Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-02
WORRIED BY WOMEN.
Alderman Kerr holds the Scales of
Justice Between Wrathy
ITALIANS AND IRISH AT WAR.
A Lswrsneeville Fence Brings Neighbors
Into Hostility.
CASES DISPOSED OF BT THE 'sQUIREs

Alderman Kerr, of the Fifteenth ward,
once expressed regret that his early pre-
ceptors had not inculcated him with a
knowledge of the Italian tongue, but he is
less ardent in the matter now; he heard
enough of that sibilaLt language last even
ing-and incidentally quite enough tongue,
too-to make up for the deficiency. He
thinks now. that if he had only lived in
Venice a few centuries ago that he would
have made q very excellent Doge. There is
one italian lady, though, who might not
agree with him.
Pretty nearly one-haIf Of the Italian col
ony which has its habitat in Howard lane,
nesr Boquet street, cheek by jowl, as it
were, with the best of Pittsburg's blue
blood, assembled in the Aldermsn's Office
last evening. The spirit of strife had de-
scended in their midst, and discord reigned
where melody held sway. In short, Sig
nora Fidele Voccala told Winnie Goggins
what she thought Of her in very unmistak-
able language, though it was in italian,
and Winnie knows naught of that speech.
Called Too Many Names.
Winnie is an Irish girl, or her parents
are of that nationality, and she is the only
foreigner" in the italian colony. She
told Alderman Kerr last evening that
Signora Voccala had called her an immense
number of names which she (Wiunie) would
not like to repeat before "His Honor"
"How do you know what Mrs. Voccala
called you, if you don't understand
Italian?" asked the Squire.
"Ohl saw her say Them" said Winnie,
sand, besides. my husband Jim told me
what she said"
"JIm," whom Winnie saws is her hus-
band, is an Italian shoemaker named Gior-
gisni, who lives in the same house as Mrs
Goggins. He is called Jim Grogan' as
compromise with his proper name, but Win
ME elects to an Interpretation of her own,
and calls herself Goggins. Anyway, Jim
entirely corroDorated everything that his
spouse swore to- and threw upon Signora
Voccala the onus of disproving the charge
of calling Mrs. Goggins some very unpleas-
ant names.
The signora's defense was that Mrs Cog
gins was not one whit better than Mrs.
Goggins. and the less Mrs. Goggins said
about that lady the better would she appear
in the eyes of the world in general, and the
Italian colony in particular. The signora
related to the Squire how Mrs. Goggins had
only recently returned from sojourn with
friends in the retirement of Claremont, and
that she had no relatives in the colony who
had any claim upon her. She wanted the
rooms which Winnie occupied, and that
was why the lady brought her into court.
Made Mrs. Goggins Very Mad.
Mrs. Goggins was very wroth when the |
signora cast doubt upon her title to the |
protection afforded by Jim Grogan, and |
with much declamatory eloquence and tum-
bled hair, told the Squire that the Italians |
had torn up her marriage certificate while |
she was in retirement. At this point the
two factions of Italians were about ready to
descend upon each other, when Squire
Kerr rose to the occasion and the floor, and
declared the case proven, fning Signora
Voccala So and costs for being disorderly |
and calling names. Then the seance closed,
and the belligerents retired into the OBJ
scurity and gloom whence they came.