New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-24
40. Minute Battle Starts
at Celtic Park When
Police Seize Mans Rum;
Scores of Women Fight
PatroImanWound
. And Girl May Die
Mounted Reserves Charge
Crowd; 500 Dancers
Unboihered by Melee

,kly mortally, ana many were ellBhtig
-iured in a riot late yesterday after
,son At Celtic Park, Long Island City.
,,serves Of Hunters Point police sta
"a, fought forty minutes to subdue
"a, rioters. Efforts Of a atrolman 10
,,rest one OF N, p.enickers, who was
believed % have two bottles Of whisky
IA his possession, caused the disturb
snce.
More than 5000 persons were watch
s,r athletic contests during the annual
r,enie OF International Union Steam
and Operating Engineers Local 20, and
800 more were in the park dance hall.
Mayor Hylan, it had been announced,
would deliver an sddsess at $3.50. A few
minutes before that time trouble
beran. Half dozen shots were fred
,-d the athletic field became at once
Dtils ground, with more than $500
involved. including scores Of women.
neyolyers and clubs were used freely.
Ruth Curley, eighteen years old, a
recent arrival from Ireland, who lives
s. $50 East Fifty-sixth Street, Manhat-
tan. was shot in the abdomen. She is
q s.. Johns Hospital and may die.
Pstrolman Shot in Back
Ps,rolman John Bell. Of Inspector
yormosa's staff, whose home is in
Prospect Avenue, Flushing, was shot
IN the back. HIS condition is serious.
william Callopey, Of S5s East Fifty
srs, Street, was shot through the legs
and severely beaten while resisting
arrest.
Dennis O'shea, Of 81 Grand Beach,
s.a.sn Island, was shot in the jaw.
Mounted Patrolman Robert Farrell,
q Hunter's Point police station, was
s,ru,k on the head by bottle thrown
By one Of the rioters. He was knocked
rrunscious and fell from his horse.
fke severely injured are in Sd
i,hns Hospital. Those slightly hurt
we're treated by ambulance surgeons.
On duty at the park were fourteen
men Of Inspector Formosa's stah In
charge Of Lieutenant Robert Mccarthy.
The latter ordered his men TO arrest
Jsmes Sullivan, Of ils East Seventy
fhh Street. who is alleged 20 have
toenlv displayed two bottles Of whisky.
according 70 the police, Sullivan resist
Cd arrest and utter a Gaelic cry, which
net with resr onse from all parts of
he field. Hundreds forsook the foot
tall game and gathered in menacing
fashion around the little knot Of po-
lice sndeavoring 20 remove Sullivan
from the field.
Messenger Sent for Aid
Iisutensnt Mccarthy dispatched o
musenger 10 telephone Hunters Point
station for reinforcements.
Several involved in an attempt TO
rescus Sullivan heard the message de-
lversd and shouted for aid. An in
s'snt later the little band OF patrol
rsn was overwhelmed BY a rush in
which hundreds took part, women be-
ing among the leaders. Revolver shots
rgnetuated shoNts OF the mob as il
struggled to reach Sullivan, who was in
ne grip Of Mounted Patrolman Farrell.
TIE latter held his prisoner by the
coat collar and endeavored 70 ride
through the melee. He was hit by a
bottle and toppled senseless under the
legs Of his horse. Sullivan was seized
hin.
Lieutenant Mccarthy and his men
we're being roughly handled when a
reserve force from Hunters Point sta
ton charged on the field with drawn
tstons. A volley Of shots fired as they
advanced wounded Patrolman Bell. who
itll 70 the field and was trampled by
.omoatants before he could be rem owed
an ambulance.
Police Did Not Fire
Reserves elubbed their way TO the
esnter Of the disturbance under fire
non revolvers. Empty bottles hurtled
oVsf the heads Of the crowd and sew
ual Injuries were inflicted by these
stnies. The police acted under or
.is not % draw revOlvers because o.
ne Presence Of women. No police Of
zee fred a shot.
During more thar half an hour thirty
euolmen fought without cessation. st
sanes gaining on the mob and again
40feed 70 give ground A mounted
sAa contributed 10 the ponce victory,
snls1 came after forty minutes of
s'nniet. The severely injured were re-
IIoFed IN private automobiles to St.
,onhs Hospital while the riot was in
lI0eYess
After Callopey had been removed to
,e institution he was recognized by
..eatenant Mccarthy as the man who
Mie| bottle striking Mounted Pa
~Viman Farrell. He was placed under
.St Tor assault. Sullivan was
..aiged with having whisky iu-his pos
.Non and resisting arrest. These
'e'e the only arrests made.
Twenty Firing al Once
Ine police said last night il had been
Ipossiole TO identify those who fired
~. snots wounding Miss Curley, Pa
,aoinan Bell and Callopey. At one
me u appeared that twenty men were
-0oung at once. Miss Curley is sal
gave been caught in the rush ard
nave been wounded while trying to
~ ~ her way 70 the dancing pavilion.
throughout disorder on the athletic
"a more than 500 persons danced In
,1s pavilion. the band continuing TO
~ lrish dances while a battle ragged
~ yards away. The police inflicted
4, injuries Of a serious sort. Nncn
80 not subsided many officers were
i.aSsss and their uniforms torn. The
e IS described as one Of the hesccst
4 snien New York police have engaged
'of many years.