New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-15
SHOOTING STARTS PANIC
ON EXCURSION BOATS
Flying Bullets Hit Two Men and
Crowd of 1,4O0 BUSHES Along
Barge Decks.
POLICE RESCUE ITALIAN
Sit on Him After the Savage On
slaught of Enraged Men
Three Taken to Hospital,
One Badly Hurt.

More than fourteen hundred passen-
gers on the barees Sumner and Curry,
which were in tow of the steamer Mat
tawan. Of the McAllister Steamboat
Company. were thrown into panic last
night when a pistol battle started just
as the vessels were nearing He'll Gate
Before the smoke had cleared two men
were wounded. one probably fatally. ana
another. who is alleged to have done the
shooting. is in the hospital battered up.
Thomas Fennel a furniture dealer,
living at No $50 Monroe street. Ho-
boken. is in the Hudson Street Hospital
with bullet wound in the jaw, while
Vincenzo Melfetti, of No. els Monroe
street. Hoboken, is suffering from a Sc
we're wound in the right arm The man
who is alleged to have started the
trouble Salvatore Borrail, of No. sos
Grand street. Hoboken, is also in the
Hudson Street Hospital Fennell. though
in serious condition, was reported at
the institution late last night to have a
chance of recovery.
Although there We're half a dozen
theories as to the cause of the trouble,
two stories that stood out prominently
included jealousy over a woman and the
supposed insulting remark of an Italian
to an American woman The police
however. were inclined to believe the
latter was the cause of the shooting.
But for the presence of three Hoboken
patrolmen many persons might have
been hurt. AS it was several persons
were trampled upon, knocked down or
struck by flying chairs. Realizing that
the crowd was getting the best of them,
the patrolmen drew their revolvers, and
it Has not until the barges had reached
the Battery that order was restored.
1t was while the band was playing a
lively tWo-step that the shooting start
ed. FenneH who was within few feet
of the dancers. came rushing over to his
wife and said that he was shot. He
said to have been playing with his young
sister, Bessie. Shortly afterward an
other shot was heard, and then Borrail.
with revolver in his hand according to
the police. made a leap from barge to
the steamer.
The three patrolmen, Charles Wen
delka, Walter Griffin and Charles Burke,
who were on the upper deck of the Curry
at the time. rushed to the scene of the
shooting. When they got to the lower
deck three hundred men and women were
sCrambling aboard the steamer, trying
to get at Borrail. With drawn revolvers
the patrolmen succeeded in holding back
the crowd. Borrail hid in the engine
room. Captain Lewis. in command of
the steamer. gave orders to his crew to
he ready to repulse the crowd.
Many men managed to get aboard.
however. and in the rush for Borrail the
1attar was roughly handled. The pa
trolT,en finally freed Borrail. and, in or
dor IN prevent the crowd from doing him
further bodily harm, sat on him In the !
n,ixup Wendelka was stabbed in the
RIGHT thumb. while Griffin was bruised
a bout the body.
II was the annual outing of the
Friendly Two Association OF Hoboken.
Tho boats left 7th street Hoboken. It
moon for n trip UP the Sound and We're
70 return about O'Clock. Among those
an hoard the barges were one hundred
,ceranns who ware said TO belong to a
Continued On 5ecGad page.