Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-31
VANDALISM RAMPANT.
Center Avenue People Complain Of
Boys Who Despoil Their Yards.
RUSSELL SAYS BEN rs WILLING
To Run Again if the Republican Party Will
TrOt Him Out as of Yore.
SENATOR QUAY CALLS DOWN MIR. RUTAN

''There is no excuse for vandalism re-
marked gentleman yesterday ''The man
or boy who steals large osefrom private
yard is mean, but when they take bush, root
and all, their moral makeup; is as hard to
fathom as the opening bud was to Tennyson
when he wrote:
Little flower, hold you in my hand,
Root and all, and all mall;
But, if could understand you, I would
know what God and man is. !.
People living on Center avenue near
Neville street are complaining constantly
of the destructive work of somebody who
never hesitates, day or night, to steal the
choicest plants and flowers from their
yards. The residents have spent a great
deal of money to beautify their homes and
to cultivate the sweetest flowers and the
greensward.
Robbed of Decoration Day Pleasure.
Several days ago W. H Keech was happy
over the fact that he had beautiful
bed sof' rhododendrons, which were
just beginning to bloom, in his
yard, II and he fattered himself
that they would look pretty on Decoration
down upon them in broad daylight on
Wednesday and carried off flowers and
plants. Mr.. Keech, therefore was in an
augry mood yesterday, and he was advised
to complain to Chief Brown for better pro-
lection on the Hill.
81 wouldn't care so much" he said, stif
they had left the bushes, but it is certainly
provoking to be robbed in this manner
My roses will be blooming shortly and /
suppose they will meet the same
fate. You have no idea how the
people living in my neighborhood
have been pestered by the vandals. I
can't tell who they are. I thought once
they might be Italians who live in the
Junction hollow, but I never see them
carrying flowers around with them, and I
think better of these people. They must
be gang of boys who infest that section.
The policeman on the beat is aged, andI
notice the young fellows don't have much
fear of him. These boys are bold thieves
and watch their opportunities while the
women are in the rear ends of the houses.
Much Labor Thrown Away. 81
"Some time ago, with view to making
the avenue attractive, took down my
fence and made terraces to the street, which
I covered with sod. I persuaded some of
my neighbors to do the same thing Hum
dreds, yes, thousands of dollars have been
spent up there to improve the property.
Other people were wiser, and urged the OBJ
lection to removing the fences that
the boys would carry off everything they
had. If this thing keeps up will be
forced to put up high board fence to pro-
tect my property Mr.. Heeren, the jeweler,
lives on the opposite side of the street, and
and he has been greatly annoyed by the
vandalism. Last Christmas he had pretty
Norway spruce about ten feet high growing
in his yard. Some one came along and cut
off the top, which, no doubt, was used for
Christmas tree. The vandals destroy a
great deal of property, and then run down
into the Junctio Railroad tunnel where it
is hard to catch them. I.would like to see
the practice stopped. Some people seem
to have no regard for the rights of others"