West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-02-09
GOTHAM'S RIVER PIRATES
HUMAN wharf RATS WHO LIVE
BY STEALING FROM VESSELS.
Carrying or an Entire Ship-Thc
T. coating Police Station Which
Watches the Plundcrcrs.


Watches the Plundcrers.
II may seem strange that there are
gangs OF human beings who live on tho
rivers and are housed like water rats un-
der tn; docks and p.crs Of this great
town. Not even London with its hosts
OF Thames pirates and its skulking boat
robbers ever had more lawless multitude
than the In ewes that for many years
made the harbor of New York terror TO
honest mariners and danger TO COM
mercc.
Most Of the Old gang who swept the
rivers and piers in their snaky black
boats ten tn twenty years ago have been
shot to death, drowned. or have died in
prison, and although the watcrside of the
city is much safer than il was in those DAYS,
there are still many predatory rascals that
keep the watchmcn wakeful along the
piers where goods are temporarily stored.
/ The working ground of the river
tn ewes is wherever booty is to be found
and carried away with the smallest risk.
At the East River decks fronting the
Brooklyn Navy Yard, where the river
swc ps around ragged iutting turn and
the tide dasbes about uncomfortable,
the pirates occasiona ly hold high carni-
val. The big south side tencments run.
ming down nearly to the waters edge are
hiding places for tEc criminals and stor-
age ground for their plunder
20 too on the West side down i'm tho
ncighborhool of Charlton and the ad-
loing streets abutting the docks of the
North River, where the vicious clements
live and thrive, the water thieves find
chances for robbery and odd corners in
which to hide what thcy have stolen.
Bcicre the present system of police
surveillance n q repression was adopted
no mans life was thoroughly secure on
any of the richly laden vessels that Law
within easy reach Of the docks when the
darkness OF night covered them, and
many tale of piracy is yet tod among
the grizzly headed 'longshoremen that
crowd the drinking places along the West
street piers.
The scandal of the lawlessness. the
robbcrics and occasional murders that oc-
CURED on the water front eliminated one
night wien n richly freightcd sloop,
captain, crew and vessel. were taken
dily from an East River pier, towed
out safely far into the bay and stripped
Of eve y,hing OF value that the sloop and
its crew possessed. The hull OF the boat
was left, but that was about all, and the
ccx were landed and warned TO get
away from New York as fast as they
could ship again. And they did, for
when after long investigation two OF the
thief pilates were captured, not q man
OF tho sloop's party could be found to
testify against them.
But the occurrence stirred up the au-
thoriiics and very soon the Harbor
Patrol became n recognized and essential
portion of the city's police force. 1t did
not suppress river piracy, nor has it sup
pressed IL, bat the thieves have been
driven from many of their skulking
places undcf the piers and along the
docks, and where almost whole cargocs
used to be stolen and carried away the
robbers must now content themselves
with small boatload and run their
chances OF escape from the swift cared
police boats that day and night keen
watch and ward over the docks and the
stream.
Eown under the big iron pier that is
the city's great outlet to Concy Island
during The summer months there is n
ragged looking stone building, where
the Department OF I'ocks has its Offices.
Close up 10 this building, in a granite.
walled slip, lies, when not on duty, n
iakish, bl ok huiled side wheeler that
carries forty men, and is nothing more
nor less than veritablc police station.
No one woulI suppose that in Iicial
larlancc the good and scaworthy craft.
which has the single word sPatroly on
her wheel house, is q numbered precinct
statio1-house, with roundsmen and SER
! gcants and a captain, just like the biz
| buildings in various sections of the
town where our ordinary policemen arc
| housed.
But the men who Gil the ranks on the
/ Patrol are of far different Drawn and
muscle from the men who guard our
! ftreets. Many Of them are young, hearty
| fellows who have served an apprentice.
ship on the sea, and all of them can
handle an oar or launch boat with as
muth h promptncss and safety as. the most
experienced sailor. They carry no clubs
whllo on night duty along The river, for
! the plates need more fofcibIc arguments
than The shaking OF night stick. and
those are furnished usual y from the quick
| speaking mouths Of the big revOIycrs
| WIN the lIarbor Police carry.
| The life - not "a pleasant one by any
means, for the ri or front isa loao ono
! and the wintfy nights are the thieves
best time for plu dcring. through the
! darkness, The rain and tho sleet. along
the cLoppy water. under big ferry piers
and among The ha Dor sh pplny, out into
! the stream and over toward tie jersey
shore, around the dirty East River docks,
always full Of good things and sWarminp
with thieves, the three police boats. with
SIX men each, pull silently and swiftly all
| through tic night. The . rates know
That the glare Of the police lantern NAV
be thrown upon them ont Of the dark
/ ness at any instant. and III It nee spotted
/ SIX pair OF brawny arms will send tho
boat spinning through the water after
them IN n way that will make escape i'm.
/ possible.
/ The lIarbor Patrol has cone and con.
tinues TO d. n great work 10 has not
and may never c n lc 10 entirely driv,
out the river IN ewes, but when ono con
siders IT, miles of river front that arc
TO bc guarded; tho hundreds Of whar ,c,
( and docks th It a-e 10 bc watched. Tho
! thousands OF craft coming and going
/ that c TO be looked aftcf. and the IN
told millions in frcights laden ard un
laden which are to be saved from deprc.
] dnfFguc IL fttfef ,caf.taf. .