
Italy" When the italian residents OF
the neiKhborhood cav the militRry
drawn up In line they concluded they
were interested in suppressInR Italian
liberty and they continued to eKpress
their dtsapproval By throwing tomato
cans and bToOmH ct the militia,
There were no policemen and the col
diers were outnumbered thirty to one,
but they did not allow that 10 depress
them. At the word Of command from
their lientenant they fixed their bAyo,
nets and forced the crowd back for
square. Having thus cleared line OF
retreat In CASE the crowd became too
atrong, the lieutenant returned TO his
original position and having sent out
scout learned that the object Of their
search was in the vicinity. The lieu.
tenant sent sergeant after him, and
whom the italian returned in the ser.
Rsants grasp the mob, now greatly In.
creased In nu bers and ugly In temper,
made . rush for the prisoner and at,
tempted = rssous.
The Lieutenant turned to his men
and said: II Intend to take that
man TO camp even II it costs you your
lives"
Tie volley Of stones, sticks and cans,
which struck both the prisoner and the
men guarding him, followed. and the
crowd came in closer. The blood was
ho wing from both the sergeAnts' fnceS
when the Lieutenant shouted: "Fix
bayonetSl CnargeI' and the soldIers
started into the crowd ct double time.
Tho Italians made q wild break for the
houses, while the biuscoats Grotted down
the street with their prisoner in front Of
their bAyontts.
After Fernando WAS taken to the
ArmOfy the detail visited . man on
Medina street. He WAS at aupper when
the Sergeant knocked at the door. Hlsl
mother said he was not ready 10 go and
the Sergeant pushed by into the house. |
The deserter was found inside and re- |
fused to go with the soldiers. Never
thsless he was arrested and taken to the |
Armory also.
Two sensrles lay in walt for Daniel |
McGurk, who drives sn ioe wagon, at . |
point overlooking place on his foe
roule, but MoG urk escaped by leaving |
his ios cart In charge OF his assistant. |
When q little later the men called ut
his house, at 7Sl Medina street, his wife
shut and barred both the front and
back doors on them. The sergeAnts
climbed the back fence only to find that
their man had flsd to Gloucester,
Over 900 Italians assembled in Kel- |
ly's Hall, at Eighth and Christian |
streets, yesterday afternoon and lis
tened Attentively 80 series of fervid |
speeches delivered by members Of a
delegation of their co1ntrymen from
New York and also from prominent
Italians OF Philadelphia
Professor 3. G.. 5eanrapicoo, who
presided, opened the meeting with the
announcement that its object was TO
protest against the action Of q clique in
New York known rs the ItAlisn Society
OF Emigration and Rlao to express q
hope that the Congress Of the United
States would not pass any law RESTRICT
ing the immigration Of Italians only.
DIR. Abtuzzo was the 6rst speaker. |
1--WE wish to protest." he said, "sgainBt
the assertion made by OHE enemies in
New York and here that we ere dis
posed to DO revolutionary in our methods
and ungrateiul IN our nature. We know
our standing In this country. We have
TO work for our living and obey Ameri.
can laws, and act as far as In Us lies
after the manner of good American
citizens. We ask only for Justice. We
are a oivl!izsd peo lle, with history Of
which any nation might even be proad,
and we do not wish to DO placed on the
same footing as the unGiVllized and
bArbarous Chinose. But the idea Of our
even medttatinR any rsoouss to force to
maintain our rights In this free country
is absurd, ard thoss who charge us
with any such purpose, lie, and lie
bAssly."
The following resolutions were then
put by the chairman to the meetingand
unanimously passed:
"FlrBt, Thh. this meeting condemns
the action Of the Italian Society OF Em
iRration In humilisting the name OF
Italy rs the lsnd of slaves and pGdreDs.
"Seeond, That this meeting, obeying
the laws Of this glorious republic, prays
and hopes that no law of ostracism shall
be passed for italian emigration as oon-
trary to the liberty and civilization Of
tbIB republic,