It rolled out to the center of the walk, and in an
instant not less than a dozen men made a determined rush for it. There
was a desperate struggle; others joined; it became a mad, screaming,
tumbling, sweating mob. Instantly a crowd from outside gathered, and a
free-for-all fight began. Hundreds flocked in from the adjacent streets.
The affair quickly assumed the proportions of a riot. Knives and
revolvers were brought into play. It was every man against his neighbor,
and an unreasoning wave of frenzy and blood seemed to sweep over the
crowd. The police rushed in from all quarters, but their efforts seemed
powerless. My new acquaintance and myself, the innocent cause of all the
trouble, managed to escape from the thick of the fray--he with the loss
of a hat and a bleeding face; and I in much worse shape--physically
sound, but--I had lost my twenty-two cents! We hurriedly entered a dark
canyon which led to wider paths where quiet reigned. The tumult in the
park, sharply accentuated by pistol shots, came to us like the roar of
falling water.
"'What an astonishing thing!' said my companion. 'And all for a penny--a
bloomin' penny! And to think of the fabulous wealth stored in the midst
of all these tigers! Do you suppose that mere walls of steel and granite
could withstand the fury of such a mob as this great city now holds,
straining at its leash? Horrible things will happen in New York one of
these days, and we will not have long to wait for it either.
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