New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-23
SHOTS ON A FERRYBOAT.
CONTINUATION OF A RIOT STARTED IN
LONG ISLAND CITY.
ONE MAN BADLY woUNDED-REsuLr OF TROUBLE
BETWEEN THOMAS CAvANAGH. A CON
TRACTOR AND DEMOCRATIC POLL

IIClAN AND A UNION OF
SMALL cARTMEN
AS the result Of boycott of cartmen against
Thomas Cavanagh. a contractor. Of Long Island
City. there small riot, in which at least
one man was shot, about o'clock yesterday
afternoon aboard the ferryboat Rockaway, or
the Thirty-fourth-st. line. on its trip from Long
Island City. Cavanagh recently secured con-
tract from the Barber Asphalt Company 20 cart
material from Its works at the foot OF Sixth-st.
in Long Island City. to this city. This work had
previously been done by number of small cart
men, who formed the Long Island City Cart
mems Union which to some extent is said to
have the protection Of the Knights of Labor.
BY the new arrangement between the Barber
company and Cavanagh many of these men
found themselves without work for their teams
and carts, or had 10 submit 10 unsatisfactory
terms. Cavanagh is said 10 have advertised for
Cartmen from outside of Long Island City. and
there was a sort of a boycott put on him by the
Cartmens Union. which resulted in a dsorderly
demonstration in Long Island City yesterday
morning.
Early yesterday afternoon Cavanagh decided
TO try TO move some carts. Five carts were
started from Jackson-ave. toward the Barber
works. the foot of Sxth-st.. 10 get loads.
Thomas Cavanagh drove the first one himself.
The second cart driven by owen Cavanagh.
ex-captain OF the Rockaway Beach police, who
had been until recently police officer Of Queens
County for over fifteen years. Thomas and
owen Cavanagh not related
a number of cartmen and their followers lined
the route taken by the carts. They hooted at
the drivers. threw stones and used threa tening
language at the start. and became more demon
strative as the carts proceeded and men
gathered on the street. Many bricks and other
missiles thrown at the drivers from win
dOws and roofs. At East and Vernon ayes
large crowd had collected. When the carts
reached there a concerted attack made upon
them The crowd hurled rocks at the drivers and
then assaulted them with clubs. The harnesses
were cut and the horses liberated. The men were
dragged from the carts. which over
and the wheels wrenched off
KNOCKED OFF HIS SEAT.
owen Cavanagh. who driving the second
cart. was hit in the back with brick and
knocked off the seat. His cart was quickly over
turned and lie had to fight his way through the
crowd and get 10 the Barber works as
best he could. The three other drivers were
more severely handled. They stoned and
dubbed after their horses turned loose and
their carts overturned A driver named Richard
Rahan was found in unconscious condition
and removed TO St. Johns Hospital Long Island
City He is said TO have received severe beat
ing.
AS soon as the police who had been sent TO the
Barber works were told Of the trouble at East
and Vernon aves. they charged upon the crowd
and with drawn clubs managed TO scatter them.
The cart that CaVanagh drove 10 the WORKS
was loaded. and about $50 o'clock he started
with it for the ferry. He accompanied by
about twenty policemen. who walked on either
side Of the cart as he drove slowly along. The
presence Of the policemen prevented any seri-
GUS outbreak. At the horses heads walked
James Whalen who is employed by Cavanagh
a. foreman. The ferryboat Rockaway was
reached without much trouble AT the boat
the party found owen CavanaGh. Thomas
Cavanagh put him and Whalen In charge or the
cart and went 10 telephone the police OF this
city for protection on this side of the river
He could not get communication with the ponce,
and when he returned to the ferrybC at he found
that a large number Of the cartmen and their
followers had gone aboard. Whalen had dis
appeared, and owen Cavanagh was in charge
of the cart, with the cartmen all about nm
acting in a threatening manner After the boat
started the men, at least seventy in number.
attempted 10 unharness the horse. Cavanagh,
the contractor made them a little speech in
an attempt TO quiet them. and told them that
violence never awaited anything in such cases
The became more demOrstrative as the
boat approached the NewYCTk side, and finally
several Of them took out the taibcard OF the
stood back 10 back and did what they could
TO keep the men away. The cartmel and their
sympathizers managed TO cut the harness and
liberate the horse and Just before landing
lat the NewYork side found pile Of shoves.
With these number Of them advanced upon
the Cavanaghs The latter struck out and
knocked several men down, when some one in
the rear threw a shovel which narrowly missed
Draining Thomas Cavanagh. At this. both the
Cavanaghs drew revovers. and Thomas who
had been struck by the handle Of the shovel or
some other missile. fired in the direction from
which IL came. Just as he fired the ferryboat
landed. and Policeman Richard Wilson. Of the
East Thirty -ffth-st. station. who is stationed
at the ferryhouse, hearing the Shot rushed
aboard Thomas Cavanagh fired again at a
man who, he thought, had thrown the shovel
and whom he saw put his hand 10 his hip pocket.
He just about to fire third time when
Policeman Wilson reached him and seized the
revolver. The cartmen and their sympathizers
had become badly frightened. and. running of
the ferryboat scattered in every direction
PASSENGERS BADLY FRIGHTENED.
The other passengers the boat were badly
scared by the shots. aud lost no time in getting
away. One man found badly wounded
He gave his name Martin Smith, laborer
forty-fve years old, Of No 10 North Seventh
st., Long Island City Policeman Wilson ar
rested the Cavanaghs and took Smith along also
TO the Thirty -ffth-st station. From there an
ambulance summoned and Smith was sent
10 Bellevue Hospital. The ambulance surgeon
found that he had been shot through the right
arm and that the bullet had entered his breast
The Cavanaghs thought that more than one
man had been wounded on the boat
Late In the afternoon the men were arraigned
before Magistrate Deuel. in Yorkvnle court
Owen Cavanagh was fined 81 for carrying re-
volver Thomas Cavanagh was held In S2ND
bail for examination. Magistrate Flammer said
that he had heard from Bellevue Hospital that
there was chance of Smith being out for at
least week. and he set the examination down
for April !. Cavanagh pleaded self defence.
Thomas Cavanagh is prominent in Long Island
CITY He was president of the Board OF Educa
ton for five years. and was also president Of the
Consolidation League Of Greater New-York. He
has been an active Democrat and for nine years
was chairman of Gleason's General Committee.
In the last MayOralty election in Long Island
CITY he supported J. Il. Madden against Gleason
FOR Mayor when the latter only won by few
votes.
Cavanagh said yesterday that on election eve
Gleason came to him and said that he would
1.n1nCt. nlItn f Ionfr arnd