The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-09-24
CAFE TIE MAYoA 4 FREE RIDE.

Town Boys and students ny an oia
 New Haven Resident.
 To the Editor Of the JOURNAL and CouhiEh'
 l was much interested in reading Tn recent issues of your valuable paper accounts of the riot between the town boys and students on the evening or March r. 1854. was one or those present at the riot. and also at the disturbance on the preceding evening, and perhaps the following reminiscent ces will be interesting to your many readers:
 On Thursday evening, which was the evening preceding the great riot ther' was a variety entertainment In the old American hall over where Ferry's ba- kery now is. A great many compli- mentary tickets were given out to the firemen and others of the town boys When the entertainment was over ahe the boys had come down Into the stree' some of them proposed going to Ho mans Atheneum and waiting until th. students came out and then haVins some fun with them. The unfortunate Patrick o'Neil was the ringleader or the crowd. A part of those who were in the crowd refused to have anything to do with the affair and went home There were about half dozen left, who went up to the Atheneum, which was in the Exchange building. TWO fellows took their station, one on each side of the Church street entrance. One of them improvised q sling-shot from his handkerchief. which he tied to his wrist When the students came down the stairs the fellow with the sling-shot shot at the first one, while the one on the other side of the door pitched in with his fists. The students were taken by surprise and scattered in every direction. Meanwhile quite crowd had gathered and there was more or less disturgance. Special Con- stable Graham arrested the writer, but some one present said he had seen me in the Atheneum and so the captain let me go. About ten on each side were locked up for the night, among them being O'Neil. They were all let go in the morning.
 The next day preparations were made on each side for the fight which all expected in the evening. There were between twenty-five and fifty students at the Atheneum in the even- ing, and the rest of the space was crowded with town boys and their ad- herents When all had made their exit from the theater the students started up Chapel street on the side opposite the Green, while the town boys kept along on the other side. When the students reached Temple street they commenced to trot O'Neil shouted out Come on, boys. We'll run 'em into their coop" and he rushed across the street at the students. Suddenly he fell back and cried out, Boys, I'm stabbed" We picked him up and car ried him down to the Glebe building, where the watch house then was. Some one then raised the alarm of fire and others rushed for the cannons be- longing to the Blues, which I always supposed were housed down on Arti- gan street about where Stannards foundry now is, although saw another statement in your paper to the effect that they were stored on Washington Hill. They broke into a gun shop on Chapel street apd stole some powder and also into Gilbert's carriage shop on Temple street and stole some scrap iron, with which the cannons were loaded, and not stones as has been stated. When we had hauled the can mons half way up to the colleges from Temple street the mayor-Mayor Skin ner, think it was-jumped up on one of the cannons and commenced to read the riot act to us. but we did not mind him at all and kept on dragging the cannons along, thus giving the mayor a free ride. When we got up to the colleges both cannons were pointed at South college from Chapel street, and not one from College street, as has been stated. The, whole disturbance was created by not more than half a dozen men. Volunteer fire company Mo- 2, were given twenty-five or fifty dollars by the city to assist in keeping the peace. They took the money and used it for an elaborate banquet at the engine house. One of the students af- rewards told me that they were all huddled together in one of, the lower halls of South college during the at- tack, fearful of their lives, and that they did not go to bed at all during the night
 The students were fully exonerated at the time by public opinion from any blame. Student Lane was always be- lieved to have been the one who did the stabbing.
 I knew O'Neil well. We used to go to Lovells school together, and I dc not think that the statement that he was bartender Is correct. He was born and bred in this city and was about twenty-five years old.
 The students were up to many pranks
 in those days. One time l remember they stole COW somewhere and man. aged to get her up into the second story of one of the buildings in the old
 brick row. Then they put her head
 out the window and hung on her horns a pfaeard bearing the inscription
 MIX Tor Sale Here"
 SaN ONE WHO WAS THERE.