The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-20
The Passing of the TOughS
and Plug UglieS.
A Severe Lesson Given to
Federal Hill Fighters.
Sallie's Last Battle--A Rhyme by a
Wielder of the Brush.

The observing citizen has had occasion
befoie this to remark the radical change
that has come over certain sections of the
city during the last two or three decades.
Federal Hill, for instance, is no longer
the dangerous place it was and the bull
les who once fiourished there terroriz-
ing the law abiding and peaceful and
giving trouble to the police sesm to have
sought new pastures or to have forsaken
their old habits of lawessness and vio-
lence. With the exception of an occa-
sional eruption in "Little Italy" that
section is now as quiet and orderly as any
in the city. Then there were snowtowD
and dogtown with their fight loving pop
ulation OF which today only the name re-
mains while that once busy, noisy and
registering eminence known all over
these plantations as Corkey Hill has been
actually blotted from the municipal map,
and has disappeared with its rickety
houses and foul smelling pig pens. In
deed no where in Providence to Jay can be
found the same aggregations of roughs
and tougns who once carried things with
high hand over peaceably disposed
citizens and came into frequent and Of
times disastrous collision with the police.
There Is no doubt that this passing OF
the bully and bruiser is in the main due
to the efforts of the police, to their con-
stant watchfuiness, greater efficiency
and the display OF personal courage and
determination in dealing with the fell
lows of lighting propensities. But this
change for the better has not been
achieved without the teaching of some
very severe lessons, the learning or which
has on occasions involved the loss OF
human life. Federal Hill was one OF the
frst places to have impressed upon II the
fact that peace and good order were to be
maintained even at the cost OF shedding
blood and from the time of the killing
of Sallie notorious bruiser of that local
ity there has been less disposition there
to interfere with officers In maintaining
good order. Up to 1854 the denizens OF
Federal Hill had frequent collisions with
the police In which the latter were not
always victorious and not infrequently as
result OF these recurrent ARRAYS the off,
GERS were badly beaten and incapacitated
for duty for some time by the brutal on
slaughts OF the mobs.
In those days the policemen travelled
In pairs and in 1854 the two assigned for
and Frances. Between 10 and IL o'clock
one night they noticed an unusually
large gathering OF people on the street
and on going to the place found a man
named Sallie, who was fighting drunk,
beating q woman. Sallie was oruered TO
stop and did 80. Then he VISA told to go
home and started with the woman, the
two watchmen following to see that he
did not again attack her. salIie and his
companion entered a house and Snow
and Frances remained outside some time
10 see whether or not Sallie would renew
his attack on the woman. As oil appeared
to be quiet they started away, but had
gone but short. distance when the cries
of the woman arrested them. Sallie was
assaulting her and she was crying for
help saying that unless the officers inter-
fered she would be murdered. Snow and
Francis hurried back TO the house and Just
as they reached IL Sallie and man named
Magee rushed from 1t. Magee struck Fran
els heavy blow on the head which
Knocked the officer down while mt the
same time Sallie seized Shows club and a
desperate struggle between the two men
began. From nearby houses crowd
quickly gathered which helped sallie and
Mc0ee. Stones were hurled ut the strug-
glfnR.ofbcers and they were beaten about
the head with sticks and any other wea-
pon that came TO hand. Snow received a
blow on the head which rendered him all
but unconscious, while Sallie, with whom
he was clinched kept shouting, "l'll kill
you, SNOW" And indeed u looked as
though there would be NO other outcome
TO the ARRAY.
Finally Snow succeeded in getting his
rsyoiyer from his pocket and pointing II &C
Ssilie told him II he didn't stop he WOULD
shoot. e2llie cidr't stop, however. but
renewed the attack with increased Jury
while another yolley Of stones came from
the crowd. Snow had no chance 10 get
assistance. His partner, Frances, was in
~ deeperete plight rs himself. struR.
Cling On The ground with Msgse In vain
snecayor 90 Tree himself from the iafter's
tfr.bic grip 1hen II was that Snow
med has wtopon. Ssllie released his hold
and toe oflicer gained rvs feet. No sooner
had he cone 30 than Magee, Ieay-