The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-21
RED SILK GARTERS.
Prize Waltz Postponed on the Manager
Being Stabbed.

Lincoln Hall, at 216 East Ninety-eighth
street, New York, is in the heart OF ne
gro colony. A ball is held in the hall
every Tuesday and Friday and is well
patronized by men and women OF all
shades of color. A pair Of red silk garters
with silver buckles was TO have been
awarded to the best woman dancer on
Tuesday night.
The entire evening was spent by the
dusky belless.in ..endeavoring to select part
ners best fitted TO lead them 10 victory
and the red garters in the prize waltz,
which was to take place at II 80 a. m.
Hattie Banks, aged %, and her widowed
sister, Alice Hammond, aged "a years, OF
l0i East Ninety-eighth street, were among
the aspirants for the prize. So was Julia
Brooks, who depended upon Buck Car
son, her favored lover, to help her win
the prize.
Carson was one Of the best dancers on
the floor. and had been in such demand
that Julia had scarcely had a chance TO
dance with him at all, but she rested con-
tented in the belief that no other charm
er could win from her the chance TO dance
for the garters with Carson. Hattie
Banks danced with Carson a waltz pre-
ceding the prize dance, and she set about
keeping Carson beside her and winning
him away from Julia.
She led him aside and was leaning In
languishing fashion against him while
telling how she could almost love so good
a dancer when Julia came along and dis
covered what was going on.
She swooped down on her rival and
struck her. In an instant the hall was in
an uproar. Alice started 10 the assistance
of her sister.
Someone else championed the cause of
Julia and several men took hand in it
on general principles.
Leon Peterson, the ball manager, on
being told that the sisters were the cause
of the riot, started TO remove the cause
as the quickest way of curing the effect.
Friends helped him in the interest of
reace, and Hattie and Alice were hustled
into the street, while the company follow
ed to see the end of the eviction. 1t
proved more serious than they had antici-
pated. Some one handed Hattie knife.
She made lunge at Peterson's face with
it and cut his nose nearly off. She struck
again and this time the knife sank to
the hilt in Peterson's breast Just above
the heart.
He fell to the ground, and while the
spectators crowded around to ascertain
why, the two sisters slipped out of the
crowd and fed. There was a yell for the
police when the crowd saw blood stain
ing Peterson's head and clothing. Police
men Goosky and Haugh heard the uproar
and ran up. They summoned DR.. Opdyke
from Harlem Hospital, and leaving the
wounded man in the surgeons care, hur-
ried away in search of the two sisters.
They found them trying to hide in the
areaway of their residence, having seen
the police hurrying up while they were
trying TO open the front door. Hattie
Banks admitted the stabbing. "He put
us out of the hall when he had no right
to, and was using us fearful rough. Some
one handed me knife. and struck him
with it. He amt much hurt, is he?n she
said. Both the gilrs were locked up, and
were remanded in Harlem court.
Peterson refused to go TO the hospital,
although DR.. Opdyke considered his con-
dition serious. He was removed to his
home at 203 East l03d street. The stab
bing postponed the prize waltz indef-
nitely.