The morning times., 1897-03-04
BRUTALLY BEAT A BOY
Visiting Philadelphia Clubmen'
Disgraceful Act.
Board an Avenue Cable Car by
of Its Passengers.

A portion of Pennsylvania contingent
Of paraders who are here to assist in the
inaugural ceremonies began the hilarity
for which they gained considerable Unenvia-
bic notoriety, not TO say censure, on former
inaugurals, as soon as they reached town
yesterday afternoon by boarding an Avenue
car and brutally beating one of the pasSen-
gers. Yesterday afternoon the Avenue
was thronged and crowded, and the cable
cars were loaded to their fullest capacity,
when the Continental Club, OF Philadel-
phia, several hundred strong, started out
to exhibit themselves.
Il was about 4 80 when they crossed
Seventh street, stylishly dressed in long
dark gray overcoatS, high silk hats, Kid
gloves, and presenting a respectable ap-
pearance They We're headed 10y brass
band, which was playing national airs as
they marched past an Avenue car, which
had stopped near Eighth street TO admit
some passengers. A young man about
twenty years OF age was seated on the
grip car close to the paraders, and care
lessly and thoughtlesly beating time with
a small penknife which he was toying
with in his hands. A S if by accident, so
the witnesses of the affair say, the knife
slipped fIon the young mans hand and
narrowly graZcd the coat of a large,
| fIeshy man who was walking close to the
car. The man was not injured in any way
| but members of the club to the number OF
thirty or more, jumping on the car and
seizing the unfortunate youth, beat him
| in a horrible manner.
The defenseless boy crouched down be-
tween the seats, hut could secure no pro-
lection In their efforts TO get at him, the
ruffians injured several other passengers,
| One old lady, whose name could not be
| learned. was struck a stunning blow over
the head by one of the men. because she
| attempted to interfere in the boys be
half, and a man who came to his as
| sistance, was treated in a similar manner.
While q dozen or more members of the
culh were beating the boy until the blood
| streamed from several wounds upon his
| head and face, several others seized the
gripman and held him so that he could not
| start the car until they had avenged them
selves.
The affair was done so quickly and came
so unexpectedly that the young man had
been severely injured before he was res
| cued. Before the police could arrive the
| toughS had deslSted ana permitted tne cal
to move on, while they resumed theil
| march.
The Young man was cared for by his
friends, and take n TO his home on X street,
but late last night his name could not b.
learned The passengers on the train were
| hi ghly indignant at the conduct of the Con-
tinental Club, and maintain that the bo.
was entirely innocent Of any intention to
harm the marchers None OF the names
could be learned, except that the big man
who was hit by the knife was called
Harry
The members of the Continental Club ar,
lodging in their cars at the Baltimore an,
Ohio depot, and none Of them was to b
found last night to say anything regarding
the affair. The incident, however, recalle'
the former actionof the Pennsylvania troop
on the occasion of Cleveland's inaugural.