The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-28
A FOURTH WARD WORRY.
The Defiant Underground Ledger
Keepers Raided Upon.
THE HORRORS OF CELLAR LIFE.

me rourth ward Yesterday that were out oil the
hurly hurry OF the everyday lie OF ma WONDERFUL
resort of rtngtime patriots ana supporters. Ana
4, was mat particular portion OF cur city govern
merr anatomy commonly known as the Board OF
Heath gnica we're at the bottom OF the unusual
occurrences oil the day.
THE HUMAN RATS THAT BuRRoT UNDER GROUND,
me hardest to get at ami when got AT very nara
10 conquer we're the objects OF yesterdays vista
tlon. There were at one tine about IA OF these
underground nabitations. and up to last February
all had been vacated as dwellings; but when this
summer opened there were ten which continued
stll 10 defy the Board. Despite every warning
they persisted living in them, and 80 on FRIDAY
the Board put its foot down aad resolved TO lake
the resstants by the neck and ~ main force ria
the ward OF the nuisances. The work OF destruc-
ton was connded TO Dr. c. f. Lockwood, the ln-
spec,or OF the Board for the Folrth ana Second
wards. Sergeants STAT and Lenerts Win
squad OF picked men OF the sanitary Police
squad detailed TO accompany MIN. ana
with the entire party early Yesterday morning,
HERALD reporter started down town win water
street as the object OF attack. On reaching
Chatham square two men We e sent from the main
force TO quietly take possession OF each OF the ten
places destined for an overnauling, with orders
NOT 10 tell the owners what in store for them.
Ii fell to the lot or No. $50 Water street to be WIS.,
tied arst. This house, as well as No. 33S and 331 u,
rs situated in OF the worst books IN the street.
G nshops bucket shops, cellar lodging holes ana
houses used for the worst OF purposes abound
upon all SIDES The houses are all rckety look
ing, though OF brick, here and there one making
the others ali tue more grimy IN appearance oy
splash OF green or brown pant over the wood
wlrk OF the doorways aud windows, which the
artists the region believe enhances, in the eyes
OF the night wayiarer,
THE VALUE OF THE TREASURES
20 be found within. The sidewalks are old and
broaen and the cutters and street itself oozy with
tae mud and dirt accumulations OF weeks The
arrival oil large body or uniformed poice In sncn
o locality Is douotess, night or day, lot novelty;
but as it always hailed as an omen OF trouble Tor
somebody who has coolly Killed somebody else,
and .won't be tookn By a single policeman, or Of
some oher little Fourth ward peccadillo 1t always
attracts a crowd. And Lockwood's locust armed
hackers appearance on the scene was not an eX-
oe gton TO the general rule. And such crowd!
Where they came rom, and how they got, where
they dad get, was a mystery. Tney came SO quickly
that one was almost LED 10 peheve that hey had
come up out OIL the ground. Bnt the mystery was
partially explained oy The shutting OF cellar traps,
the slammlng OIL doorwals aud tue oceasoIal
scrambllng out OF los stored wlndoW ol
ragged urchIn, who, the moment he touched the
ground, ran towards the ponce 10 learn what was
up Vita yell.
"sA-AY woT YER COIN FUR, COPS ~
BY the time the police mad made way for them
selves through the tarong, which YVES made up IN
great part Of men in their shirt sleeves with
boated faces, AID women IN torn ana tattered
gowns, and with an odor oil GIN and moiasses
ABOUT them That Was positively revolving, the
woman OF the house had composed nerseii SUM-
GENTLY TO receive her guests.
SPECIMEN no. l.
The cellar or No. 1856 was reached by going down
four shay steps, and when one was sdlelv III the
door he nad to Keep IN nan oent posture IN order
TO project Ills head from the boards winch served
as ceiling. rms cellar Was mace Up OF two
rooms, With two ofshootlngs SIX b, I've, ana there
we've tnree beds vlsleie one having been @h!sked
out OF The way Into the back yard just before the
cops arrlyai. Ihe odor coming IRON tne rooms
was sthing. The landlady apparent was an an
Gent / ish woman o. rather rough men, but VINO
was polite ev den iy in uer ian .uage only because
oil tue tresence OF tie 'Doctnor.n rms cellar was
con aidereu by ner as speciality lot loGgers where
lie reporter was tod oy one o. the .Ohoysii The
SIDEWALK that as many as Iorty oLen ''sapeu CON-
SPECIMEN no. q
At No. 33s the ceiling was low IKE It's next door
negbbor, ana had Jour small JunSs. A small bar
ner ol the 'front.' room, benlnd
whlcn a Sleepy looking dlmsei OF an uncertain
age pre- lenued 10 be practs slug the article said 10
be next TO goodness nto u lew black bottles. In
inc recess OF one OF the windo"s, That looked out
upon bare wall, but I'D alta grating Gown wblcl
. dozen urcnLs we're peertng with grinning faces,
two white mems struttec proudly masters oi all the
corn they surveyed in the Md Ut tneif ieet-a
dozen grains or SO. Iae propr.etrsss was an lrisn
woman, CLIO OF tongue, ana al movement ana
gesture. she eudeay ored to impress upon her
visitors that there was not neaitnier place Ia the
Whole ward, ana as sue uttered ihis oig loke WITH
an air a. serious a. a IN mister could put on at a
funeral, she Snlned the sickening all oI tie room
WIN pusto ana sDa OF the hLs
that made even the policemen present laugh
aOud. s'But how about tnis:' said
the DOCTOR, STOPPING down and taking up a
plank Ont OF the flooring, revealing benea pool
OF DARK water. po,ieelnan put his baton down
INTO 1t and found 1t over a loot in depth, and as
ne stirred 1t about, there came up IRON the nushy
door The anSsdy a az oid no ress this
test Tor, Just before the water stirred up. she
had stopped down and taAen some o. 1t III her
open gain and ned II up TO view with tue re-
mark, '.Wny, ye can't find sweeter water any
where. Jest look at me. I've been here eon' on
SAID that she looked quite well and hardened 20
her business OF lodging anu he Ike.
No aa7, J, was on the opposite side of the way.
II was dirty, DARK, dismal hoie-one room, with
tour little piicn-darX oil rooms, about SIX leet by
IOur IA SIZE, and back rom. which was used az q
kitchen. Tue air sunocatIng. There was the
ssual In the corner OF the 'front.' ROOM with the
usual cheap pictures, some vi them IN cOiors Dy
some OF lne ~'oa masters oil the ward. The pro-
PR tor was young English Cocsney. He was
INTENSELY surprised 81 the Doctors cali ana asked
Tor lev Gays grace, out was reused. Inree
miserable look NJ woLlen, blear-eyed and poorly
cisl, who were IN the place, ran back INTO the
rear oJm toe Doctor was Yong ont. well, ]"
san he C0ckney TO one OF Lhe policemen. ~ was
gong 10 ArVe anynov, and l am glad you've
Gomez he then looKed at the women and eer-
ingly remarked II buried one lem t'other day -
1h- Doctor suggested that the cause OF the death
was rheumailsm. Well something IKE mat snat
guess II was rum tism, tho, sh." And he fellow
grlnned IKE a monkey over llts own loke.
SPECIMENS NOS 4 AND 8.
No. IL Dover street. just Delsw, on the corner,
was iound without any beds, 4I being so near the
scene o the raid at No. 355 Water street, That the
owner had time 10 get them u, stairA IL was
dingy blace, with two nttle hoe oil rooms IN
lighted not quite as bad as tbe otners, put Dai
Tor Oil that. No. 10 OAK street was also found on
the alert.
SPECIMEN NO. g.
NC. A9 Chatham street was taken onlp'stely Dy
surprise. IL IL large pace, undet ground, OF
drinkers. mis- room was cut OF at one END by
partition which served as one side to row ol
looms whcn opened out into a marrow pas sage
way. On the otner side OF tins pass. ,ge way
WAS another row Of rooms. The ceuln4
was low aud snasy-looking To get 10 me
rooms one mad 10 enter sort OF ehsy
Whsch leu directly 10 tie sinks Over the sinks,
Were the ceiling ought to De. the Gltny drip lin9s
from Stable overhead had carried away al the
mortar, and the rafters OF the stable floor lro-
fruued, covered VITA the stabing refuse. DO Wn
alone me walls. against which two Oh the be- IS