The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-05-25
HOBOKHN'S DISGRACE.
The Wicked Soups Still
Running in Full
Blast.
CLERGYMEN PROTEST.
City Officials Are Showing Unbe-
becoming Apathy.

The exposure in THE JERSEY CrTY
News Of Wednesday of the disgracefuI
scenes enacted nightly at the soups on
Jefferson street. in Hoooken, has Gre
afed a genuine sensation in that city, and
there is no doubt but what the rufilan
who is making dollars &C the expense Of
the morals Of the community viii soon
have to emigrate, as several respectable
citizens are willing to 90 TO the front and
make complaint
After considerable difficulty learned
the. name Of the owner Of the soups last
night. HIS name is Thomas Watkins,
ard my informant told me c0nfidentiaily
that he was six feet high and fighter OF
some ability, and thar he threatened to
1 get even with me il / persisted in writing
him up He said he did not care a DIN
for the police. as he had a license; but he
was afraid of the newspapers
Sergeant Marnell, when asked why this
police do not take some action in regard
to the matter said Why, wnat can we
dor / know the place is a great deal
worse than the lowest dive imaginable,
but as the fellow has license, which be
always produces. we are helpless IN the
Natter
Recorder McDonough is only too will
| ing to accept complaint against the fell
| low. Said hes-sgThe soups are an ab0rii-
nation. and / am glad 70 see TEE JERSEY
CITY NEWS take hold Of the matter. and T
nope it VIII be successful IN driving The
dirty scoundrels who are running il from
| the town. Why, whenever we want 70
catch loose characters, male or female,
the very first place detail my officer to
is the soups Only the other night Police
/ other notorious character there, and
since that time several others have been
caught there ?
THREATS AGAINST THE s'NEEsr NAN.
] again visited the soups last night, not
/ withstanding that / was assured tlaat six
! feet Watkins and his gang Of hoodlums,
! including the big negro. had said they
4 would do me up. The same degrading
scenes which / have already desert bed
were Witnessed. and the same disorderly
crowd attended. While was there Two
drunken fellows got In the sEupa. They
were accompanied by two young women,
who also appeared to be under the in
1aence OF liquor. The men were hardly
able to stand on their feet, but the runner
Of the scnps took their cash and allowed
them to enter | watched the fellows,
! feeling sure that there would be "a acci-
dent, and was not disappointed. When
/ the soups had reached rapid momen-
tum, the drunken Of the two missed his
1 grab at the rope and fell head foremost
\ out Of the soups He lay there uncon-
scious, while the women screamed and q
| great crowd soon gathered After short
/ while the fellow came to.
I One Of The attendants in the n1fanEhii5
I WAS trying 70 drive The crowd away. and
ea.sssesiissE lem that re Is, f'ollse would bs
ried TO neighboring drug store. where
! his wounds were dressed. and he went
away with his friends
/ was informed that there have been
/ several accidents of q similar nature at
| the soups and that not long ago little
| fellow was crippled for Life by being
thrown against partition
/ called on the Rev. Father Francis
Lehner, of St. Josephs Roman Catholic
Church. yesterday. Father Lehner is a
! popular young priest. Said he:--sI have
read the article in TIE JERSEY CITY NEWS.
but until then l did not know such
thing existed. OF course it is not n my
parish, but suppose some of my young
people may be attracted there, and you
can say that | am opposed to the
soups or anything which may
degrade the morals OF the community.
God knows we have enough temptations
for the young people without this new
one. cannot see why this man should
l get q license in spite of the objections
raised by the people in the neighborho od-
Why, to show yon how Inconsistent the
authorities are.l will relate little in
stance. A poor man whom l knew lo-
| Gated carousel on the Eiysian fields. and
several blocks from any hebItation. u
| was only open during the day time. Yet
when some Of the residents of that Sec
ton objected, the authorities instantly
revoked his license. and mind yen this
was only run dnring the day time Now
comes along this soup owner. perfect
stranger, and by some manner OF means
he secures license to run during the
night time. The soups are disgrace and
the sooner they are driven from the town
the better 1t will be tor the community.
FORCED TO CLOSE THE CHURCH WINDOWS
Father Dominick Mazetti. the pastor Of
the Italian Church. which is located
within half d block OF the soups, was
next seen Said he, When the soups
| were further down the street gang OF
loafers used to congregate about my
church door and act disgracefully. Dur
/ ing this month have been holding SER
vices every evening and found it neces
sary TO have the church windows closed.
am opposed to the soups on the ground
of morality
At the City Clerks Office it was learned
that Watkins had procured his license
on May 90. The license WIS granted b5
Mayor Grassmau aud nobody in the City
Hall knew how long the license had 70
run. Mayor Grassman is q trustworthy
official and no doubt did not know the
nature Of the fellows business when he
AEdubel ~. mere - ~ tto1oA osAe WAt1t
he viii revoke it when the true
state of affairs is explained
to him ] searched for the Mayor this
morning, but he could not be found. A
friend of the fakir told me this morn
ing that the business would shut down IL
weeks time. but nave received posi-
tive Information that the fellow intends
TO stay as long as the dollars come in
Other fakirs seem to have become EN-
boldened by the apathy shown by the
authorities 10 the scnp faktr. and now
there is hit the niger on the head
game and every time you ring cane
ETC., game running in q wood yard al
the corner of First street and Willow
avenue.
One Of the residents iii the vicinity said
to me last night:-.I don't know whata
coming over this city Of late. 1t seems ~
if licenses are granted anybody.