The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-05-09
Wild SUNDAY RIOT
A Mob of New York Toughs
Make Havoc in WeehaW-
ken's Streets.
A RESULT OF OPEN SALOONS
They Come to Play Ball and Drink
Citizens Robbed and the
Police Beaten.
A RESULT OF OPEN SALOONS

A mob Of New York toughs held Wee.
hawken in state of seige for two hours
yesterday evening. Every Sunday there
comes from New York city swarms of
hoodlums who take possession of the
empty lots on Willow avenue and there
play ball, drink beer and generally make
the street very unpleasant for passersby.
The police force of Weehawken is not
large, and the authorities are rather
liberal in their idea of the Sunday laws,
and this weekly influx of unpleasant
humanity has hitherto been borne in
patience. The quieter of Weehawken's
residents have long chafed at this turning
of their town into stamping ground for
such people. but nothing was done to
abate the evil. Yesterday the town
reaped the consequences of its supiness.
HORDES OF HOoDLUMs
All the afternoon the West Shore and
Fourteenth street ferryboats brought over
loads of young men weighed down with
bats Of both kinds. and by four o'clock
half dozen ball games were In progress,
and at least five hundred men were on
the ground. A few Weehawken men
were among the number only looking on.
There had been several fights during
the afternoon. all of which amounted to
g few black eyes. only. But at
of a ball game felt tug at his watch
chain. John Shoffrey of Weehawken
was standing hear, and he shouted
to the man whose watch WIS in danger.
This man, whose name is not known,
seized the tough ana Shoffrey attempted
crowd gathered around threateningly.
and Shoffrey. seeing he saw
surrounded, released the tough,
broke through the crowd and started run.
ming up Willow avenue. A gang of about
fifty followed him shouting oaths and
stone. Still on run they chased the
parting fugitive until almost exhausted.
ne stumbled into the hallway and fell
tired out on the stairs. Policeman Gal
laher, who was not on duty saw the
crowd. and was in the hallway before them
Shoffrey, his coat open. showing his badge,
and his fist cHnched-he had no pistol or
club-and warned them back.
AT BAY.
They stood at the doorway, painting and
putting, glaring sullenly at the two men
within. They had hardly turned away
when Detective Gaugher and Policeman
realized the condition Of affairs,
and with Gallagher and Shoffrey
ran to the lots. Thg1e man who after
wards gave his name as Barney kerrigan
GaIgher seizedE Ehim and tne mob closed
around. A stohe whizzed BY the officers
and then another and another.
The crowd closed in around
the policeman and tried to grasp Kerri-
gan's arm to rescue him. Gaugher twisted
his left hand in his prisoners coat collar
and drew his 23 calibre revolver. which
he thrust in the sullen faces near him.
The men fell away befor the pistol barrel,
and Gaugher pushed his man toward the
street.
A storm of curses arose from the toughs,
and they started to rush toward the police
men. Then Tighe drew his pistol and
said, "In kill any man who comes
nearer"
Again the crowd fell back. The two
policemen again started up the street.
PANDEMoNIUM LOOSE.
All this time there were several smaller
fights in the crowd. Many watches were
stolen and when the owners tried to
catch the thieves these toughs used
baseball bats or anything at hand
The residents along the Boule-
ward heard the muttering Of the APP
children in and locked their doors. Still
up the street marched the policeman.
Snoffrey was tagging behind and then
some of the toughs recognizing
him seized him and began to beat him
numerically. He shouted. and the police
turned back and drove off the mob at the
point of their pistols. Soon the alarm
was raised, "The reserves are out.
A squad Of police is coming"
This made the threatening mob q panic
stricken rout and they turned and fed to-
ward the ferries.
When the policeman landed Kerrigan
they went to the Fourteenth street ferry,
but nearly all the toughs had
escaped by this time. john
Kelly had not escaped, however, and he
was arrested at the ferry gate. He pro-
tested his innocence and said he merely
defended himself.
Both prisoners were held this morning.
Mayor Kelly saws there will be no more
Sunday gatherings OF toughs in Weehaw-
ken.