The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-05
RESORTS OF THE VICIOUS.
Sections of the City That Are the Source
of Most Trouble to the Police.
Neighborhoods of Criminals ard ROughs That
Have Been Broken Up-An Old-Time
Rendezvous of Highwsymen.

north and northeastern parts of the city
A call south generally means drunk;
west, a thief or fugitive, and northwest a
drunk, or an arrest for assault and battery
The patrolmen who have the easiest times are
those who patrol the north and northeastern dis
tricts. Their orders compel them to get over
their territory. but there is necessity for them
to keep close lookout; for among the inhab-
itants there are none who need watching.
The East Side districts require closer watching,
and yet the tough element is comparatively
scarce there. Criminals have never been at
tracted by opportunities for secreting them
selves there, and about the only thing that ever
disturbs the peace and quiet is an occasional sa-
loon row. The southeastern and southern dis
tricts compare favorably with the northern part
of the city. For years the West Side has
been the severest test of the policeman's mettle.
Generally speaking the inhabitants of that part
of the city are respectable, lawabiding citizens,
but the people who give the police the most
trouble live over there. All of that part of the
city west of Illinois street is looked upon by the
police requiring special watching. When the
locality lover the canal is spoken of it signifies
much the same as lover the Rhine" in Cincin
natl The numerous questionable resorts are
the refuge of many criminals. and it is there
the officers always go to look first for fugitive
wanted
In years past there were several localities in
the West End and in the northwest districts
that were regarded as being as bad as any of the
worst sections of Cincinnati 'Sleigho under
the HILL" .Shini," Petersburg" Potomac
alley" and "Bucktown" were some of the names
by which these places were and are still known.
Four or five years ago Potomac alley" gave the
police more trouble than all other districts COM
bined, and it required the attention OF the best
men on the force Il wa, was considered red
three or four arrests on the ''alley," and
for fighting stealing and every kind of crime.
The alley was inhabited by the most disreputa-
BILE people, and was the hiding place for thieves.
GERS to have pitched battle with the inhabit-
ants, the worst Of whom, however, were finally
driven away, and for year or two the alley has
been rather quiet and respectable.
''Sleigho' and Petersburg" which are
neighborhoods far up the canal, are among the
most troublesome districts now, though there
has been marked Improvement in the last two
years The localities are Inhabited by that
class of humanity who have been born and nur-
tured in crime, and who consider 1T no more
wrong to steal than to eat their
daily meals The children are raised on
pickings from slop, and are taught that sit
is all of life to live and all of life to die" and
that they are entitled to living oil the people
if they can be shrewd to steal it. They grow
I'D to become professional thieves. Many boys
from there have been sent to the Reform
School, and the neighborhood Is well repre-
sented in the penitentiaries. Their low, brutal
natures lead them into many fights among them
selves and a day seldom passes that the
patrol wagon does not bring to the Central sta
ton some bloody belligerents.
Bucktown is shat portion of the city along In
diana avenue and adjacent streets northwest of
the canal bridge. The inhabitants within the
territory so-called number two or three thou
sand. They are of the class that give the police
much trouble. The population is mixture of
colored and disreputable white people. who live
togo lher, and who do not get along the most
agreeablv 1t is the district where most arrests
are made for assault and battery. Saloons
are numerous and are better patroniZed than in
any other quarter of the city. The petty
quarres among the residents all come up for
settlement within their doors, and on this
count the patrolmen who run that district have
to keep very close surveillance. 1t is also the
district infested with petty thieves, and SO gen
eral did the complaint become recently that the
police board appointed Benjamin Thornton de-
tective, with orders to pay especial attention to
that district Being colored man himself. and
intimately acquainted with nearly every
body in the district, Mr.. Thornton
has succeeded in procuring the convic-
ton of many troublesome characters
The hatred of the police by the residents of these
districts that require special watching is only
equaled by the fear they have of them. There
is often complaint from the troublesome element
that the officers discriminate against them. and
not few attempts haze been made to organize
to resist the police. but the movement has never
amounted to more than blow and bluster. Many
who two and three years ago were regarded as
the worst criminals. have been benefited by the
close watch the officers kept upon them, and
have gone 10 work.
What was once known as the 'bloody second"
district, embracing the southeastern section of
the city, was for many years source of much
trouble. 1t was the resort of slugeers and foot
pads, and for years citizen did not consider
himself safe the streets after dark. By hard
work the police succeeded III Kidding the locality
of all its dangerous characters. and now the dis
trlct is considered one of the Quietest in the CITY,
The houses that were formerly filled with GRIM
inals of all sorts are occupied by laboring men.
1.-THE police now do not have to go through
what we did twelve and fifteen years ago." said
Captain Campbell to Journal reporter I'VE
were kept on the jump. and then we couldn't
keep the peace. In those days the place
dreaded the most was 'Strngtown," west of the
river. The locality wasn't then Incorporated IN
the city, and it was made the harboring
place for some of the most dangerous characters
in the country. 1t was for years that there
was never a night when did not have call
over there to settle some distur bance and we
always went at the risk of our lives. do not
think there was a man that lived over there who
would not dare to kill on sight, and so bold did
the highwaymen become that it was a daily oc-
currence for farmers passing through
to be held mp and robbed in
broad daylight. No stranger dared venture
out on the streets after niehtfall, and the farm
ers who came to the city always made it point
to get out through "Stringtown" before night
came on The old river bridge was a rendez
vous for highwaymen. and have no donbt there
have been scenes of crime committed in it that
were never known. We used to have orders
to go through the bridge every night and
clear it. Two of US always went through with
cooked revolvers, and never failed to run ont
some highwayman There was no improve
ment in 'Stringtown" until it was incorporated,
and then we soon got the upper hard of the law
breakers. For the past FIVE or six years it has
improved wonderfully, and has become one of
the most peaceable localities in the city"
George Sand on Educational Methods.