The New York herald., 1870-01-12
THE PIRATES OF THE PORT
The Merchants Police-How the Piers
Are Watched-Felix Lar
kins Saloon.

Tho following communications wil explain them.
seves:--
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
In your article on "The Pirates of the P0rtn or
Sunday, January Q, you say that most OF the watch
men on the North river piers are got from the Mer
chants Police who charge four dollars per night for
their men and are not responsible for tho goods
stolen. Again you say that after Q robbery the
watchman is summoned; he tells his story which
exonerates HIM. &c., when the heads OF the Mer-
chants Police tell nm TO be vigllant in the
future and transfer The same watchman TO some
other pier. who has perhaps. figured successfully in
many r0bberes before. The merchant ls told that
more vgilant man viii be sent In his place. and
the Merchants Police not being responsible for the
loss the merchants pay very dear for The whistle
four dollars per night ut that Here let Us say that
the Merchants, Police--and there Is only one body
that Of Van Hoesen Brother-have only one single
watchman the North river, and that one has been
about one year and half on his pier and has never
lost one single dollars worth or property since ne
has been there; and furthermore chat oil the watch.
men who are employed on the covered piers. as a
general thing, are men who are employed by the
merchants themselves by the month. Again. the
Merchants Police s an organization stared III 1850.
twenty years ago, VINO hold themselves strictly re-
spoDslbe Ior all goods entrusted 70 their care, and
nave promptly paid every loss that has occurred
since It's nrst organization IN 1880, we having
the receipts for these losses IN our once at
the present time Among the various merchants
that subscribed To support the organization OF The
Merchants Police were Messrs. A. A. Low 4 Co.,
Charles H. Marshall, Grlnueil q Minturn. Goodhue 4
Co., William Nelson II. Il. Morgan, Rowland n As
pinwail. Moses Taylor. Amar Co., >. VI. Lewis.
spoGord y Iieston. Sturgas. Arnold Il Go. and
about eighty Others, and SINCE its first organization,
by the assistance OF the police. nearly 5000 con-
flrmed thieves have been driven from the wharyes
and IN the meantime eleven watcDmen have been
lost. Many OF these men were found IN The wafer
with their races pounded TO Jelly, aud doubt
many OF them suffered the penalty or death by en-
counterng these desperate dock and river thieves.
the goods watched by the Merchants Police are
always counted wnen they come ana q receipt given
every night for Inc same the count falls snort IN
the morning the company always pays the merchant
for the same. and the very moment watchman IN
discharged rom mis- vessel Tor lack OF duty he Is al
once discharged forever rom the force, and nor
transferred rom pier 20 pier afterwards. IL would
not pay the Merchants Police To keep nniaithu
watcamen when the company nave to pay for All
goods stolen. We have 100 men. Most OF these
men are Swedes. Norwegians and Danes who can
endure the cod, who have watched goods oil every
KIND and vessels In all ports, and most OF them have
never lost a uollar's worth In the whole time they
havs been with us ana the greater part OF them
have been in this employ from Twelve to eighteen
years. II one OF these old faithful servants VINO
nave stood Ia all Kinds or weather for years and
years, should be discharged from his vessel because
tho captain should find MIN III the galley OF the ship
warning himself on cold stormy night as Is often
the case, we do not feel called upon TO discharge the
man tor that offence, but caution him to be more
careiui aDout going III the galley 70 warm"
In the future unless ne is actually Obliged to.
we nave never nad moro tnan three or TOUR cases
where the watchmen proved to 0e dishonest men,
and the goods stolen IN these cases did not amount
TO $40 all together, which tile company promptly
PAID. The watchman's pay Is from one dollar aud
nifty cents 10 two dollars, according 10 the position
he occupies and by referring 10 our business cards
yOn wlll see the merchants who cheerny end their
names as reference for strangers VINO come 10 tnls
port VINO require respectable party to watch their
vesSes.
out OF = sense OF duty 10 us after your ar.cIe Of
January . ask tnat yon viii insert this cara.
Very respectfully,
VAN HOESEN x BROTHER,
Merchants Police NIgnt Watch.
NEW YORK CITY. Jan. 10, 1870.
To THE EDtToE OF THE IiERALD-
You nave been miscd TO DO serious injury 10 the
widow OF the late Felix Lalkin twno aided by her
eldest son, carries the business lately conducted
by her deceased hpsbaDdl Ia your paper OF sunday
January .. INST. tn the article beaded "Thc Pirates
OF the Port" wherein you have stated that
among the numerous gangs OF thieves VINO
MAKE their fortunes on this North rivefl side OF The
city IL that which rs usually found In daytime hang
ing about tue saloon OF Felix LarNin. rney number
from seven 10 len desperate fellows, who rarely ven
ture out until after midnight on their p,undering
raids. All go heavily armed, &C. Tlc above state
ment IL untrue IN every Particular, and yoar reporter
must have been misiniornied by some malicious
person or persons, VINO have miSused his CONT
denc. to do harm 10 IN inorensve woman. VINO has
had misfortune enough already without naring tnc
means wncn furnish TO her existence Withdraw Il
from her by the most unjust and malignant form OF
SANDER ana libel winch is contained VI ttat article
BY making tne correction above cacd for you
JAMES LARKIS
k0n or the iato Felix LlIkn
The information upon which the report alluded 10
In the above letters based was obtained from
the police authorities.