The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-17
END NEWS
Officer Briggs Successfully Deals
With a Gang of TOughs.
Several Badly Frightened individuals Call
on the Police for Assistance.
THE NEWS BUREAU. J
NORTH En-. s26 BRANCH AVENUE
Telephone Gl.A

The present week was ushered in ia a
pretty lively manner for the police at the
Second station, and mounted officer VIII
liam III. Briggs had q decided impression
that things were coming his way. About
L. o'clock yesterday morning he saw
three Italians, who were decidedly ugly
and noisy, standing on Charles street, a
short distance north of Branch avenue.
He told them IN a quiet and easy way to
60 to their homes. They did not seem
disposed TO do so, n no repeated his re-
quest and still il was not complied with.
The officer, be ieving IS was best TO have
the men disperse with rs little trou bic as
possible, again repeated the suggestion
that there was no place like home, and
the men this time pretended 10 adopt the
suggestion and the officer went to attend
to other duties. But the stiffness OF the
night was again broker in a few moments
by the angry disputes OF the three men.
Officer Briggs retrned TO where the men
were and tney showed night. AS the
officer dropped from his horse he saw
that one of the patry named Tomaeco
Collie had q large sized rock in one OF his
hands, and then officer Briggs went for
him, but the fellow fired the rock and
then ran about as fast as he knew how.
The officer followed him and caught up
with his would-bc assailant. Then just
as Ion asco was grabbed by Briggs the
two other Italians, who gave the names OF
Nicola Gonna and Pemma Gospia, attacked
the officer with sticks and stones. They
began this work in lively style but Briggs
was decidedly rapid and while holding on
10 Tomasco with one hand he used MS
club fiercely on the other two. One OF
the latter dropped after a well directed
blow from the club I'm Briggs hand and
later on the other fell cursing TO the
ground by a neat trip given by the patrol
pnan Then officer MRianVprn Cnmn 70 tho
~latter's assistance and the man on the
ground was secured and the patrol wagon
was summoned.
The two officers got the three disturhers
of the peace into the wagon and officer
McGovern looked officer Briggs over for
bruises, but found hat the officer was
Just as handsome and as sound as when
he left the station early in the evening.
The three men were locked up In the
station.
On the way to the latter a drunk was
picked up, who. when he heard the
officers telling of the affair, for fear his
fellow prisoners had not been punished
enough for their cowardly work, wanted
to lick them over sgain. lie was made
to understand that everybody on the team
was satisfied.
Shortly after the above affair had been
duly recorded in the station about a half
dozen Russian Hebrews rushed into the
station apparently in a very excited state
Of mind and Lieutenant Murray for q few
moments could not make out what the
trouble was about. One of the visitors
finally informed him that the windows of
Myer Wishonsky's tenement al z Borva
street had teen broken by rocks, fired at
it by unknown Parties. The teller of
the tale and his companions appeared to
be afraid hat the attack on the part of
the window-breaker would lie followed
up by something worse.
Officers Bates and Briggs were sent out
TO investigate, and they by some sharp
questioning found that Myer and Abra-
ham Meshonsky and benjamin Goldste n,
three OF the parties who won't to the STA
ton, thought one Levi Fisher had a
grudge against them and might have
thrown the rocks out of pure cussedness.
Levi was said to live across an alley and
IL was found that O window was open in
the house hat Myer and his friends
pointed to. Tke officers went to the house
where the open window was and found a
man in bed who claimed to know nothing
of the trouble md the room with the open
window was found to be unoccupied.
Shortly after midnight several men who
gave vidence OF having been moving
down Gladstone avenue at a rapid gait
walked into the station and as soon as
they recovered their breRths they started
in to tell a direful tale of revolution.
They all knew what Nj bilists were years
ego, they had seen their actions in a far
IVA laAh ~ hOCOAN hhCRo WV lObA
of Information OF historic interest they
might have givrn had not Lieutenant
Murray reminCei them their present
home was in the United States. Then
they became calm and told the lieutenant
tcat some one was manufacturing eGplo-
sives st 8 Evans street, and that the
quiet people of the n~eighborhood were
afraid to go to sleep as they might have
Il u d awakening. A detail OF men
from the station went to The alleged bomb
factory, bat all they could find was an
Armenian society having a prolonged de-
bate. II is probable that the excited men
who had reported the affair at the station
forgot the fact that there was a wide
difference between bomhastic eloquence
and bombs pGre aud simple.
About coo persons attended the sacred
concest givol in Dimond hall last even
ing under the auspices of the Acme Glee
Cub and -quite a handsome sum was
realized Tor the worthy purpose for which
the affair was given.
The following interesting program was
given in a manner that was thoroughly
acceptable TO the large audience IN at
tendance.
Orchestra selection, Amphion Orches-
ira; Acme male chorus, "Oyer the Beau
titul Seal. reading, selected, Mrs.
Thomas Nichols solo, Daniel y.
duet, cornet ana trombone, Butter
field Bros. reading, selected. Mr.. John
WALSH; soprano solo, selected, Miss Hat
tie Merchant, accompanied by Mr.. Row
land Atcherly; selection, Fin dc Steele
Quarter: first tenor, Thomss Nichols:
first bass. William f.. Leib; second tenor,
James Mclaughlin; second bass, james
Barker; tass solo, selected, william Vir-
gin; reading, selected, Max shultz;
sopTauo solo "WaitinE," Willard, Mrs.
Thomas Cusick; baritone solo, Frank
Murdey; SSection, Branch Avenue Or
chestrG: Robert Dunn, first violin; John
Dunn, cornet; Master Hammond, second
violin; Cora C.egg. pianist; reading, Ed
ward Walsh; reading, j. +. Mcifugh;
trombone solo, William Buttertold; read
ing, Miss Rose Rice; chorus, "Speed Bon
ny Bark" Acme Glec Cub, accompanist,
Miss Katharine A. Benson.
Harris Crista OF so Back street was very
angry yesterday, and perhaps he had rea-
son TO be, for he purchased Saturday even
ing a keg OF lager and very early yester-
day morning some thirsty North Enders