He played up old gooseberry among them; said of a person who, by force or threats, suddenly puts an end to a riot or disturbance.
Definition taken from The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally by Francis Grose.
Goose Riding * Gooseberry-eyedNathan Bailey's 1736 Dictionary of canting and thieving slang
John S. Farmer's collection of canting songs and slang rhymes