by Laurel | November 28th, 2011
Holyoke police story nearly 100 years ago, sadly a shooting and an injured Officer Driscoll.
28 November 1913
Police Take His Brother Also
Arrests made in a Dug-Out in Chicopee — They Refuse to Come Out at First.
Alfred Garipay, who shot Patrolman Michael J. Driscoll at 12:40 yesterday morning, and his brother, Joseph, who was with him, were located by the Holyoke and Chicopee police yesterday noon in a dugout on the road from Willimansett to Chicopee, just beyond McKinstry avenue. The young men refused to come out or to answer the demand of the officers that they show themselves, and it was only after the officers began firing revolvers through the entrance to the dugout to intimidate them that they lost their nerve and acceded to the request that they through out their guns and appear. First came Alfred, the man wanted for the shooting and about two minutes afterward his brother got courage to emerge, both men appearing in view of the officers with their hands held over their heads.
They were placed in an automobile and hustled to the Holyoke police station at once, where Alfred had nothing to say regarding the shooting, aside from the statement that he had sworn that he would shoot the next officer who laid his hands on him. Early yesterday morning the Holyoke and Chicopee police were on the watch for the fugitives, and a thorough search was made of their usual haunts. It was known that Joseph owned this shack and the officers in their inquiries got a clue that the two young men had been seen in that locality.
Inspectors Metcalf and Gilday were on the watch so that they could not escape, and Marshal Patrick Herbert, Inspector O’Connor and Patrolmen Goss and Albin of Holyoke, Marshal Barnes, Inspector Caron and Patrolmen Dooley and Corcoran of Chicopee quickly arrived on the scene and surrounded the dugout. The officers were sure that the men wanted were in the shack, for on their approach they had heard a trapdoor drop into place as the men saw that the officers were coming. It was a bad place to get at them, and it seemed practically certain that the officer attempting to go in and take them would be shot.
The Garipays made no sound and no answer to the demands of the officers that they come out, and it was not until threats had been made by the officers to burn down the shack and about 25 revolver shots had been fired through the doorway that they lost their nerve and agreed to surrender. To the the demand that they hand out their guns, at last they handed them out, and finally Alfred appeared in the doorway with his hands held above his head. He was promptly taken in charge. It was some minutes afterward before Joseph appeared, and the two were at once started for Holyoke. An examination of the dugout showed that the young man had attempted to dig out at the back, after their hiding place had been discovered, and evidently desisted when the revolver shots began to enter the shack.
According to the story told, the brothers after the shooting had run across the river to Willimansett and had spent the night in the woods until driven to shelter yearly yesterday morning owing to the extreme cold. The officers arrived before the could make any definite plans for getting away.
Yesterday the full story of the shooting was told and it appears that Officer Landry had a narrow escape from being shot as well. According to the report of Officer Landry he was told about 12:30 o’clock that the Garipay brothers had been seem coming out of an alley in South Holyoke, and as the brothers are alleged to have made a specialty of robbing meters, he first sent word to Officer Driscoll on Cabot Street, who had just come on duty and started in to see if he could locate the brothers. The officers found them a short distance from Cabot Street. Officer Driscoll taking Alfred by the arm and Officer Landry taking charge of Joesph. Not expecting any struggle, Officer Driscoll was careless, and instead of grasping Alfred by the right arm took him by the left arm and started for the call box at Cabot and East Streets. Alfred’s hands were in his pockets and he quickly drew his right hand out with a revolver and throwing the gun into position fired three shots at the officer, one taking effect in the right right side and ranging down, evidently glancing from a bone.
Driscoll was staggered by the shock, releasing Alfred, who at once ordered Officer Landry to release Joseph. Immediately after the first shot was heard Officer Landry swung Joseph in front of him and pushed him toward Alfred on the run. Alfred then fired over Joseph’s shoulder at Landry and missed him. He snapped the revolver again, but fortunately the chambers were empty. Landry reached for his revolver, which he carried in a side pocket, but it was missing and he let Joseph go and running to Driscoll, who had wandered out into the street he secured his revolver and gave chase, but the time spent in securing the gun had given the brothers an opportunity to escape. He heard Joseph tell Alfred that he had the officer’s gun as they ran away. It seems that when he first secured Joseph that in the struggle the young man had in some manner secured the officer’s revolver, but evidently lacked the nerve to use it.
The alarm was then given and Officer Driscoll removed to the House of Providence hospital after first aid had been given him by Dr. O. N. Chaput.. The report from the hospital last evening was that the officer was in a critical condition. The physicians have not dared to probe for the bullet as yet, owing to the danger of starting again the internal bleeding, and nothing can be done for some house to come. It could not be stated last evening whether the officer would recover from his injuries or whether they would prove fatal, it being said that it will be another 24 hours before anything definite can be stated.
Both Alfred and Joseph Garipay have a long list of petty crimes to their account, larceny, assault, drunkenness, breaking and entering, besides being expert gas meter thieves. Alfred has appeared in the Holyoke police court on different charges 12 times in the past eight years and both young men are considered moral degenerates and have always been thought a menace to the community in which they lived.
Adapted from The Springfield Republican.
