The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-08
RIOT ON A STEAMER
EXCURSION ROAT GEORGIANA IN
THE HANDS OF A GANG OF
GAMBLERS AND THUGS
uAD A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE

Passengers who Had Paid to BE
Taken to the Yacht Race Course
ApneaI to the Captain In Vain,
After which They Act Sumnarny
Steamer Brought Into Port Fly
ing Signals OF Distress.
NEW YORK, Oct with the ma
tional colors, Union down ana the
Union Jack at half-mast, the iron steam
err Georglana, hailing from this city, TO-
night sailed slowly up to the Battery
from the Narrows. with story or plrat-
teal robbery and violence. the Doat
was practically in the hands OF a gang
Of rufians and card sharps when she
eailnd away from the Battery, ostens1oly
for the Yacht race, at IL O'Clock. The
passengers used violence and 1ntimlda-
tior. and organized an improViSed vigil
lance committee, which nearly Wnched
the captain, threw the gamblers faro
outfit. and tables overheard, and chased
the gamblers into the bar room linen It
was the vigilance committee halT-maSteu
the lag as a signal of distress, nailed
a police boat, and handed over dozen
OF gamblers.
The boat left the Battery this morn
inc loaded with passengers to see the
race. No sooner was she out of reach
Of police interference, then the gamblers
began to show what they were there
for Out Of the cabin came mysterious
men and more mysterious tables. They
were faro layouts, two or three roulette
wheels, several red and black plants,
and a number Of skin games of all de-
scriptions IN fact the boat carried as
precious lot OF blacklegs, grafters and
-. NXrnJ1
Narrows. They came staggering onto
the lower deck from the bar room, and
began to whoop it up for their associates
in charge of the gambling layouts. Soon
the lower deck had in operation dozen
of these tables, wheels and games, and
before very long moro tables were
brought UP from down below, and more
short-haired men appeared.
The Georgiana was in sight of the large
excursion fleet, which had followed the
racers down the Jersey coast, and those
on board were hoping that in an hour, at
the longest, they would be In full view
of the Shamrock and Columbia. Sud
denly her wheel was turned down, and
her prov turned sharply towards Sandy
Hook. In FIVE minutes time she was
gently circIing about, losing time and
filing her passengers with amazement
Capt. A. G. Norton, a one-armed veter-
an. Of Hartford, Conn.,, went to the cap
tain of the ship and demanded that he
take the people to the races.
GAMBLERS ROUGHLY HANDLED.
''I cannot do it," the captain is reported
TO have said. The coal has given out
and the pipes have burst This boat is in
charge of gamblers, who have chartered
her, and 1 can do nothing unless they
say So Capt. Stercks left the deck
then and went down into the hold, hiding
himself until the boat reached the Bat
terry.
Capt. Norton then called for assistance
from the passengers, and guard of fifty
passengers was organized and took stand
fore and aft on the boat and hoisted a
Union Jack half mast and flew the Unit
ed States flag with Union down.
A fight between the vigilance commit
tee and gamblers then ensued. The gam
blers demanded that the signs of distress
and appeal for assistance be hauled
down, and tried to fight their way to
the flag poles. All the passengers on
board took a hand in the fight and forced
the gamblers back, handling some Of
all parts Of the ship. Men shouted them
selves hoarse in the effort to attract pass
ing craft
capt. Norton, with q party, then threw
all the paraphernalla overheard, after a
hard scuff1e with the owners Of the
games. Then the pilot was ordered to
head for the Battery. The police had been
advised Of the stirring times aboard the
Georgiana, and a large force met the
steamer. crowds of people gathered
about the pier The police arrested
twelve men, including the captain, mate
and pilot, and they were lodged in iail.
charged with disorderly conduct.