The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-23
A STARTLING SHOT.
Webster Awakened
in the EARLY
Morning.
OFFENDERS WERE FISHERMEN.
Officer Hyland Takes No
Chances and Pulls His
Little Gun.
OFFENDERS WERE FISHERMEN.

Webster, Sept. pat an early hour
this morning, residents in the neigh
borhood of the Hub were startled by
the sharp report of revolver on the
still, morning air. With one accord,
they jumped from their beds and pro-
ceeded to investigate.
A vision came to their sleepy eyes,
not of blood and murder, but one cal
culated to amuse them. They saw a
man tearing up the street at breakneck
speed, and close upon his heels officer
William Hylsnd, with his coattailsI
streaming in the air and a huge pistol
being frantically waved in his right
hand. In a second the pair had dis
appeared around the corner and We're
out of sight.
About 23O o'clock this morning, Off
Ger Hyland was travelling his beat,
when he saw two men approaching him.
He evidently changed his course, for as
soon as the pair saw that he was head
ing toward them, they broke and run
When the men started to run, one of
them dropped a basket he had been
carrying, and the fact of his doing so,
suggested ROBBERY In the mind of the
officer. From all appearances, it
looked as if the pair had broken into
some store and had the basket full of
what they had confiscated
When the men STARTED to run, the
officer got right on to his job in Jig
time and the way he made the dust
ny was caution to all law-breakers.
He fairly flew as he chased the pair
They had not gone a great distance
before they We're clever enough to sep
arate. Officer Hyland kept on after
the one that had dropped the basket.
He led him a. merry chase up and down
hill. and finally the night patrolman
pulled his pistol from his pocket and
ordered the man to stop.
The man probably did not hear The
command for he ran faster, if any
thing. Leveling his pistol and being as
careful as possible not to hit the man.
officer Hyland pulled the trigger and
the gun went off. The bullet whizzed
over the head of the pursued man, and
1t caused him to involuntarily duck his
head.
The man saw that the officer meant
business and decided that he would not
take any more chances lodging bullets,
and he accordingly dashed down a side
street and made for the Polish church.
where he took to the woods and es-
capped. The officer searched all around,
but was unable to locate the man.
While returning the officer kept his
weather eve open for the other fellow,
but he did not locate him. The officer
then returned and centered his atten-
ton on the basket 1t had not been dis
turbed. Upon lifting the cover the Off
Ger saw at once what had occasioned
the men to run. Coiled up in a neat
manner was about ten pounds of re-
Gently caught fish and netting about
a. hundred feet long. The men had been
fishing with a net and We're returning
with the results of their catch. This sort
# sport is illegal and conviction of
the same in court means $50 fine
Officer Hyland took the netting home,
and today it was drying in the sun.
The officer intends to keep the net until
some one calls for it, but it is not prob
able that any one will have the auda-
city to come and claim it, Captures of
these kinds are very profitable for the
courts.
Acting under orders from the board
of selectmen, Road Commissioner James
Dugan will commence work next week
la'ring a coat of top dressing of trap
rock on Main street. A large portion of
the rock has already arrived from the
quarries at Springfield, and is now
stored at the Boston & Albany railroad
Main street was macadamized some
time ago, but a very light coating was
placed on the sides of the road, when
it should have been much thicker. The
constant travel has worn the upper
layer off in many places and there is
good many yards that will have to come
under Mr.. Dugan's supervision.
This will put the steam roller in use
for the first time since 1t was purchased.
The machine will be run by the same
man that rolled the street when it was
originally macadamized.
An exciting runaway, a most peculiar
one Of its kind, full of narrow escapes
and little damage, occurred this noon
on Main street, when the thoroughfare
was crowded with people hurrying
from work. One of the Adams express
wagons was standing at the local sta
ton when the 1902 train came in from
Worcester The exhaust blew off and
the sound of the escaping steam star
"A cTNDIN