The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1888-07-28
SUMMING IN NEW YORK.
FoRDe INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE
VISITS THE ITALIAN QUARTER,

And See tho Manner in which These I'm
fortunate People Livc-Misery and Desti-
tuition on Every Hand-As Bad as the
Chinese Quarters of San Francisco.
New York, July 2s.-Members Of the
Ford investigating committee of congress
made a midnight visit Thursday night to
the wretched slums in the Italian quarter to
gain personal knowledge of the restitution
existing among those miserable people They
were escorted by detectives to the house, 116
Mulberry street. There they forced an en-
trance, despite the unwilling proprietor, and
assembled the rickety stairs 10 the hell holes
above. Men were found hideously dirty and
Italian women in one cubbyhole sprang up
in display when the committee entered. A
powerful stencil arose on all sides
In an adjoining cubbyhole was found five
women. They sprang up from their rude
couch when awakened by the sudden light,
and uttered piteous grooming cries of sur
prise. When their fears were queted they
gazed about them with wild dismay. They
clasped their babies in their arms with
fervor that was positively pitiable There
were three of the "Bamb ma" None of them
was over fortnight old. One of them had
had opened its eyes to the light of life but
three days ago. Its mother was a rarely
beautiful woman of seventeen years This
last child, she told the interpreter, was her
fourth She had married before she reached
her teens.
The committee crossed Mulberry street,
and, descending through a low corridor,
passed under the main building, No. us,
into q tagging laid yard on the rear. The
walls of the tall tenements rose on three
sides to five or six stories, and above could
be seen the dark cloud-swept sky. On benches
about the yard lay several men, and on the
top of a landing, reached by short and
shivering stairway, lay six boys. Though
the officers walked among them and flashed
the candle glare in their faces, they slept.
Their faces were upturned In nearly every
instances, and want, anxiety and misery
pictured on their dark visages
Now, the line of march is down Mulberry
street across canal, toward what is called
''the Bend"
what is thisl" anxiously asks a blear-
eyed scavenger on the corner. "ls it
raidTn
Already the word has preceded the com
mittee, and at each gloomy entrance to the
figures, half dressed and half asleep, clutch
In their arms all their worldly goods The
stale beer cellars were aglow with light and
up the Shiny stairways, debauching on the
sidewalks, came the vilest tobacco smoke.
Then they went into an old stale beer dive,
with greasy walls and heaps of dirt in the
corners. 1t was hardly eight feet square.
On the floor lay two full grown men, who
grunted at being disturbed, and then settled
over and went to sleep. Not a window or a
door was open until Crystal burst in. 1t
was some moments before even Mr.. Ford
with his cigar burning furiously, could
enter.
! second within was enough. A glance
showed that the sleeping beauties" were
Italians of the lowest order. Right behind
this shrinking room with its eight human be-
ings, was one horse in well built stable,
twice the size of the room and immeasura-
bly, cleaner. Close by was another room
filed with shovels, men, old bones, women
and bundles of dirty rags 1t, too, was
closed up 80 tightly that not breath of air
could get in
A long row of Italians fast asleep on the
cold stones or on bags, stretched the whole
length of the two houses. One of thorn, half
awake, made a kick at the detective as he
passed, but realizing what he had done, got
on his knees and begged for mercy. The
testimony, taken down by the light Of the
detectives lantern amid such surroundings,
with a score of duped, hungry looking
Italians grouped about on the stones, made
q deep impression on the committeeman.
Other buildings near by were investigated
with similar result. Everywhere we're men
without work They said they lived by
their vita, which meant by theft and men
dacity.
Better here than in ItalyT asked one
congressman. A shrug of the shoulders was
the only reply.
The Italians called themselves "mules,
burros fools, dogs" They had been deluded
by the agents-Padrones.
"This is as terrible as the worst parts of
the Chinese quarter in San Francisco" said
Col Morrow, when he go few long breaths
after regaining the street.
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