Morris tribune., 1889-09-18
A WATCHMAN'S STORY.
LIFE AMID TEE DARKNESS OF THE
RIVER PIERS IN NEW YORK.

Wharf Pirates and Their Schemcs-Ingen-
ious Plans for Robbing the Dock Ware
houses-Fishermen Who Act as Confeder-
ates-Guards Who Have Lost Their Lives.
During particularly heavy downpour
of rain, the writer took refuge in the
doorway of one of New York's largest
warehouses. There Ire met the night
watchman, a grizzled but kindly faced
old man, who on being questioned spoke
as follows regarding his calling. After
few silent whiffs at his pipe, during
which he seemed meditating, he began:
Ihave been at this employment for the
greater part of twenty years. My en-
ployer has about two hundred men, and
controls nearly all the business of supply
ing watchmen, at moments notice, in
this city. Is there variety in the work?
Sure, so far as change of scene goes, for
one night may be sent to assist regu-
lar bank watchman to stand guard over
vault containing many hundred thou
sands of dollars, or to watch a private
residence in some swell locality, or may
have to roam about huge warehouse all
night. But generally we are kept busy
on the river piers, either opened or COW
cred, or perhaps day or night at Erie
Basin, or in Hoboken or Jersey City.
And there is con siderable danger as we'll
as variety in the work. Not a great
many years ago there were regularly Or
ganized gangs of river pirates, who made
certain localities their stamping grounds,
where they met to plan raids, eat, drink
and sleep,
A LONESOME LIFE.
We have had to fight against these
gangs for years, and at last they are
pretty we'll cleaned out and we have
fairly earned the gratitude of importers,
shipping brokers and owners-in fact, of
all honest men.
Sometimes the gloomy stiffness of a
night spent on dark pier is almost in
supportable. There is not enough noise
to interest man, and not enough indi-
cation of danger to sharpen his faculties;
yet we must be always on the alert.
Wharf rats are usually sly, but when
they find naught but a mans life be-
tween them AMI their booty, they some
times become exceedingly bold. They
sneak along the docks, disappearing
now and then in the dark to listen for
the policeman's footsteps. Then they
emerge. Their spies keep them well
posted as to the kind and quality of the
various cargoes. One will sometimes
get on the docks as peddler, or on some
pretended errand while the cargo is
los,, l1I IT,
learn where fruit, nuts or any small
packages are placed.
No first class watchman will ever per-
NIT stranger access to dock after the
big doors are once locked for the night.
Formerly deal of merchandise was
stolen in broad daylight and virtually
under the very eyes of the owners and
others interested in preventing such oc-
currences. You must remember that
when ship or steamer is being unloaded
there are usually over three hundred men
about, 'longshoremen, stevedores, dock
clerks and revenue officers, and in the
confusion it was not such o difficult
matter to pilfer small articles during the
day; it was easier really to steal in the
day when there was a crowd about than
at night. ..,.
TRICKS OF THE THIEVES.
Many ingenious schemes to steal have
been tried, and successfully, too. One
of them was to row under dock at low
tide, and bore up through the flooring
into barrels of sugar or hogsheads of
whisky and molasses, and so let their
booty flow into empty barrels which
they placed in the boat. I've seen burly
longshorenen take hold of hogshead,
brace themselves for a mighty effort,
and then roll themselves head over heels
with the barrel, which had previously
been drained of its contents by these
wharf rats, Fishing from the end of a
pier and seizing small articles when
chance was presented, and dropping
them into the hands of confederate be-
low, was a common dodge. Now, dock
owners are very cautious about letting
people fish from their loaded docks, un-
the parties are well known.
Do we ever get injured? Yes, watch |
men are often assaulted, and one is oc.
casionalIy murdered. Since Two been in
the business thirty of my associates have
lost their lives while on duty. The
thieves reason that dead men tell no
tales. There are more murdered watch
men than murders convicted. Some
times. a tough character will lounge |
around the safaons alongshore until !