The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-14
FIVE SYRIANS PAY
FINES OF So EACH
Had Been Fighting in the
Syrian Quarter
ECHO OF The EASTERN WAR
One "Japanee," sineIe.Handed, Puts
Twenty Russians to Flisht-Jo-
seph coosa Suddenly Learns
to Speak English.
ECHO OF The EASTERN WAR

Surrounded by mob of 800 men, women
and children, FIVE Syrians, who have re-
Gently come to Birmingham, fought
bloodless battle in the Syrian quarter on
Avenue B, between Twenty-tirst and
Twenty-seeond streets, last Saturday
night, adjourned for the Sabbath, under
police escort to the city Jail, and resumed
their hostilities at noon yesterday before
Judge Feagin in the police court.
The complaints were Joseph Coosa,
Joseph Paule, Jacob Gisbe, Albert Tabas-
han and Albert'e brother, Sauna Tabashan.
When the case came up for final settle
ment before Judge Feagin's Haugue tri-
bunal, the court room was packed with
syrians, of both sexes and all ages. each
one eager to tell what he knew of the
controversy.
Policeman Brown testified that the bat
tie was the worst of its kind he had seen
since he had been on the police force. 1t
was, so far as he could see, "a gesture
fight of wild ferocity. His attention was
drawn to the scene by the artillery
fire" conducted for the most part by
screaming women When he got to the
theatre of war he found several hundred
persons congregated in the streets, yell
Ink like Comanehe Indians and hitting
right and left Unfortunately. Upon his
appearance the onlookers scattered,
screaming at every step, and the COM
batants took to their heels. With the aid
of other policemen he was able to bag
five of the Syrian bandits.
These five men all of whom were ped
dlers, stood before Judge Feagn when
their names were called yesterday. With
them were an interpreter and the land
lord of the house in which the Syrians
lived
Sauna Tabashan, who had been severely
punished in the melee Saturday night,
testified in broken English that Joseph
Coosa had started the row and that Jo-
sephs cohorts had double teamed" on
him and put him out of business. Jacob
Gisbe and Joseph Paule made laborious
efforts to prove that they were blameless
so far as the fight was concerned. Albert
Tabashan, Sam s brother explained that
he got mixed up in the scrap merely be-
cause he had heard hir brother crying for
help and had gone to his brothers as
sistance.
When they had finished. Joseph Coosa
took the stand.
''What your name Z askeo JuuBe rea-
gill;
ME no spea, English" SAID Coosa,
looking slyly at the interpreter"
Go on and tell what you know about
this fight" said the Judge.
ME no speak English"
"Oh, pshaw!" said the Judge. go
ahead Tell what you know of this case"
Me no speak English" protested Coosa,
gesticulating wildly and looking helplessly
at the interpreter. All the other Syrians
stood about with expressionless counten-
ances.
"All right, then" said Judge Feagin.
"Ill just put you in jail till you learn how
to speak English"
At that every Syrian in the room threw
up his hands In fright and began to jab-
Der at the witness in his mother tongue.
"Put him in the cage, officer. Pu. him In
the cage" said the Judge
More jabberin, and more gestures from
the Syrians.
coosa looked wonderingly at the inter-
prefer, as If to say; Il thought you
told me to say / didn't know how to
speak English
The Interpreter got busy again with his
Syrian lingo Coosa listened a moment,
threw up his hands, looked at the Judge,
ana cried out:
IAN right All right Me tell all
know
Good mind to fine you for contempt"
said the judge severely. "Go ahead,
though"
And Coosa went ahead.
He had been reading about the Russo
Japanese war. he said, and fell to talk
Ing with his eountrymen on the fighting
qualities ef the Japanese and Russians.
He was for Japan; the others were for
Russia. he said There was only one on
his side and there were twenty on the
Russian side But he went at them just
the same. He attacked them In 'front.' on
both TANKS and In the rear, and had all
the Russians surrounded" when the po-
lice showed up. He was 'pro-Japanese. -
the others were "pro-Russia He didn't
start the fight he said; only expressed his
opinion. This was a free country, he
thought, and man had a right to ex-
press his views
When Coosa ceased talking, the inter-
prefer got up and said that the COM
batants had Compromised their quar-
rel.
Compromised, have your" asked the
Judge
All the syrlans nodded vigorous as
sents.
Sorry you fought?'
More holdings of the heads.
Willing to shake hands and make up
and be friends and quit fighting?9
One after another they reached for
one another's hands, and jabbered and
grinned with satisfaction.
Then the landlord came out Judge
+ eagin read him lecture. The "rucus''
had started. the judge said, because so
riany people were living in one house.
II have to rent my rooms" said the
landlord with shrug of his shoulders.
''The house has thirty rooms and only
fifteen families
Jsdge Feagin turned to the five fight
ing Syrians.
"I'll fine each of you So said the Judge
Coosa drew out a roll as big as roll
ing pin and paid 1913 for himself and
So each for Gisbe and Paule. Sauna Ia
bashan handed the clerk Sc for himself
and his brother. Albert Then the Sy-
rians walked out of the court room and
began to jabber like magpies In the cor
rider.
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