The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-07-15
WAS VERY
CLOSE To
ANARCHY
Prosecuting Attorney So Char
SctGrizss tho Fourth Of July
Outbreak al Mldd|0boro, Mass.

Middleboro, Mass, July i5.-The Fourth
district court before Judge George w
Kelley of Abingdon today Nine defend.
ants answered to charges OF rioting and
assault. They were Arthur o. Stetson
Geo. w. Forsberg. Elerie II. Lebaron
| Edward A. Coombs, Frank A. Hackett
Ralph c. Morse. A. +. Chase. II. E
Pratt and Charles S. Anderson
District Attorney French OF Randolph
appeared for the prosecution and Judge
Fred Bixby OF Brockton and City Solicitor
John r. Tracey OF Taunton were counsel
for the defence. In opening the case Mr..
French said that the case was OF unusual
interest but that he believed il TO be Ia
mentable that on July any such spirit
OF disregard for law should be shown, and
a riot created.
Although he did not think the action
could exactly be called anarchy he be-
lieved II TO be the kissing of a small ser
pent very close 10 anarchy" He said
the evidence which the commonwealth
presented has shown that on the Fourth
OF July three defendants and others as
SeHDleu ana became OlsOTueFly. ofle OF
the number was arrested. Then an as
sault was made upon the officers, but the
officers reached the town hall with their
prisoner
Besides the attempt TO get the prisoner
an attempt was made 10 force the jail
and take him out A serious assault
was committed on Deputy Sheriff Lincoln
who is confined at his home still as the
result OF his injury. The opening testi-
~f4. h.~, ia
l.. Wade was the first one called.
officer Wade gave a description OF the
disturbance and named as being actors
in the tumult, Leharon, Stetson, Pratt.
Forsberg and Anderson. He said "A num-
ber in the crowd were intoxicated. He
was on duty at the -four corners" when
he heard shouting in the direction of the
town hall. He ran there and found
steps and vicinity and trying 10 break in
the door.
He forced his way through the crowd
and up the steps and was greeted with
shouts of pull down the cop" Stones
were thrown at the door. After he ar
rived Stetson and Forsberg seemed to
be foremost in the crowd. They said
Come on If there's anything i'm you and
well have this innocent boy out" The
boy referred TO was Charles White who
was under arrest
Shortly after that Forsberg made vio-
lent speech in which he declared There
would have been no trouble IL the officers
tldu pltNNIltu lfe CToWu from OTlnklnR
the poor rum which they had in town
Debaron. another defendant. spoke up.
witness said. Let us push the doors i'm
Lebaron shouted. Then OFFICER Wade was
pushed off the steps. Stetson asked Wade
for the keys of the town house to >et
White out. Wade would not give up the
keys. The officer told of the destruction
or the lamps in front or the town house
by stones thrown by the mob and of dam
age done to the doors which he examined
later. He said he could not tell the indi-
viduals who threw the stones
The second witness. Officer Joshua x.
Bishop, gave testimony i'm the main cor
roborative OF that OF officer Wade He
said he helped to guard the door of the
town house and described the actions Of
the mob, referring particularly to the
evidences OF drunkenness and TO the pro-
family and shouting i'm which they in
dulged. This witness did not notice that
either Coombs. Morse or Chase was In thu
crowd. Hackett was there because re
said TO Bishop that il he dared to pull
his club out to strike him he would get
shot. The officer admitted that he did
not pull his club on account OF the threat
Witness estimated that there were 125 i'm
the crowd at the town house.