New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-23
LAgLESSNESS on THE EAST SIDE.
THE POLICE THINK THAT MR.. DERGn's LETTER WAS
BEHIND TIME.

THE POLICE THINK THAT MR.. DERGWS LETTER WAS
BEHIND TIME.
Henry Berglis recent letter in regard to
the alleged awcssncss In the neighborhood Of
GOuyerncur-slip and South It. has been theme
for much comment among the police. FROM
questioning tho officers Of the precinct in which
the ncisborhood H. reporter elected the facts that the
district il ne quiet church yard compared with Its
condition three years agoand some OF the officers
expressed the opinion that Mr.. Bcrgs letter was Just
that extent of time out of date that the Border Gang
thing OF the past and its successor, the Short tail
Gang" composed OF petty thieves from eighteen to
twenty -onc years of age has followed the first named Off
the stage OF action Captain Webb, Of the Seventh Pre-
cinctasaid:
have not been called Police Headquarters in re-
gard the matter The trouble IL not in my precinct
but in the Thirteenth, where Mr. Bcrghs property lies
and where the force Is small. The offenders come
over the dividing line chased too closely by the
1hirtecnth men, and hide In the alleys. On the day
boforc New Years Captain Copeland and U,yself'wit
section each from the Seventh and Thirteenth precincts
made a raid on the region surrounding the haunts
complained Of shutting OF every avenue Of escape and
caught six vagrants and ali sentenced TO ten days
on Baciwclls Island In defaul, OF Il fine Of $40 each.
which Il the greatest punishment that can be imposed
under the code In the last nine months there have
in the Seventh Precinct only two Of assault
and one OF burglary. All the arrested
promptly, two sent mp and IN one the com
planart. who drunk and claimed to have been rob
bed found he hal not been, and ashamed that ne
did not press the charge BIT when arrests made
the worst trouble have IL at the courts The District
ATTORNEY office pushes cases until the officers
tired ont with attending witnesses, mud When the
Is set for prrcmptory trial the prisoners plead guilty at
once ia Of my officers went To- court seven
times, losing his day and losing his needed rest"
other Officers Of he precinct complained that II was
hard 10 obi ain witnesses in cases OF arrest.
Tho offenders would boast that they'd behack soon
II they sentenced 10 ten days some politician
would utrrccdo with the judge aud get them on You
relatives. and ot there IL nohody 10 give them
awav Nine Of ten of the Border Gang which
numbered forty hity serving time at sing Sing,
and when they back they don't find their old pals
at the slip and they don't stay Then they are so well
known that IL don't do Tor them to hang around
The that IN that ncighhOrhOOd young
fclows from thirteen 10 fourteen wears old who some
times take desperate thance when they get drunken
man going along q; night md go through him. quiet,
rcspcc table person isn't likely To De- iuterfcrcd with"
I'm The thirteenth Precinct of the active de-
tccyes said: The Border Gang has not amounted 10
anything Tor the last three four years. they were
sentences " fifteen 10 twenty years at Sing Sing The
rom Gy San was Red in pratca q attempts G" on
q schooner In Finishing Bay. His three companions
now serving ton year. sentence There Is Armcy
casc-aud Nellie Downs that IS his nickname. They
arr now serving five years sentences. Jim Curry
Murphy nnd Patrick Hughes arc now on trial The dc
tri,ion ~ li,.. a. rVnrgrr,t.d AMI f. tho ,vorl, ~
boys who upa htilD brick building years 70
get cent, worth ~ iron The region Is the drear-
lest IN Ncw-N York; thcrc.is nothing there to steal"
The secret ~ the matter IS" said another detective
that NJ. Hcrgh has large building down there which
has not paid lie had 10 warehouse there once, aud
sugar factory but ships viii not come up there, because
there is safe wharfage, only bulkheads. The Sound
steamers, Ia passing Curears Hook, where there Is
strong current hug the wharf closely md make such
heavy twrn that ship could ride there safely or
quietly"
M B,lEh IN hl- letter stated that the officers had done
n they could O prevent tue outIage- OF which he
plains, but says there should hc larger force there:
There hi- Increase uf force In the Thirteenth
Precinct for twenty years. although territory is
covered now. ami tie population ha. increased In the
Seventh there has been u,Ia-c oi force FOR twenty
ypnr-.