The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-08
Sewer Strikers We're Met
by PatrOIman Doe.
Wanted Fight a4d Got More
Than They Bargained For.
The Whole Crowd Forced to Flee
Before Single Blue Coat.

There is story in one Of the magazines
by that great delineator of Italian life L.
Marion Crawford, which has been run
ming for some months, and which still
leaves tho reader in doubt as to whether
the representative of order in Sicily or
| tho friends OF disorder are TO triumph.
| Officer William Il. Doe Of the Second
station finished up "a disturbance led by
Italians on Capitol Hill yesterday in
much quicker time than the representative
of tho Saracinesca family did, according
To his veracious chronici
The officer bad the advantage for there
were no thickets To be cut away from the
| battle ground. When word came TO the
Second station yesterday that the Italian
laborers who had struck on Peace street
were bound for Capitol Hill, Capt.
Stevens sent word back, I'VE will take
care of them"
The crowd of laborers marched in
double quick time and they reached the
sewer on Smith street earlier than IL was
thought they would. About l5S of them
came together around the corner of Rug
giles street on TO Smith street where Con-
tractor Lyons Is building sewer, and
where many of the fellow countrymen
of the strikers were at work. Word was
at once sent To the Second station, and
Doe was sent on his bike to the scene of
war. The men from Peace street commu-
the laborers in the employ of Contractor
Lyons. In the long walk the chief men
of the strikers had lost some of their most
convincing arguments, so the laborers
were slow to SEQ the necessity OF losing
days pay.
Then Officer Doe came upon the ground
and at the same time about 20 more
Italians who had not been able TO keep
up with the procession. The appearance
Of the officer angcred the ring leader Of
the crowd from Peace street and several
remarks ,derogatory 10 the force in gen.
eral were muttered anG fists menacingly
shaken ut the officer. He took q position
of advantage on the top of o hill that has
a steep slope into valley Of tomato
cans old shoes and other debris The
ring leader came for Doe with a greater
force than the wind blows over the
valley of Sicily, but the leader went
down after casually meeting the officers
lists, Thrice the leader returned To the
fray ana thrice lie went back; the fourth
time he got going down the bank TO the
valley fellow. lt was hard work TO stop
and Hnaily the knees weakened and then
gave way and down he rolled co the hard
bed OF old cans and such stuff at the bot
tom of the steep incline. Five or six
others of the crowd started for the officer
Some OF them reached him only to he
Knocked down the bank. others slid aewn
the bank before they reached him unwil-
time, gained his feet and the strikers
thought it best to be near their leader so
they began TO rush down the bank,
picking up stones as they did So
1t WAS hard work TO throw stones up
hill and just about this time the officer
took out his revolver and tho man nearest
him dropped a stone he was going to
throw, and quickened his pace down the
hill Another on whom the pistol was
quickly leyelled, also dropped the rock he
had and IL was a case OF rapid retreat
which the nature or the ground increased
The officer followed with the revolver
and the men started on the run an d came
back 10 more.
Other officers had been ordered TO the
scene but the battle was ended and Doe.
thin and light fellow though he is was
victor and although wanting bit of
breath unharined.
Last night at Eagle Park and Ioole-
Vile men of the southern land gathered in
small crowds and discusseds the days
work. They were not allowed to stand
long in one place by the police officers
of the Second station, BY 10 O'Clock
nearly every one in the two sections
named had gone to bed. Before the last
party to go home left the street it was
quietly explained 10 the officers by some
members that the talk of the night had
not boon of mischief but of how the men
that worked at Peace street could get
their money. Ii was another case of try
ing TO say something and mean another
as was the case in tho cleaning of the
thickct
There was no trouble among the Italians
OH Federal Hill either and the word
brought by the carriers from one section
to the other was that there had been
mistake made. Ii is stated that the
laborers who struck receive from 81. 10 To
-. 90 % day and IL is alleged that the
men suffer more from the extortlons from
their own countrymen than from the con-
tractors.
A large number Of houses in three Sec
| tions of the city are owned by men Of
! this class who many of them have by
self denial accumulated the money TO
| build them and though quick tempered
! they are now orderly and good citizens.
With crust of bread i'm their pocket
| thoy can te heard letting escape from
! their lips ms they 90 To their work IN lies
away over Capitol Hill some of the music
that has stolen into their hearts and re.
mained there since they left their sunny
homes.
The Work Progressing.
Work on all of the sewers with the ex-
ception OF the one on Pence street is
being pushed along as If nothing bad
happened, and at the one on Huntington
avenue the work will be completed in "a
day or two
At the Peace street sewer dozen or
more Italians who were driven away By
the mob Yesterday, put In an appear
ance, and told Mr.. Watson the foreman
they wanted to go To work, but were
afraid to do so as they knew they would
be done bodily harm by the rest OF the
gang n they did 80.
Mr.. Watson told a representative of The
| News this morning that he would under
| no consideration set To work any OF the
| Italians To whom was paid 40 cents day.
and would finish the work with higher
grade OF help. At the different police
stations the night men are ready To re-
spond at n moments call, and should
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