Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-23
MURRAY'S MUSINGS.

The Fashion of Hiring Thug to Beat an
Enemy is Popular in Gotham-How
Brooklyn Bridge Expands a
New Yorker Out of a Cow Boy.
GFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
THERE are great many ways known to
modern civilization in which one man can
get even with another for an i'll will or fancied
injury: but one of the most common IN New
York is through the assistance of the hired
bravo. 1t is true the bravo is not q modern in-
strument of revenge, but civilization clings to
a good many forms of the Dark Ages and the
bravo is one of them. 1t seems like cold
blooded thing to deliberately approach
stranger who is professional thug and coolly
make proposition to have somebody beaten
for so much money, yet that is thing being
done in New York every week and every
day in the week. There are some conspicuous
dens ON the Bowery and in Mott street where
men can be hired for 81 up to $40, according to
the degree of the liberallty of his employer, to
hunt down. whip, beat, kick to pieces and per-
chance murder by accident the victim of the
avenger.
II you do not believe this ask Inspector
Byrnes, or any member OF his staff, or any
police captain in New York City Every now
and then the police have been puzzled by the
finding of man in the small hours after mid
night lying insensible upon the sidewalk or in
some dark alley with his head crushed in, or
ribs broken, or all likeness to his former self
Stamped out of his face by the iron heel of the
bravo. A sufficient number of exposures have
been brought about 70 demonstrate the sound.
ness of this belief. The man with a grudge Is
to be found all over the world. The man who
is willing to crafty his instincts for revenge is
found in every city of any Importance. and the
larger the city the more numerous his kind.
It Is only in such metropolis as New York,
however. that professional braves are to be
found plying their trade without fear of the
law and without any other ostensible means of
livelihood.
Within the last two weeks half dozen cases
of mysterious beatings have been reported to
the police authorities from the hospitals where
the victims were carried some hours after
their respective misfortunes In most of these
cases these victims know nothing whatever of
their assailants or of the cause of the assault
In some cases, no doubt, the circumstances are
such that if they do know they do not care to
tell For it is the policy OF the bravo to lure
his intended victim into disreputable neighbor-
hoods or some den OF infamy where exposure
to the world will compromise his character and
there carry out the purpose for which he was
lured. The bravo unites with his business the
business of robber, and thus makes a double
stroke of financial speculation. The stranger
to New York and the New Yorker himself, who
thinks to see the world is to go stunning"
had better confine bis investigation of New
York to respectable and honorable people
ian to his son-"Do not get drunk, my son-but
II you must get drunk, get drunk with gentle
menP
Transformed Into Metropolitans.
THE rapid transformation OF Western man
into typical New Yorker. SO far as per-
sonal appearance goes, is sometimes a curious
study. A friend of mine, some weeks ago.
from Minneapolis came to New York. He is
an intelligent and well-to-do gentleman. and
lives at the Hoffman House. When he first
came here he had on an ordinary business suit
of decidedly far Western style of architect
ure, slouched hat, chin wniskers of strag-
Cling growth, and boots that rarely ever saw
backing. The second time l saw him he was
neatly shaved and wore clean collar, with a
new necktie, the latter of latest mode. Three
or four days afterward, noted a new pair of
narrow-guage shoes and new pair of trousers
which formed the proper connection with those
articles of footwear. A couple of evenings
later, called to take him to see Carmencita,
ard he made his appearance in a complete new
suit Of clothes, evidently made by one OF the
best New ork tailors. The other night went
to the horse show, for my friend is great
lover of horseflesh, and he wore, in addition to
the former mentioned articles, brand new
fashionable silk hat. So far as his outward
appearance went there was practically no diff
ference between my Western friend and Wall
street broker. And, in truth, he was every
inch as fine looking man as any of them tn at
have come under my vision.