New Britain herald., 1917-02-09
PlainVille News
RUNS, NEARLY NUDE,
 TO ESCAPE NEGROES
Patrick Hurley Flows Barelegged
 Through Snow Drifts

Inr0ugl SHOW Drl1tS
 ATTACK SLEEPING TRUCKERS
 Lookup Full As Result of Near Riot
 at Transfer Station-Darldes Run
 Amuck and Maui White Asso- l ciates-Victims F1ee-Briefs. Negroes, employed at the transfer
 station, went on another rampage in | the car used by the workmen for l sleeping quarters last night, and as a
 result the cells in the lookup were l taxed to capacity this morning, seven ] prisoners awaiting hearings on various 1 charges. There was a near-rot at the l Hotel DeGink, the appelation given
 to the sleeping car by the truckers
 and some of those who took part are l today nursing bruised heads and other
 injuries Clubs and revolvers figured
 Tn the trouble, according to the re-
 ports given the authorities, although
 the weapons could not be located
 when the participants in the row were
 rounded Up this morning.
 l In Willard Jackson and John
 F7ightowel, the. police believe they
 have the colored editions of Jekyl and Hyde. The men, ordinarily peaceful
 and obedient. jumped over the traces
 last night and with fiendish glee went
 among the sleeping whites, battering
 them about the heads with clubs and
 threatening to slowly torture them to death.
 Their favorite pastime for the eve-
 ming seemed to be to wake the sleep
 ing victims by shaking them by the
 hair and, after they had reused them, 1 hit them about the heads with clubs, poking them in the ribs at the same l time with revolver. Hightowel had l the club while Jackson brandished a gun, "playfully pointing it at the 1 hearts of the men as they were re- l ceiving a beating from his partner. 1 Without stopping to dress, the other occupants of the car dashed into the | open, leaving the negroes in sole pos session. / The darkies began their operations about 2 o'clock this morning and short time later Consta ole Marine was startled speeches. as he spied the form of man garbed only in an un- dershirt, running along West Main street and calling for a policeman. A dance of colored people was letting out in the Town hall at the time and the screams of the women as the strange figure darted through the snow drifts as if fourteen million devils were after him pierced the night air and reused a section of the town from it's slumbers
 There's H. to pay up at the depot" the man cried as soon as he could recover his breath, "and there's sure to be a killing Officer Marine escorted him to the lookup where he was given shelter The man, who said his name was Patrick Hurley. told of the free -for-all fight and of the weap- ons used by the negroes, and pleaded to be given protection. Officer Marine was unwilling to venture to tho scene of trouble alone. and he decided to wait until morning before searching for the drink -crazed negroes.
 Hurley was in the lookup but l short time when James Burns and | William McKenna put in an appear l ance at the Center. They demanded | that the officer give them protection, | and finally becoming abusive in their | language, they were brought to the | lookup to keep Hurley company They put up a violent resistance, but were finally landed behind the bars
 This morning Constable Downing and Railroad Officer Grace brought Hightowel to the lookup where Hur- ley and the other occupants of the 1 cells identified him as one of their as- sailants. Later Jackson was taken into custody. Both denied being i'm plicated in the trouble and avowed that they knew nothing about it.
 While Officer Marine was looking for the negroes this morning he re- ceived a complaint that one of the l transfer gang badly intoxicated. was causing a disturbance in Conforti's store. He dragged him to the town building. Yesterday afternoon he picked up James Mclean of Hartford, who came here looking for work and got drunk instead.
 The entire outfit will be given hear ings before Justice Condell and Jus tice Prior some time before night.
 One Prisoner NIinus
 The justices at todays session of the ! court will have one less prisoner to ! deal with as the result of the agility of an Italian named Lippio who had been placed under arrest by Constable Downing for causing a disturbance in Murphy's cafe. Lippio proved him. self to be fleet of foot and h ~ -'- escape from the officer while on his 1 way to the lookup.
 Lippio accompanied the officer with ] out making. any resistance until the l corner of Pierce and West Main street was reached. He then changed his mind about being locked up, and put up a fight. Although the officer used his club freely on him, I.ippio's head 1 Withstood the blows and he finally l dashed away.
 The officer made no effort to cap ture him, as he believed he can be located at any time. 1ippio lives in town and, while he. was. absent this m orning, as far as the police could 1