New-York tribune., 1871-05-05
LODGINGS.
,,,cur LIFE In THE sLUMs.

NIGHT LIFE In THE SLUMS.
.,,cv or A TRIBUNE REPORTER IN THE
IoDGING- HOUSES AND THIEVING DENS OF
NEw-YORK.
Through that portion of the city known as
.,s Five Points," and along the streets bordering on
he river fronts are scattered the lodging houses OF
the poorest and most depraved classes of the commu
nityfrutful hotbeds Of crime and the common schools
Of iniquty Ostonsiby they are but "lodgngs;" in
reality they are resorts OF thieves, the havens Of
deprayed men and OF the NEST abandoned Of women
Under the preense OF providing cheap accommodations
for the poor they encourage and teach vice. aud reap
rich haryests from the seeds sown by those In whom
they and their associations in0ulcato hardho0d and
dexteriy crime They the rendezvous of thieves
OF both sexes and all ages eolors and nationalitles
kept by men and women who have committed every sin
in the catalogue and whom crime Ia necessary
the breath they draw. Baxter, Mulberry Leonard
Pearl, Park, Mott, James, Oak and Cherry-Sts ana
kindred localities are filed with them. Within radius
OF ono block the Tombs at least 1eo OF them,
carrying on thriving business under the very nose OF
the law Dingy dirty dens they too that ruin the
physical well moral natures Of those who frequent
them. Some OF them caves away down IN tho very
bowels OF the EARTH TO which sunlight or breath OF
fresh air can penetrate-lyng In perpetual shadow.
Many OF them houses OF assighation; others
are houses OF prostitution, inhabited by creatures almost
devoid OF even the semblance OF womanhood Into
these the unwary entieed piled with drugged liquor,
and after revel OF the most disgusting debauchery,
are robbed maybe beaten, and turned into the street
There are some who honestly pursue the business OF
taking lodger and who attend to the comfort OF their
guests 10 tho best OF their ability but these are few,
and are even wrcthed than the Others for their
receipts are small and they Ill afford to Keep their
rooms in even the comparatively decent order that 10
sometimes 10 be found among their neghbOrs The cribs
of these are sckening in extreme Lowceiled rcoms
co. tha Al earthu
walls biackened with smoke and gTimy with dirt. the
beds and bedding dank and filthy, and swarmng with
vermn they present pictures Of squaor and misery e
details OF which pen trauscribe Tho air Is blied
with pestence. Yet in these rooms men, women, ana
children whites and blacks Germans, Irish, and Chinese
mingled together crowded and packed till they look
like a mass Of humanity without individual shape.
TDIRuSE reporter recently made tour OF
tbe streets we have named and visited the houses pointed
out to him as the most infamous in crime and wretched
In poverty. In some places he found the propretors
willing to converse with him, and not knowing his OBJ
ect to open their for his inspection And pano
rama of degradation and misery and desparwas
drawn his eyes In OF the rooms tho odgers
had retired for the night their uprned faces dis
closed records OF poverty and crime Scattered mere
and there were ragpckers, low thleVes. snopnVors'
prostitutes organ grinders professional street beggar
boys girls whites and negroes Babies, with pneheo
starved faces lying the bed at the feet OF deep
cheSted Durly rufnanS ana DOotcu HI cof-
ners lay heaps rags rotten with vermin and serving
as beds for young girls and boys As the light fell on
eyes, Of them awoke and hurled curses at the
dsturbers OF their rest. In all the rooms visited there
was more or drunkenness, and In some tho whole
community raved In drunken its
BAxrgRsTREBr.
No IS Baxterst,. IN the cellar is kept by an Irish
woman named Judy Donehue. She has two rooms; one
IS foet by a. contains tbroe beds and stove In one OF
the beds there children, and in another were
three men, second about 10 feet square, and
contains two beds. The two rooms accommodated IA
persons. The atmosphere thick with the fumes OF
liquor and the breath Of the sleepers In the stove hot
fire was blazing and the proprietor with few female
companions, sat toasting her face It, The ther
mometcr ranged at about 90o No. 39t Baxterst. Is
little aristooratc in its pretensions Entering
level with the sidewalk the visitor descends three
four wooden steps, and is ushered into barroom
Above this the sleepngroom, about feet by 49, and
contains nine beds accommodating 25 dodgers. Around
the stove In the bar-room sat four five lowbrowed
characters conversing in low tones This
house kept named Federer alias California
Buch OF whom it ia said that implication in an affair
in California induced his sudden departure from that
State This place ia the resort OF street beggars The
prices range TO cents per night. and gov
erned by the position OF the bed and number OF occu
pants No 40 Baxterst. is kept by negro, whose name
could not be a3certaned and Is used by negroes as
place OF retirement for their white mistresses The
room-for there ia only oncis in the OF the house.
and Is approached only by narrow dark and dirty
hall 1t has five beds and will lodge i6 or Is persons
The premises owned by L. Phillips OF No "a Bayard
st. At No. At Baxterst Is room, IL feet by g. contain
ing two beds and dodgers. THIS Is kept by one
Dalton about 10 years Of age. In the rear OF the
bedroom Is Kitchen where breakfast is cooked for
such OF the dodgers willing to pay for It, The
prices are 10 or is per night In the OF No. Ie
Ba1ter-st are four lodging houses frequented by tho
lowest classes Of negroes and white women
"LITTIR CHINA"
Donovan s-lane, alias Hong Kong" alias "Lttle
China runs from No. IA Baxter ST. through to PEARL Go.
ipg in at the Pearst entrance through afunneshaped
passage the visitor waes through mud and water The
walls Of the tunnel damp and the passage is dark
and dismal At the end is rectangular court the eel
lara and garrets OF whose houses are lodgingrooms
The court resOunds with the yelling and hOong OF the
carousng inmates On the western side Of the court
CELLAR occupied by Mrs. Duffy, whO oniruesday evening.
was entertaining decidedly rough and dangerous look
ing party OF visitors. The cellar was filthy In the ex
treme and the air thick with the smoke Of lamp con-
sunng cheap OIL -Four beds in the room served as seats
for the company and the bedothes which were turned
down and examined by the reporter emitted an intoera-
be stencil Mrs. Duffy intoxicated and inclined to
be loquaciOus In which inclination she had sympahzers
n the party OF admirers, who overwhelmed her with
delicate attentions. At the suggestion of the reporter.
the whole party turned out to exhibit the attractions Of
the alley.
Sections room in which there no lodgers-for
miserable for the class that frequents the
court-was first attacked Sexton alias Shoe Fly" is
about so years old His accommodations are confined to
bare floor and o few blankets. Evidently he Is not on
the best Of with the other Bonifaces Of the neigh
borhood for between them and him there Is constant
warfare, not always confined to words. From seIons
the party proceeded to Currans small room containing
two beds, which occupied by five men and three
women This room is in the garrett to which decayed
and rickety flight of stairs affords The house was
pitch dark and rank with offensive smells. After leaving
the renorter urged oin the