The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-04-24


burg about II o'clock Saturday night
and reached Wheolingtwelve hours later
was the most dsgraceful and immoral
crowd ever turned loose on an unsus'
peCting community, Drunkenness pre-
vailed almost universally, and worse
vices were almost as common, Fights
were frequent on the boat, and man
who left it here and returned by rail
said the cabin looked like slaughter
house. Others described it as more
like a pig pen.
For two weeks past the steamer
Andes had been announced to make
the round trip from Pittsburgh to
Moundsville, leaving the former place
before midnight Saturday, and return
ing about daylight this morning. The
fare for this long ride was but 80 cents,
which was enough OF q pointer as to the
class OF people who would be on the
boat, and 1t was early predicted that a
tough crowd would be aboard.
The predictions all paled into insig-
nitlcauce in face Of the facts, The
crowd was SO rough, rowdyish and
drunken that the Great Western band,
which accompanied it, left thSaboat at
SteubenYllle and returned to Pitts.
burgh by rail, refusing to proceed
farther. The leader said he wanted to
get home alive and take his band back,
Before that the head OF the bass drum
had been kicked in, bass horn thrown
into the river aud one or two other in.
struments battered up badly.
There were about ninety fights be.
tween Pittsburgh and Steubenville. AT
SteubenVille eight or ten toughs set on
ono man, and to escape them he leNped
into tho river. 1t was said that he was
drowned, but this report was afterwards
denied. The facts could not be ascor-
tanned.
Nobodywas allowed to land at steu.
henville but the band. From that town
to Wheeling there were seventeen more
bloody fights.
When the boat reached this city at
least half OF the $50 excursionists must
have gotten oil. Chief OF Police Nc.
Nichol had read in the Pittsburgh
papers that the round trip rate was but
half dollar, and correctly sizing up
the sort OF crowd that would draw, he
ordered all the night us well as day
police who were available to be on
hand. The precaution was wise. He
also warned soloon keepers that II they
were open they would be hauled up.
The saloon keepers closed tight, for
prudential reasons. The crowd that
took the town when the boat landed
would have demolished everything OF
value in an ordinary saloon.
All were apparently OF the tough class.
There were blacks and whites. Ameri.
cans and foreigners, old people and
young ones, male and female, and near.
ly all were drunk.
Tho patrol wagon was kept in almost
constant service, and was not un-
hitChed after it made its first trip, about
noon.
First Officers Terrill and 0'Brien
picked up Dave Jones and William
Donnelly, both very drunk.
Next W. l.. Sidebottom wandered into
IN Eotf street house and would not leave
when ordered To-. Officer Creighton
brought him into camp. After that all
the EoE street landladies were fright.
ened and kept their houses tightly closed.
Officer Porter shortly bagged three.
They were Pete Tracy, charged with
disorder, who also abused the officer,
and second charge was lodged against
him; John Evans. disorderly. and John
Williams, on the same charge.
Then Tom Cornell was put in by
Lieut., Terrlll on charge Of committing
nuisance in public.
Charles swaney was locked up by OH.
Ger Herbert for disorder.
James Gallagher became disorderly
ut the Pewiky station, and when officer
Ritz demonstrated, he struck the Off.
GER. He was hauled in also, and two
charges lodged against him.
1t was generally predicted last night
that the mayor would sock it to" these
prisoners this morning in such way as
to discourage repetitions Of yesterdays
drunken invasion. 1t was also the gem
eral opinion that the police ought to
have arrested at least four times as
many OF the drunken rowdies as they
did. Two men fell on the railroad
track on the wharf within q hundred
feet OF where six or eight officers were,
and wAlowed around in the mire, but
were not arrested, though 1900 or 1000
people witnessed the disgraCetul eXhibi-
ton. Men so drunk they could scarcely
keep on their feet were numerous on tho
street. Foul and profane language was
heard everywhere and tho streets were
for hours almost as bad as the boat.
To have made an example Of eighty or
one hundred OF those people would have
done great good for the future.
The fact that about 200 OF the passon.
gers left tho boat here and returned to
Pittsburgh by rail speaks volumes. The
Panhandle agent sold over 100 tickets,
tho Baltimore & Ohio about as many,
and q number OF Steubenville people
returned on the Wheeling & Lake Erie
road.
SO rough a crowd was mover soon DO.
lore. Windows were broken on the
boat, the balusters had holes kicked in
them, stAteroom doors were kicked
open and women pulled out OF their
bcrths into tho cabin, whore, as In tho
privacy OF the rooms, all sorts OF dis.
gushing immortality were prNcticed. II
was n revelation to people in this part
OF tho valley, that Pittsburgh, whose
newspapers arc constantly holding UP
TO score tho "lawlossnoss" OF WOat Wiz.
ginia, could produce n crowd Of $50 per.
sons, tho ma orityof whom woro less
civilized and decent than the moon.
sinners OF tho Widest county Of tho
Mountain State.
Tho officers Of tho boat woro In uni.
form and armed with bludgoons, and
many u head wns cracked In their
efforts to keep tho peacc"--oF "BavO
the pieces"