New-York tribune., 1907-06-20
FIGHT ON PICNIC BOAT.
MANY SHOT AND STABBED.
Half Dozen Negro Women AmOng
Victims of Bullets and Raz0rs.

Shooting and stabbing affrays and fights OF
other descriptions were some of the incidents
connected with the annual excursion yesterday
OF the Lewis Fife and Drum Corps. negro or
ganization in West 37th street. to Palisade
Grove. N j. opposite Yonkers-
One man was taken TO Bellevue Hospital suf-
fering from stab wounds. and it was said that
he would die. and a half dozen women were
either shot stabbed One had her wound
dressed in the French Hospital and jumped out
of window and escaped before the police ar
rived.
Revolvers and razors were flashed IN the faces
Of the captain and members of the crew or the
barge when they tried TO prevent the hgnts' ana
shots were fred over their heads when they
endeavored TO prevent four men. leaders IN the
fights from escaping. The men rowed away
from the barge while It was on its return trip
TO this city.
The Charles Spear a large barge. under the
command Of John Scott, captain. and crew OF
five men, towed by the tug Neptune. left the
pier at West 35th street in the morn
ing with six hundred men and women. guests OF
the fife and drum corps. Among the passengers
was a large representation of the san Juan Hill
and Helrs Kitchen bands. Immediately a1ter
the party landed there were numerous nghtS.
and the men divided themselves into parties
Drinking was indulged in by ALL and by noon
mon and women were fighting all about the
grove. Revovers were drawn and razors dis
PLAYED Then the fights began in earnest. and in
many places about the grove men ana women
were stabbed and shot.
Scott and the captain of the tug decided 10
leave at once. They blew their whistles. draw
ing about three hundred Of the men and women
10 the barge Those who desired to continue
their feuds kept fighting. and when Scott
gave orders to leave there were half a dozen
men lying unconscious under trees in the grove
All were suffering from either bullet or STAB
wounds.
As the barge left the pier there was fight
aboard Negroes drew their revolvers and "a
zors and dirks. When the two special police
men and crew managed 10 get the men apart
they found Beulah Burke. twenty-siX years old,
Of No 237 West 61st street lying unconscious
on the deck He had received nearly a dozen
stab wounds about his body. Two of them, one
across the breast and the other in the back. were
nearly six inches long The crew carried the
man into the pilot house, where they were un-
able 10 revive him for nearly half an hour.
Four men, leaders in the fights and those who
drew their revolvers most frequently, seized a
rowboat and jumped into it. When the crew
and captain tried to prevent them revolvers
were again pointed at them The four men
started 10 row toward the Jersey shore. a small
naphtha boat was going in the same direction,
and the negroes fired at it. One of the bullets
crashed through window of the launch
All the way down the river, fighting continued
and many were stabbed. When the boat reached
the pier al the foot of West 35th street. and the
$50 negroes filed off. a fight started on the pier.
one woman was stabbed in the arm and another
was shot in the shoulder.
score Of the men boarded eastbOund saith
street crosstown car and all refused 10 pay their
fare. When the conductor stopped the car one
of the men pulled a revolver The conductor
jumped from the car and the negroes ran north
on Ninth avenue.
Half an hour after the boat landed four
negro women appeared at the French Hospital
in West saith street. One Of them had bullet
wound in her shoulder and DR.. Castings
tracted the bullet. When he had finished the
operation he had the women placed in a small
room the ground floor of the institution. As
he left the room he locked the door and waited
for the police TO arrive. When Detective Car
mick appeared and went with the surgeon 70
the room the women had climbed through the
window and escaped.
At Bellevue Hospital Burke gave his address
No 21S West cd street, saying that he for
merly lived in West 61st street. The surgeon
found him to he in such a weak condition that
he could not operate on him HE will die.