New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-09


upon dock running with all their might. We found
the boat adrift with heavy load OF new canvas We
nut the load yawl and ran the cargo saiey INTO
Bob DAVIS Bob has quit the business now, and hear
is living over in Wiamsburgh III style The best part
Of IL WAS that the fellows telling me at ugleys
in southst few days after, about the narrow escape
| which they had from being 'boned' by the Police"
CAPTURE AND CONSEQUENCES.
"'If fellow is taken he generally goes up unless ne
Is seyenth.war In that he stands good $40"
of escaping, whatever his crime Tom Garrigan' WIZ
now dying Of consumption, killed man at the corr d
Oliver and Cherry-sts, and got of. II the boat IN
with sugar rope, and the fellows see INC their
| time, they can generally beat them ou .s ooroo
game by capszing the yawi and snN aos One Of
| Tho uafchmen on the docks are easily nAou W -
the bovs walks down early in the evening ~ .,,,,a
which he knows there is a cargo am, 18th him then
is q newcomer, gets into s-E or s,oo ~ he
gives him a cigar, and finally - so, from, 10. TN
VIII ony stay Ia 'no DO YOU know Pier No. 81, North
- - a. not over $50 feet long, one OF inc
| -. =, .hn barbor. The steamship company h1u
| .n,nen on this dock one night not long ago. yet
| 49, +b NJ pig spelter was gone III the morning anu
w ,nvr nothing about the robbery That's very tlih'
prokIey who afterward went up to the lslanu ior
| other lob knew how TO use watehman. He used 10
In ono I'm his pay at Martins stores so that he
| could run his boat in there in case of a crowd from
the police. He did OF tho Deatest jobs during the
var over known on the river An English brig loaded
with cotton came into that dock one afternoon. The
captain paid of and discharged all hands,
so that he was left in sole charge of
the vessel He went ashore toward evening TO ma
an honest Waterman, and applied to the man in
charge Of the dock. Joe, who always had
weather eye out for speck standing near and was
at once recommended sober and industrious man.
The captain, after striking bargain, told him to slack
off the brig from the dock fore and aft and not TO allow
any one TO come on board He then went up 10 the
Fulton Ferry and crossed TO the city, leaving Back
ley in charge. The mate came down about II O'clock
and, after hang him, tried everything to get him to
! breach the cargo. Joe was game, though and told
| him that If he tried TO come on board ne
| would shoot him. The Waterman had sent word
to Joes partners and the mate had scarcely gone before
two boats pulled in alongside the brig. After making
sure that the clear, the hatch was raised,
block and tackle and four bales Of cotton were
loaded two into each boat The bales were laid on their
sides across the n Of the boats fore and aft OF the
oarsmen Tire hatch carefully closed and the yawls
cleared Off leaving Buckley on deck Cotton was worth
81 rs per pound and the bales averaged 46O pounds
he felt very well satisfied with his nights work IL only
remained 10 get the Captain foul" The Captain came
down the pier about 3 and hailed the watehman; inc
brig was hauled up to the dock, and ne
came ON board somewhat drunk. He paid
Joe for the nights work, saying that everything
looked square. Buckley sat down and lighting pipe
began draw the captain out "Do You want 10 make
$5OO7p said he. "How," asked the captain. "Pshaw;
you know what mean. You can make $1,000 If you nave
mind will give yOu $500 for single bale OF cotton"
The captain hcstated. The Waterman on the dock came
on board and let the captain know that lie was dedd
This satisfied the captain and bale was drawn up and
| lowered into boat which the Waterman had near at
! hand The captain carefully counted the money
made himself that il all genuine, and babe Joe
good night This made everything secure, and he would
| for af of
have had it, The brig unlOaded, and found to be
five bales short. The captain pleaded mistake In the
manifest; hewas discharged and the shipOwnerS had 10
pay for the cotton Joe stood the dock when the last
bale brought up, aud the dismay OF the captain
laughed at him Il can tell you there IS everything
III having man."
Here the police having been casually referred TO- Zone
of the party told how, Sundays ago ne had been
fishing dock the foot OF Grandst, when the
pOccbOat up the end Of the pier After having
remained few moments, the boat and crew pulled up
the river. When they had departed the narrator had
carefully folded up the line, and, having pitched the
pole into the water, had climbed down the edge OF
the dock into boat which moored under the dock
He had then gone to the side of Spanish brig which
was lying in the slip, and bought boatOad OF rubber
from the only bOaTd-the cook. 1t was put into
small canvas and brought down the river, and hid
away the day under pier below the Brdge-s ferry,
Brooklyn side. After asking the crowd If they would MT
" have a cigar" the reporter took his leave
| NORTH RIYER-THE COFFEE GAME.
The gang on the North River have for their headquar
tiers a low rum-shop at the corner of Charlton and
Wessts. They keep their boats at near pier No 20.
The most notorious Of this gang Michael shannon,
Patrick Higgins, O'shaughnesey, Long Nike" Frank
Brown Andrew Higgins. scanloD, and shannahan. They
work three-sometimes fourth boat and are on the
dead steal They are desperate than the East
River bOamen, and carry mmes, with which they pTy
open matches and break open the stern windows Of
! canabOats They operate IN conjunction with the
watchmen and have nearly all Of them in their pay.
The North River has not been profitable Of late as in
former years. owing 10 the great quantity Of trade alb
sorbed by the East River docks and warehouses The
| modes Of operating tie docks numerous as
they are ingenious If lighter is lying at dock with
q load OF coffee the thieves viii pull into the clip at the
other side Of the pier and having worked their boat I'M
der the dock between the pes approach the vessel I'M
der cover II is frequently necessary for them TO turn
their yawl almost edgewse 10 crowd her between the
spiles Having reached the side of the dock where
| the lighter is mOored, they cut the thongs which
secure the canvas cover and working their heads and
arms up under this leisurely help themselves TO coffee
sugar fruits whatever else they may find. The small
muslin sacks which the boatmen always have at hand
are brought into requisitOn and, after having been
filed, are carefully deposited in the boat. When the
coffee is removing from schooner brig into the store
house. pile OF coffee sacks is usually placed on tho
dock upon which planks laid from the vessels side
the purpose Of wheeling the sacks out and pitching
them upon mans shoulder, that they may be carried
at once into tine warehouse. After having
carefully inspected the ground, the thieves
cOntrive to gain entrance nnder the
dock where the coGee-sacks placed As the theft
perpetated in daylight it is frequently necessary to
get under the wharf at the head of Slip 60 or 100 feet
distant and then TO sneak along under the pier in
ton Having carefully ascerained the exact location
OF the sacks overhead,-mstakes would be attended
with great danger-and, having generally chosen the
hour at which all the Waterman are at dinner,
large anger brought into requsitiOn. hole about
two inches in diameter, carefully bored up through
the soft plank and into the sack. Upon withdraw
ing the auger a stream Of coffee pours through