The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-24
It Is Not Known Whether He
Shot Himself or Was In.
jured by One of His Com
panions-At Hospital.
RIOTERS AT COUNTY jan
TROUBLE STARTED WHEN CON-
DUCTOR TRIED TO EJECT ONE
MoToRMAN AND PAS.
SENGERS ASSISTED.

with iiSntiHS WHIShey. u
gang of six Italians. employed on the
construction work on the Louisville
division of the Pennsylvania railroad
near Dublin. boarded west bound
Terre Haute. Indianapolis and Eastern
Traction company interurban car.
known as train No. so. at Cambridge
City yesterday afternoon about ,
O'Clock. and when the car reached
Mt. Auburn. they started a riot. in
which revOlvers were discharged and
ugly looking dirks and other weapons
We're flourished. The result of the
melee was Vito Cossentino, age %,
was seriously shot His two brothers.
VicenZo and Gesuele Cossentino: Vito
Papa. and two cousins, Pasqueale and
Joseph Iozzo. were arrested and plac-
ed in the county Jail on a charge of
rioting
The trouble started when Conductor
| Ellsworth Butler of Greenfield. order
ed one of the drunken foreigners TO
| go into the smoking department OF
the Car. to which order the foreigner
refused to comply. The man had TAX
en- a seat beside a woman and had
started to smoke. Conductor Butler
jerked him from his seat and attempt
ed to force him into the smoker when
he was pounced upon from behind.
This started lively fight
An Investigation Made.
| Prosecuting Attorney Charles Ladd
made an investigation of the affair
l
probable charge to be placed against
the Italians would be rioting, on con-
viction of which they would be sent to
the county Jail for six months and
heavily fined. Providing passengers
can establish beyond a doubt who the
two foreigners We're who did the
shooting, il is probable they will be
tried for shooting with intent to kill.
which. on conviction would send them
to the penitentiary for an indetermir-
ate period of two to fourteen years
Officials of the street car company
will assist in all possible way in the
prosecution of the men. This is not
the first trouble that has occurred on
the interurban cars. which has been
started by foreigners.
The Italians who were unable to
work yesterday. owing to the wet con-
dition of the track, had gone to Cam
bridge City in the morning to pur-
chase supplies. They also tanked up
well on whiskey and beer and were
in prime fighting mood when they
entered the car. All took seats in the
general passenger department.
How Trouble Started.
One foreigner. whose identity is not
known To the county officials, took a
seat by an unknown woman passen-
ger. was reeling drunk and very an
. moving TO the woman. When Conduc-
tor Butler started the election Of the
foreigner and was attacked from be-
hind, he started to defend himself.
? He wrested himself free from their
clutches and By this time Motorman
Oliver Hill. who lives at Greenfield.
: and several passengers came to his
rescue. Mr.. Hill had in his hand the
: controlling lever. brass rod with a
: handle on il and welded IL with tell
ing effect. laying one of the Italians.
believed to be one of the Cossentino
brothers. low. At this iuncture the
other foreigners opened fire. three
shots being fired before they were
disarmed.
: his gun and in his drunken condition
1t it believed Vito Cossentino. the
; injured man. was the one who pulled
: shot himself behind the left ear. The
bullet tore off part of the ear and
struck the jaw bone. being diverted
: outwards He was dazed by the
L wound and was disarmed- In event
he did not shoot himself. one OF the
other foreigners shot him, the bullet
q going wild as passengers say that Mo-
I torrnan Hill was the man at whom the
L two revolvers were leveled. The .da-
co. with the other revolver was dis
: armed by a travelling man. Botn
weapons were IS calibre liver John.
; sons. In some manner the two dirks
5 were taken from the Italians before
they were able to do any damage. One
or two of the men wero slightly cut.
e Women in q Stampede.
4 Motorman Hill. had. before he left
r his post, brought the car to . stop