Gangland warfare, which has seen 22 slayings in Greater Boston in 18 months, exploded on the relative quiet of suburban Islington and Norwood this week, local police and the Norwood Hospital playing an important part in the melodrama for a few hours on Monday.
Central figure in the latest underworld episode was Edward (Punchy) McLaughlin of Canton, who was the target of a fusillade of bullets as he drove his car along Canton Street in Islington near the Norfolk Golf Club.
McLaughlin, 46-year-old ex-convict, survived this second attempt on his life in nine months but he didn’t escape unharmed A short time after the mid-day shooting he was taken to Norwood Hospital, his right hand shattered beyond repair.
McLaughlin was kept at the Norwood Hospital for three hours where he remained under heavy police guard During the entire time Chief James M. Murphy of the Norwood Police Department was at McLaughlin’s bedside, subjected the victim to intermittent grilling, and then accompanied him to the Massachusetts General Hospital McLaughlin’s right hand was later amputated.
An unmarked police cruiser escorted the ambulance to the Boston hospital, leaving here at 3’30 p m. Sergeant Arthur Groh, armed with a shotgun, maintained visual contact with the ambulance, added insurance against armed killers “finishing the job.”
Police said that McLaughlin had driven his bullet-riddled automobile to Rte. 128 from Canton Street and had driven up the left-hand lane in an effort to escape his attackers.
He had continued up the wrong side of the highway and out at the exit leading to the southbound lane of the Providence highway. Here he drove into the Atlantic gasoline station at 75 Providence highway shouting that he had been shot.
Westwood police were alerted and they in turn notified the Norwood police and requested an ambulance.
Norwood Fireman Pat Palie told the MESSENGER that upon arrival at the gas station, he found McLaughlin on the floor, but conscious.
“His right hand looked bad,” said Palie, who wrapped it in a gauze for support on the run to the hospital. Haugh Barsomian of Walpole, gas station attendant, had applied a tourniquet.
Chief Murphy was at the hospital when the ambulance arrived.
“The Chief recognized ‘Punchy’ right away,” said Fireman Palie, who, assisted by Chief Murphy, carried the stretcher through the emergency entrance and into the Norwood Hospital.
Attending McLaughlin at