The sun., 1889-03-31
NEW YoRK,s POLICE FORCE.
Asie to Cepe with the Disorderiy - nis
Hioting Now Impossible.

reserves, COLL uD the patrOl wagons, anu ueter
mine upon the plan Of operations. Whatever
may hayo boon accomplished in previous years
by organized street mobs. intent on ovorawinf
or overturning the police, the increased ef1l
cheney OF the department, the improved meth
ods In dealing with unruly gatherings, the
perfection OF the telegraph system, and the
superior drill OF the men. has reduced to Q
minimum any chance Of q successful out.
break. It is none tho less fact
land apt evidence OF It was furnished by the
recent car strike) that 1t does not require much
In tho way OF Indictment to provoke New Yorh
mob to deeds OF violence and disorder. The
possibilities OF a street mob are never realized
until actually confronted face to face. Five
hundred orderly, peaceful, law abiding citizens
thrown together by some great grievance OF
distress do not have to wait long for recruits
eagerly intent upon deeds OF pillage. The
presence OF danger forti0es crowd. and mum.
bers stimulate daring. In any great com.
munity the gathering OF crowd Is the work ol
few minutes. Congregated with celerity
almost incredible, It needs only some occasion
OF dissatisfaction to arouse those slumberinR
sentiments of bitter hostility to organized
force which generates and accompanies acts
OF disorder.
The question has been sometimes asked
what part of New York city would be most
likely to be the field of temporary outbreak
did riot actually occur2 What locality would
be more apt to be chosen for such purpose by
those who might think. in period Of great
popular excitoment that their prospects Of re-
promse as parts Hs W Ssw Yor
might lay claim TO such undesirable distino-
ton, and some knoIwledKe ,oI 9f the matter may MAJ
the places noted for such outbreaks in tho past.
Tho draft rlots OF 1868. which are now re;
rather remote "reminiscences, but which put in
peril the whole power OF the police. reinforced
by the military, began on tho 18TH of July:
the hottest and most sultry days OF that year,
and lasted several days. The trouble iirst
broke 9I t hs OF 9s gos,
quickly repulsed, and driven TO Lexington, ave-
nue. by the rioters. This portion Of New York
it is to-day. the numerous rocks eince having
been blasted TO make way for the Forty second
street tunnel to First and for the
look the East River The rocks were then cov-
cred by shanties and, We're overrnn by goats.
the Halter land between First and Second
avenues. south of tortieth street. from which
large nu%bers Of the ro'ers oi were re-
avenue and Eorty;thhilEdiI hl,i ( street. and i Fradu-
second street. Trouble next broke out at
Twenty-tirst street and Second avenue. and
here again the police were defeated. The next
street NOW West Third. Thirty. seventh street
and Ninth avenue, and Nassau and Spruce
streets he e 59udng III Ine mob
derly reg on. the sixth ward Trouble followed
koossyet sRs ou5sa s"Fs i hs
on the second day Of the riot, the
began oo@ea at nss
nue. and Thirty-thrd street and at Ninth
avenue and Sixteenth street. and eliminated
and Eleventh avenue. where the ferry house
was set on fro. Twenty-ninth street and
Eighth Avenue was another point Of attack,
as was Twenty-seventh street and Seventh
avenue. The final stand made by the rioters
was at the corner OF Bleecker and Thompson
most serious and prolonged stand was between
avenue; Defeated there. by the aid OF the mill
TTenty-lye years ,s ,o aso that department s9i.
Imperfect training of these but also BY the a b.
sence of the present system of teegraphic
communication between .an, the various station
alarm. it was the custom to send u separate
10 each Captain. and where matters
With letter. y 6en, therefore. the draft riots
rioters on Ninth and Tenth avenues was 70 cut
down the telegraph poles and sever the wires.
This was ,done pretty generally throughout
town; and: conseqqently, those in charge
of information from more than half G"lSe ef he
city than the verbal reports Of callers and mes.
senRers. Il, was thus. possible for a body OF
thereby leaving the entire precinct to such
chance protection Us the few patromen on post
he were dons rhs his mstEod Of pi
ng public peace would now be regarded as ex-
:remely primitive. and the only wonder is that
against such DISADVANTAGES the police, were
able to make rs good showing rs they did.
From 1868. the year OF tho draft riots. to 1871.
he year of the Orange outbreak-eiGht years
ess one day-many improvements were made /
n police discipline aud appliances. When, |
the attack was made, on July l2, |
md would have been dispersed without loss OF !
ife or bodily violence, In oil probability. had !
the ~fa FREQ on The crowd
Began at Eshth
md Twenty ninth street., and extended down |
hence to Filth avenue. to strsee
'ourth avenue. and to Cooper Ins titute. Trou-
de broke out at the corner OF Eighth avenue
md Twenty-eiXth street. whore the crowd ire
nd Twenty.cighth streets, east Of Eighth ave-
lus between Twonty Fourth and Thirty.fourth
,ne, and not only were tho windows crowded.
impede the line OF march Of the Orangemen.
II police efficiency between the
relatively. than the Change which,
occurred between the years 1871 and 1882 In
Iced. tie entire condition OF things has been
hanged, notably in the matter OF traneporta-
ion. theeleyated railroads making the depart
lent entirely Independent Of the surface roads,
cross The tracks OF which the raising of OBJ
tructions is easy. The police have now their
wn patrol wagons for the transfer OF largo
odies Of men. and little actual marching need.
therefore,. TO done. The saving of time, too, is
considerable, fifteen minutes now sufflcing for
hat used to consume IN hour or more.
-Four points of New York city. as 1t existed
wenty yearsago, which used to inspire the ap-
rehension nf the police. were tho Five
oints In .ls Sixth ward. the intersection Of
ackson and Water streets. Warren Hill, where
larke street connects with Spring. and James
treet near the ferry.
The cutting through Of Worth street. where
y an open outlet was made on both sides Of
le Five Points. has quite destroyed the unen-
liable reputationof the former Bloody Sixth"
ard for its fighting eminence. The Increase
the number OF stores and warehouse build
lgs between Centre street and Broadway has
ompleted Its extinction In this regard. the tur-
ulent character OF tho neighborhood having
cen entirely. transformed by the advent OF
eaceable Chinamen,. Italians and Russian
eddlers and sidewalk merchants jackson
nd Water street Is not longer the centre
lerowdSdd population, and the shipping
the neighborhood is now nearly extinct.
ower James street has a transient popUla-
on OF sailors and stevedores, who are little