Morning journal and courier., 1893-08-17
RIOT ACT WAS READ.

Men Employed by the Consolidated Road and the Employees of the EIec- tric Road and the Citizens of North Abingdon Indulge in n Free Fight The Fire Department Was Called Out Hut It Did Not Do Much Serv- Ice, the Laborers Cutting the Hose. NORTH ABINGDON, Mass, Aug. 16.-
 North Abingdon passed through success
 sion of scenes this afternoon such as was
 never witnessed in Plymouth county and
 such as every inhabitsnt hopes will never
 happen again. This morning after the
 selectmen had given orders to the officials
 of the New York, New Haven and Hart
 ford road to take up the blind track which
 they had laid during their fight with the electric road or when the town would take it up, open hostilities commenced.
 The officials of the electric road and their counsel went to Boston to apply for an in- junction to restrain the Consolidated road from preventing them from laying the rails across the crossing at North avenue. The gangs of the railroad were kept near the crossing ready to block any move of the electric road. Superintendent San born, who had charge of the forces, spent his time mainly in the telegraph office in communication with the higher officials at Boston, and large crowd had gathered in the forenoon, anticipating trouble.
 Shortly after 1 o'clock Superintendent Sanborn came out and told Roadmaster Bryant to carry out his orders. Bryant called his men up and they came with shovels, picks, axes, crowbars, etc. In a mo that the nrdara tear up so much of the electric tracks ss projected from Railroad avenue to the tracks of the Consolidated. As the rail road men began work Road Commissioner Wright approached Superintendent San born and informed him he was an officer of the town and as such warned him against touching any paving or tracks on the public highway. Sanborn replied:
 ''I will take the risk" and the work be- gan. As the Consolidated men began their work three officers each reached for a man to arrest This the men resented and the Italians rushed in force upon the officers used freely and the Italians drove the citi- zens down North avenue. The fire alarm was rung and hose No 2 turned out and putting two streams on drove the Italians back. They could not stand water. As they got to the crossing they pulled the gate tenders house down and into the road, using 1t as barricade.
 The fire boys made it 80 lively for the Consolidated men that they rallied and charged, and the rocks flew in every di- rection, hundreds of dollars worth of plate glass being smashed In 8 few minutes, and not only those engaged in the battle, but spectators were injured. Among those knocked down was Superintendent San born. In the fight Inspector Bailey and Roadmaster Bryant were arrested.
 The Italians got the best of the morgan izsd force, and cut the hose in pieces and broke the nozzles. A truce was then de- clared, Superintendent Ssnborn calling off his men, although they stayed around for new orders.
 The selectmen sent to Boston to Chief Wade and he and large posse of state officers came out on an afternoon train. There also came President Reed of the electric road and Judge Kelley. They brought with them the injunction which has been granted by Judge Barker of the supreme court. The papers were served on Superintendent Sanborn and he sent his men to their trains and gave up the fight. President Reed gave Contractor Barnes orders to lay the electric track and after Chief Wade and his men had come down and cleared passage work began st just 5 o'clock.
 Deputy Sheriff Cushman read the riot act to the crowd, and most of them dis persed, after seeing that the electric road had won.
 Officer Hollis served a warrant upon Superintendent Sanborn and locked him up. He was later bailed out, together with Bailey and Bryant, NJ. N. Arnold, a director of the electric road, going bail.
 During the riot about twenty persons were more or less hurt, two receiving bullet wounds, but no fatal results are feared.