Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-17
SEEN IN NEW YORK.
Some Things Discovered by a Man Who
PrOwls at Night.

"THE ToMBs" IN THE CoLoRED pIsrR1cr-rHE
EMBROIDERED TRowsERs-IN A CONCERT HALL
MEETING MARY ANDERSON AT THREE IN THE
MORNING-MRs. SHAW AND OTHER wHIsTLERs.
Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR.
New YORK. Nov. 16.-I like to prowl It is
great fun to scour about at night all alone in
places in this town where things are to be SEEN
and, when you've seen them, to accept them
philosophically as evidences of the cosmopoli-
tanism of the city of many nations.
IprOwled last Monday night. At about IL
o'clock / went into a bar-room at a corner Of
9th avenue, in the heart of the uptown col
ored district, and there met the king of
Africa. This is his title given him by In
spector Williams when he was captain of the
nineteenth precinct, and the royal prerogative
is recognized tacitly by all the colored popula-
ton OF New York north OF West Sd street.
king JOe," as he is also called is as handsome
young octoroon as ever ulptor imagined or
painter dreamed. He is an Apollo in form and
grace, with the tenderest, kindliest. intelligent
brown eyes, that somehow reminded me of u
spaniei's, and wavy black moustache that
permitted glimpses of shining white teeth
when ne talked or laughed.
! wasn't introduced to King Joe, CAPTAIN
Reilly. now the head of the nineteenth precinct,
had pointed him out to me one day at the
Monmouth park races when his majesty was
head steward there, SO when saw him leaning
against the bar in the 9th avenue liquor shop
knew who he was. Joe was talking politics
with the bartender and Hashily-dressed party
in check suit The latter were having the
best OF the argument, so put in word or two
for Joe's side, and We We're speedily friends
When the argument had been amicably con-
ciuded Joe and took walk down sd street
toward 7th avenue and Joe showed me the
'"Tombs:" We dove into black archway on
the north side Of 3ad Street and grouped our
way along the damp walls to the rear of O col
ored mans eating mouse, and then mounted a
hight OF steep stairs to the first gallery of a
OF the Tombs prison on Centre street. On
either side of the stairs, which mount to the
fourth story, is q gallery which is studded its
entire length by rickety doors communicate
mi, I'M mt into ROOM rooms .o occupied as dwellings
space Occupied BY tie Ps0p''i galleries as
and stairs is only few feet wide; but Il il the
only communication these apartments have
with the outer air, and their quarters must be
dark even at high noon, as the sun cannot
There are 100 rooms in the Tombs, King Joe
told me, and from these 100 rooms S6S voters
registered before election day; and a. King
Joe was clerk Of the registry board, he Is
good authority for the statement that every
man Of the sSs was bona Ade resident Of the
Tombs. There are nearly 600 souls quartered
in the building, according to Joe, an average
Of nearly six persons TO each room. And as
high rent a. eight and even ten dollars
month is paid for single room in the Tombs
niggers," Joe says. he himself pays q, 400
year rent for fhree-story brick house across
the way, while white man in an exactly simi-
lsr house adjoining pays the same landlord but
ARR thn To..he h ana al N tI,e .nlo~>a