The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-02-04
Crust the Gangs.

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The story told in THE JERSEY CITY
News yesterday of the raid on the
shanty of Peter Riley and his sisters
discloses a state of lawlessness which
passes all Imagination. Residents Of
Jersey City have had an uncomfort-
able feeling for the last six months
that the old gang system which once
disgraced the city had again become
prevalent, and indeed high police
officials did not hesitate to admit the
fact. But nobody thought the tough
element had become so rampant that
it dared to invade a home, however
humble. for the purpose Of shamefully
ill-using two young women.
When the streets of the city are in :
tested by miscreants OF this stamp,
who have so far lost their fear of the
police as to raise open riot,
no man or woman is safe and at least
in certain neighborhoods, a positive
reign OF terror must prevail.
Chief Murphy and Inspector Smith
and every member OF the Police De
partment should turn his energies to
the suppression of this state Of affairs.
IL necessary the whole force should
be assigned to the gang ridden dis
tricts until the nuisance is suppressed,
The Commissioners should take
special cognizance OF the facts and
make special disposition of their men.
The whole Department should be
reused up, and should never be
allowed to rest until the streets are as
peaceful and safe at midnight as in
broad day.
There is really no difficulty in sup
pressing these gangs. The young
jailbirds who constitute them are as
cowardly as they are vicious. The
fact that brave Patrolman Logan put
a whole mob of them to flight and
arrested three is proof, If any were
wanted, that with a little vigor and
determination they could be driven
out of the town or cowed into abso-
lutte submission.
Come, Mr.. Inspector Smith, you
have a reputation for dealing with
these gangs. Let US see what you can
do with them now.
THE story of Annie Nagle's death
is a sad one. 1t is the old business of
neglected youth running its W wild
way, like an unframed plant. The girl
does not seem to have been bad or
waDton by nature. She had a youth
full love of pleasure, and she had no
parents, n 20 home influences, nothing
to keep her straight.
And then she was arrested, and that
settled her career. For the rest of her
life she was an outcast. We wonder
whether police officials ever stop a
moment TO reckon up the conse-
qYences of locking a young girl in
a cell for a night and dragging her
through the humiliation Of the police
court in the morning.
As for Scanlon, the measure of his
responsibility is hard to guage. He
may or may not have wronged the
girl; it is obvious that he had no idea
she really contemplated suicide when
he parted from her Monday night. He
simply looked on her words as
an empty threat. Under the
circumstances, we are curious
as to the excuse the police
may make for arresting him. Even
if heartless conduct ON his part drove
the girl to suicide, that is not a legal
offence, and as to his alleged Illicit re-
lations with her, there is not apartiele
of evidence now that she is dead-not
a formal charge. 1t seems as if
the arrest were absolutely wanton and
unjustifiable, and the victim might
make things very disagreeable for
if he chose.
COLONEL YARD, of the Monmouth
Democrat, speaks thus wisely C
ing the Werts liquor law
The conservative sentiment of the State is
satisfied for the present with the existing law.
II the question Is reopened we predict that
there will be lively times over Il for a year or
two; that the liquor sellers win come out of the
nght worse on, so far of the law is concerned.
than they are now.
IN a report of the meeting Of the
Merchants Protective Association,
this occurs:-
The secretary said he had 300 names for the
black list, and Il was agreed TO print them,
We hope someone whose name is on
the list win very promptly sue every
one connected with such printing
for libel This is a system which
should be stamped out with all the
rigor of the law.
THE ~silliest twaddle that has yet
been sprung upon the public by New
York newspapers in the guise of Jer-
sey politics is the story that plain
Billy" hopes to be elected United
States Senator TO succeed Senator
3lodgett. IL is a trifie improbable
hat the gentleman who could not Sc