The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-09-11

d6 the OaDc6 GO0D ON, th6 mama seems
to catch the card players in the rear ;
they start up from the table, and eacl,
seizes partner and rus1es wildly in
to the dance; tie tramps who were
crouching on the sides Of the room,
start up and dance to each other ;
and after scene of madness which
battles description, three wild cheers
and tiger wind up the org:e, and
the whole party, tramps and all, adj
jonrn to the bar. to take . drink, for
which poor Jack invariably pays.
This accounts for the reason why the
tramps were allowed a shelter for the
time, as they helpt to swell the receipts
of the bar every time there is a gen
eral trent. At midnight the doors are
closed, but bY. this time the place is
crowded, and business has only fairly
commenced. Sometimes the most des-
peSate fights occur, when knives and
pistols aro used, and blood is spilled,
but the finest police IN the world y
never hear Il till after the fight is
over, and no matter how desperate
the injury, these men never seek re-
dress in the courts. The red right
hand settles their difficulties, and
even when wounded to death, they
seldom let the authorities know who
gave the fatal stab or shot.
The subject Of river pirates was
forced upon me this week by the death
of man who had figured along our
river front for the last twenty years.
He was we'll known to the police and
the courts, as one of the most des-
.perate and successful pirates on the
river. Still be seldom appeared be-
fore the courts, except in cases Of
drunkenness aud assault, for his rob-
berries we're 80 skillfully concealed
and SO boldly accomplished that he
always escaped conviction, a few brief
terms in the penitentiary and one in
the States prison, being all he snf-
fered for his crimes. Large stores
line the river on the Brooklyn side,
and among them is one entitled
/" Martins Stores not far from Wall
street ferry. One night, about ak
years ago, the watcbman discovered
some fobbers Il the act Of stealing
some goods from the W1Tarf,~a.run-
ming G6llt q and the anlortas
nate watchman was killed. He was
discovered q few minutes before he
died, aud as he knew the river thief
well, he told the police who shot him.
The pirate, not knowing that the dy-
ing man had lived long enough to tell
the story of his murder, appeared
next day in his usual llaunts, when
he was apprehended and tried for
murder. The whole Of the tllieving
fraternity on the river came to his
assistance /: thousands of dollars were
raised, the case was tried, aud he was
convicted of wilful murder, and sen
fenced to be hanged. On some tech
nicality, the case was carried to the
Supreme Court, and q new trial or
dered, and on the second trial he was
convicted Of murder in the second
degree, and sentenced to States prison
for life. No criminal 10 the State of
New York ever escaped the gallows
who deserved it SO we'll; and one
morning the city was startled by the
intelligence that Gov. Tilden had
pardoned him. He came down from
States prison on Christmas eve, and
invitations had been sent out to all
the thieves and pirates along the
river. WlIiskey flowed like water,
and tobacco was in abundance; ali
through the night and far into the
next day the wild orgie was con-
tinued and no policeman dared ven
ture near while the pirates held the
fort" He took to his old profession
on the river, and followed it up to
the day Of his death, which occurred
1nc - nj khn nj. ~rc