Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-25
HEAVY FINES GIVEN
Men Who Caused Row on South Leonard Street Saturday Night.

A desperate occurrence took place near the house of John Lingis, 162 South Leonard street, after midnight Saturday. John Meehan, railroad hand, was on his way home about 12:S0 o'clock when, passing near Lingiss house he was set upon by 2 number of Lithuanians and--well, he is thankful he is alive and was able to appear in the city court to- day against four of his assailants. Dr George w. Russell in describing Nee hans wounds said he was cut in the head, his nose was smashed, his un- der lip was cut, his shoulders were sore and in general way he was done up badly. Meehan lives at l91 South Leonard street.
 Meehan himself does not know much about the affair. He was on his way home he said when he was set upon by four men in the front yOrd of Lingis's house. He was knocked down and that was all he remember ed until he was brought to by the i'm fiuence of the doctors needle. He just heard an argument between some men inside the fence as he was passing and the next thing he knew he was knocked down.
 Daniel Cronin, however, knew a good deal about it. He also lives on South Leonard street and knows Mee- han well. He, like Meehan, was homeward bound when he saw Mee- han stretched unconsicous on the sidewalk. He saw four men inside the fence of Lingis's house and he asked them what the trouble was. They accordingly went for Rim and big stones bounded all around him. One or two struck him but did not knock him down. One of the guar. tette brought up railroad tie and went for Cronin and gave him poke with 1t in the left eye, which looked to have been badly scraped. While this fellow was going for him the oth- CTS were pelting the unconscious Mee- han with big stones taken from wall around Lingis's house. Then Cronin heard the cry "The cops are comin'." This gave him encouragement and he jumped over the fence, picked up clothes pole. snapped it in two and followed the assailants around the house. By this time the whole neigh borhood was in state of uproar. Lingis's house was .assailed with stones from all sides. He was obliged | to close his window shutters for al- ready few windows had suffered and some clapboards were knocked l off. As fast as those inside the fence threw stones at those outside on tha street, they were picked up and hurl- ed back again. There was no ques- tion about the beginning of the stone throwing for the stones could not have been picked up on the street; they were stones such as are used in cellars and fences. The police had now arrived and the four men inside the fence sought shelter in the house. | The police found them more or less undressed and in bed weltering in their own blood. The bed clothing was steeped in their blood, the carpet was red all over and even the wall paper was stained. The men in their anxiety and fear gave away each oth- CT to the police and the four of them were in the city court to-day before Judge Peasley charged with breach of the peace. All but Chesson had re- ceived some wounds. Cronin identi. fled two of them as the men who showered down stones on the uncon- scious Meehan while he was lying on the street. The case for the state was strengthened by the testimony of Jeremiah Delaney who helped Cronin pick up Meehan, and George Bolger, who was on his way home.
 The defense, represented by Attor- ney Guilfoile, was that crowd of what the accused called Irish" barred the way of the accused to their own yard and then the trouble began. Assistant Prosecuting Att torney McGrath said that If there were any Irish there they would have cleaned out those fellows without half that row." The accused were Frank Chesson, Charles Locke, Adam Remetz and Frank Lankwitis, whose head was badly cut. Each of them was fined $20 and costs.