Here the poison was freely sold, and although the contractors and superintendents exerted all their vigilance to prevent its being introduced on the line, and repeatedly discharged laborers who were found intoxicated, the "enemy of man," as it is justly called in the report, prevailed so far, that in the month of April, during a drunken frolic, one of their ancient national feuds broke out among the Irish laborers, and under the respective denominations of Corkites and Fermanaghs, the two parties rushed into a desperate fight, in Avhich one man, named Baxter, was killed, and very many were wounded and mangled in a shocking manner.

As, during the preceding year, no disturbance, misconduct, nor depredation had occur-

CROTON AQUEDUCT. 159

red among the laborers no place for the sale of liquors having then been opened and as it was all-important, alike for the progress of the work, and for restoring the confidence of the inhabitants along the route, that decisive measures should be taken to punish the rioters, indictments were found against several for murder. The swearing, however, was so contradictory, that the act of killing could not be fixed upon any individual, and the Court and Jury, foregoing the capital charge, were content to bind the most conspicuous, under recognizance, to keep the peace. Order was by these means restored, and every thing went on again in harmony. The Commissioners, in this report, draw the attention of the Corporation to the fact, that the assessors of the towns in Westchester county, along the line, proposed to include not only the lands occupied by the aqueduct, but the unfinished work of the aqueduct