The sun., 1900-08-20
BATTLE ON A FERRY BOAT.
oHHHAN.TTAITAN HIX-UP 0S THE
kEDATE OLD WESTFIELD.
I, A,o.. over the Merits OF soma and OraterJ'
but south Bssca Rum was Mainly Esspon.
.,bI.-Camp chairs Fisw and basshai' ba'
.na FI,hpoI.. DID Great Execution

The peace Of the upper bay was rudely broken
early Yesterday morning by disturbance on
the upper decks ~ the ancient ana respectsDIe
rcrryboat Westflcld South Beach rum did II
Cnalr. hurtlcd In the air, tho fragments ''
tbon lit,crlng the star-t waves, and fists hsh-
inn poles and baseball bats did mighty erecu-
tlon nil the way from Robbins Reef llght 10
The Battery
The boat was max ng the neIt Ia ue lAsttrp
ON which South Beach sojournsrs can Teach sldh-
haitian IN tho smoking car 81 the tralh lh"t
left South Beach Just before midnight mao
come a group Of italians who had renoheo w"
orat0rical stage Of lEebrlety 1hey had D'''i
,Iaylne baseball all tho late afternoon ana
drinking whiskey all night In Dostown' lhe
AR stocracy Of South BEACH at the end where
frankf,uiers nrofve cents each applies 10 U'e
other end Of the beach. where frankfurter' Aro
sold M two for five centA he name Of Dogtorn
some who are given TO inqlliring too closely
into other folks business say that the beer ot
Doptovn IL the stale beer Of the arstocralIc
end OF the beach and that the whiskey of Dog
town IL diluted with salt water and iorhneo
again with wood alcohol However these
things may be- the liquor OF Dogtown had maue
the Italians from, the smoking car very merry
SO far as any one who caught the drit OF tue
ueryndlng oratory could tell their hearts were
Al peacs with all the world except the man
who killed the good King Humbert. livery
one Of them wore Ia his buttonholc photo
graph Of the dead King. decorated win oIt
Of crepe
In the nrst car Of the same train had come
"A company OF Germans Some ol them hhu
nshing poles and their hands and spint baskets
odorous Of Ash. between their Knees, lhey
were inclined to sing but each was inclined
"a hat "A iIeTad q 4 nj yelV
with one another as 10 the right Of way OF the
diYerent songs There were fifty or sixty other
psople on the train young men and women
weary with much carTousel whirlng and switch
hack toboRganing but there was nothing from
the engine to the rear platform Of the last cnr
that promised allght but peace.
Perhaps there would have been no trouble
n one Of tho Italians had not reached The climax
NJ an Grafton Just as he reached the gates be-
tween the train platform and the f"rryooat'
70 him Just a. he held the ticket over the
chopper's box came an inspiration that would
not be denied. He whired about and backed
I'D against the guide rail and burst forth win
volcanic oratory The boat was not going
out for three minutes and there was nobody
I'm sight except the Italians and the Germans
The ticket chopper. discreet man ana one
of much experience with Italians. thought II
wise not 10 aIp'Dlpl w libtlI wv " HNN'''"''
the speech. The other Italians were quite
content to listen. but the Germans, who had
continued their musical debate until they
ware put ont OF the car by
the train men had no appreciation
az the virtues OF the kindest and
wl,est Of monarchs az expressed 10 Italian
They came up in the middle OF the orators
uaroratlon and swung their baskets against
his legs and otherwise showed desire TO make
him got out Of their way. The Italians friends
made protests the Germans all grumbled at
once and the ticket chopper began TO make
something Of n speech on his own account.
row might have started then. but the great
hell sisnalled for the departure OF the boat
and there was an instant adjournment OF all
proceedings. with a none too courteous rush
for the boat The Italians made for the upper
deck forward settled In the breeziest corner
and jabbered on. They had forgotten there
wa. such a nation as Germany anywhere In
ths world.
The Germans settled on camp stools on the
wagon deck. They pondered on the conflict at
the ticket gate and now and then one OF them
would remark 10 another that Italians were
loafers and ought not TO be allowed TO wander
at large where they disturbed the philosoph'o
calm Of civilized persons. They reached the
conclusion after awhile that an insult had been
psrpetrated and they said they wished they
had not let the occasion pass so peacefully.
Then the song virus reasserted itself. and with
few preliminary murmurines the whole party
Of them in chorus started the harmonies OF
"Ach du Leber Augus,ini"
They sang loud and they sang low. When
they were singing their lowest there came from
the upper deck stacosto shrek
N buono. IL grande. II magninco UmbcrtoI''
m L.. Of hA Atu at
short The singers bounced TO their feet unani-
mousy.
-Onoe again. IL IT." they thundered at each
other and slsred violently at the unsuspeot-
ing Italians above
-Iet's go see, suggested one. gloomily.
In solemn procession they marched through
the lower cabin and up the stairs 10 the prom
enade deck. They paused az the head Of the
stairs and assured one another that they were
To mako no fights with unworthy persons,
They were merely 20 see II they had been in
suited Intentionally. II they had. then they
would call the policeman and have the Italians
put OF the boat,
They walked In single nle out TO the corner
In which the Italians were sitting. While
the leader Of the line was wondering just how
hs was to find out 81 they had been insulted
and at the same time keep out OF fight his
meditatons were interrupted by q sweeping
gesture OF the prevailing orator. who was
RAfaslo Musolino OF SO Union street. Brook
lyn The gesture sank deep into the Ger
mans rotundity and all further doubts as to
Insults were foreveru dismissed.
"Ged ovid" said the German, proddlng Thu
sollno In the back with his fishing pole The
Italian bounded up. scizing hts camp chair rs
ne rose and swung II at the Germans head.
His grip on the stool was loose and II new wide
and smashed u ca bin window.
In two minutes the whole forward end OF
the boat was in AN uproar. A young man
who had been mbering with his head on
the lap ~ his best girl. on tho inside OF the
broken window, appeared on the outer deck
with metaphorical blood In his eve and real
blood all over the side Of his nose, He ran
plump into German fisherman who was run
ming FOR safety.
IBID you do thstr- inquired the young man.
If you don't stop. sputtered the German,
Il ged der bolice Ged ovid"
That bmf don't go" snorted the young man
See how you like IL YOURSELF" He smashed
his fist into the German = nose as nearly as
possible 10 the place whore he had himself
been struck by the flying glass from the window
Then the girl inside screamed and leaped at
the young mans ne TX and begged him not to
get Killed for nothing. Every man In the cabin
made for the promenade About one our OF
every three who passed out OF the doors came
into collisio with somebody else and started
a fresh fight. In two minutes nothing could
he heard but cuss words and the crash Of camp
stools. The air was full of caup stools and
every little while one of them or the pieces
pI one would fy clear of the side Netting into