"Mr. J. H. Larkin, owner and captain of the little steamer Shamrock, had
an experience on Saturday night that must have satisfied the cravings for a
marine adventure in the breast of a much less steady-going man than he.”
Hamilton Spectator. August 18, 1884.
The Shamrock was the newest of several small passenger steamers which plied
the waters of Burlington bay in the summer of 1884.
The last trip of the Shamrock on Saturday August 16, 1884 started at the
Beach. On the way to the docks in Hamilton, the Shamrock stopped at Bay View
where a Salvation Army had been holding open air services.
It was unclear whether some of the passengers who boarded the Shamrock at
11:40 p.m. for the trip across the bay were at the Salvation Army gathering :
“Just before the Shamrock left a gang of drunken youths – about fifteen
in number – boarded her. The little boat had not got out from shore more than
100 yards before these lively young gentlemen began disputing among themselves.”1
1
“Row on the Shamrock : Capt. Larkin’s Unpleasant Experience with a Gang
of Roughs”
Hamilton Spectator. August 18, 1884.
The fight was so intense that the captain of the Shamrock, J. H. Larkin, intervened
:
“The gang crowded to the side of the boat, in spite of Mr. Larkin’s
vigorous protests and the craft leaned so much on that side that she was in
imminent danger of going over.”1
Gradually the combatants calmed down and took their seats. The drunken
youths had boarded the Shamrock without paying, and it was at this point that
Captain Larkin demanded their fares:
“The only replies that he received were curses and laughter and jeers.
One man, however, more just than the rest, produced 25 cents, and offered it to
Mr. Larkin if he would accept it as the fare for the whole party. Several
others offered him tickets for the Salvation army demonstration that had been
held at Bay View during the day.
“At last they grew abusive, and Mr. Larkin, fearful for his own safety as
well as that of his boat, assured them that if they would keep quiet he would
not charge them anything for the trip to the city.”1
The youths did not accept the captain’s offer, feeling very hostile that
he had even asked them to pay their fares at all:
“They proceeded to prove their indignation by acts as well as words.
“They broke half a dozen camp stools, smashed the head-light of the
steamer and shivered to pieces a lamp.”1
When the Shamrock finally docked, a melee broke out:
“When the boat reached the wharf, the youth both threatened and assaulted
Mr. Larkin. That gentleman promptly hit one of them with such force that he
took an involuntary into the water.
“Mr. Larkin reached over the side of the wharf and pulled the struggling
wretch out; but while he was engaged in this act of humanity, one of the gang
came behind him and kicked him with such force that he was almost precipitated
into the waters along with the man whom he was saving.”1
At this point, the rowdy gang started to walk up the hill towards the
downtown core, but they decided to return to the wharf intending to attack
Captain Larkin once again.
Unfortunately for them, the noise of the encounter on the wharf when the
Shamrock arrived had alerted people in the neighbourhood to the matter:
“By this time, the uproar had awakened several respectable citizens in
the vicinity, and they came to see what was the matter, and Constables
Campaign, Williams and Fenton also hurried to the scene of the excitement.”1
The rioters tried to escape when they saw the police and citizens coming
towards them, but not all managed to get away.
John Reynolds, Phillip Donnelly and Alex. Kelly were nabbed by the
police.
“The only charge against them so far is simple assault; but if the
prisoners can be proved to have been participants in the proceedings described,
they are guilty of a far more serious offense, namely mutinous conduct in a
vessel, for which they are liable to imprisonment in the penitentiary. If they
are guilty, they, together with the rest of the gang, richly deserve that fate.”1
In the end, the only charges faced were public drunkenness, assault and
disorderly conduct, and no penitentiary sentences were imposed.
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