The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-04
HE LED THE BOO GANG"
TRIAL OF JOHN FERRITER TO BEGIN
AT MARTINsVILLE THIS MORNING.
Story of the killing of PatrOIman
Ware-Crimes of the Notorious
.GanE''-One Member Killed.

taken from this county on u change of
venue. Prosecutor Wiltsie, of Marion coun-
ty, will assist the prosecutor of Morgan
county. 1t was expected all along that At
torney John Rockford would assist in the
prosecution, and Mr.. Wiltsie did not look
after the states interests as he would have
done had he known he would serve in the
case. Immediately after the murder Mr..
Rockford showed great interest in the case
and rendered his services to Mrs. Ware
declaring that he would take up the work
of prosecution without charge to the widow
That was five months ago. and Mr.. Roch-
ford has done nothing in the matter Prose-
cutor WItsie learned the situation only
about a week or ten days ago and in that
time he has prepared the states case for
presentation to the jury.
A large number of witnesses have been
subpoenaed and will go from this city from
day to day as they are needed. Yesterday
the members of the police force who know
of the case were notified when to so to
Martinsville. Patrolman Bray is the only
one who will so to-day, and it is doubtful
if he will be called, for a days time may
safely be counted on for securing a jury.
Tomorrow Patrolmen Wallace, Rockford
and Eifert will go, and later Parolmen
STREET, Slate, Conklin, Stevens Holtz, Irish,
Asch and, Kemple will go.
STORY OF THE CRIME.
The murder of Patrolmau Ware occurred
on the evening of April %. 1t was one of the
most maliciously cold-blooded murder in the
annals Of crime. 1t was one of the many
crimes of the 'boo gang" John Ferriter
and five other members of this notorious
crowd-Joseph Keefe, William Callahan,
Frank Keefe, Dan Kinney and Joseph Nj
land-were rushing the cam on the vacant
lot in the rear of the Cincinnati Brewing
Company's depot, at Georgia and East
streets. They had been there the greater
part of the afternoon, and towards evening
became intoxicated and began fighting
among themselves. At that time there were
three bicycle patrolmen. Two worked
at night and one during the day. Ware was
on day duty, and about Clio o'clock just
twenty minutes before he would have been
relieved by Patrolmen Street and Wallace
call came for him to go to the place
where the boo gang was causing a dis
turbance.
When he reached the place the men were
no longer fighting and Ferriter had gone
for another pail Of beer. He ordered the
crowd to dispense, and the five men who
were there started to go away. At this
moment Ferriter returned carrying the pail
of beer. Ware ordered him to get away
from the place, for the brewery people had
requested that the men be driven away from
their premises. Ferriter replied by throwing
the beer on the patrolman. Ware then
grabbed him and struggle followed. Ware
was holding his bicycle in his left hand, but
this he dropped in the struggle. AS he had
always done before Ferriter made fight"
when arrested. 1t was as much as Ware
could do to overcome him, but he finally
conquered him, and Ferriter agreed to go
with him. They walked around to the
brewing company's Office and one Of the en-
ployes at the brewery depot followed, lead
ing Wares wheel The patroiman told Fer
ritter to take q seat on the stoop and re-
quested some one in the Office to call the
patrol wagon. He let go of Ferriter then
TO place his bicycle against the building,
and as he did SO Ferriter stood up and fired
the shot which killed the patrolman. The
men were only about three feet apart: Ware
fell to the ground with bullet IN ms Drain
and died almost instantly.
The report of the murder reached the po-
lice station moment afterWard, and the
night bicycle men, Wallace and STREET, as
we'll as two or three sergeantS and patrol
men who had arrived early for night roll
call were started out to catch the murderer.
Ferriter ran northeast along the Union
tracks after firing the shot and prevented
people stopping him by hourishlng the PTS
tol Patrolman Thomas Rockford caught
him. RochfoI was one OF the new men
appointed on account Of the annexation OF
the suburbs He was still wearing citizens
clothing. He was on his way to roll call
when he saw Ferriter running through an
alley and learned the cause OF his flight.
He pursued the man and captured nm nun;
though Ferriter had his pistol in his hand
and threatened to shoot the second poIce-
man.
Ferriter was walked to the police station
and arrived there just few minutes be-
fore Z o'clock roll call. The report or the
murder spread rapidly and by the Tune r ere
ritter reached the police station a crowd or
five hundred or a thousand people was
there. Talk of lynching was freely INDUCED
in and the police themselves were IN
humor to have joined such an undertaking
had there been leader. But the pel rang
for roll call before the talk had amounted
to anything, and Ferriter was locked up IN
a cell in the county jail.
THE NOTORIOUS BOO GANG"
This was the most serious crime ever
charged to the BOO gang though al
most every other crime in the calendar has
been charged to members of it. The gang
took the name from it's fondness for drink,
being originally called the booze" gang.
This was later corrupted into the more
euphonious title BOO gang The gang
fications for membership except utter
worthlessness on the part of the candidate
and willingness to become as trifling and
mean as the other members. As gang no
great crimes have ever been charged to it,
but as individuals the men who the police
say are members of the gang have been
convicted Of all kinds of villainy. AS a
gang the only object seems to be to get as
much beer as possible for the least money
and drink as long as the money lasts, and
they are not particular where the money
comes from. 1t is said that when the
money of the gang gives out people nave
been held up and robbed OF small
amounts OF money, not with q view of en-
rching themselves, but merely to get few
dimes with which to keep the can going.
Irish Hill has always been the head
quarters of the gang. The people belong
part of the city. Any afternoon or any
other time of the day or night that the
price can be raised the gang was willing
and is still willing to have meeting,
Their meeting place is in some vacant lot,
shed or alley. They will not spend their
money over the bar for drinks for the rea-
son that the money won't last long enough
that way. They will send one of their
in a can, drink ii and repeat the operation
as long as the money lasts. Then the
trouble begins. People are insulted and
abused by the gang until the police are APP
pealed TO. Then some of them may be ar
rested or they may all escape, bug usually
if any are arrested it is not until after a
desperate fight with the police
Among some of the more prominent
names which the police have mentioned as
members of the 300 gang are Mickey
White, Mickey Bowler, "Bil" Lyons Ed
Harrington, Tim Ferriter, John Greaney,
Frank Smith, Lou 5haler and James Ferri-
ter. Some of these men have not asso-
ciated with the gang for years, some have
only recently sought to sever their connec-