The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-07-25
Bridge GANG T0UGHS.
The Hoodlums Congregate
There Warm Nights and
Hold Up" Peaceful
Wayfarers.
CHANCELLOR M'GILL AssAlLED'
Two Raids Last Night by Brave.
0ficers-Broken Heads at
Warren Street.
M'GILL AssAlLED'

The Police Department has received
numerous complaints Of late respecting
the carvings on of the various bridge
gangs along the line of the Morris Canal.
For years the department has fought to
suppress the more dangerous element Of
these gangs. Many of their leaders have
been sent to State Prison, bnt their terms
are expiring one by one, and they return
to their old haunts and urge on the hood
lum element Of the rising genera
tion. No less a person than Chancel-
lor McGill. while ont on stroll.
in the vicinity of the South Cove Grant,
was stoned recently bya lot Of young
hoodlums while such expressions es "Git
on to der airs Of der lufferP' greeted his
legally trained ears.
The bridges are dark at nights, and law
abiding citizens who live in their vicinity
and who are obliged at times to cross
them aIe ''held up'' for beer money
of frequent occurrence. A threat of
being dubbed and thrown into the dark
canal is usually sufficient to make the
victim produce" Vile and abandoned
women seek the companionship Of the
night hoedlums. and high carnival of
vice runs riot.
These warm nights especially brings
out the gangs in fnll array. All night
long they loiter and commit various
forms Of depredations and deviltry.
Growler rushing is one Of the chief
amusements.
ENCOUNTER NO. /.
Yesterday morning between one and
two o'clock Patrolman H. Logan, of the
First precinct, saw q gang stealing can
frnIt, n milk in, frOY n n nf fba
stores in the vicinity OF Jersey avenue
and Grand street which they proposed to
utilize as a GROWER. He ordered the
man who held the can top to re-
place it, and he ordered the gang
to disperse. The man who held
the can top was Oliver Lewis, of No, $50
Monitor street. He refused TO obey the
under arrest. He yanked Oliver to the
neares box of the patr oil system. Sew
eral members of the gang followed.
While the patrolman was teIephoning for
the patrol wagon, Oliver hauled off and
gave the patrolman aterriblethumpin the
jaw and with the rest of the gang darted
swiftly away. The patrolman drew his
revolver and chased Oliver. aud finding
MIN about to escape over the Jersey
avenue bridge, fired at him and
brought him down with wound In the
lower part of the thigh. The rest of the
gang fed. Oliver was taken to tho City
Hospital and was not able to appear in
Police Justice O'DonnelPs Court this
morning.
A LIVELY MELEE.
About four o'clock, Patrolman Oxley
ordered wicked, mischievous gang of
growler rushers that terrorfze the vicin.
ity of the Warren street bridge to dis
perse. The gang showed fight when he
attempted to make an arrest. They
hung around until daylight. A
raid was organized by Roundsmau
Hopkins, who, with Policemen Oxley,
Logan, Lurney, Quinn and Cody swooped
down upon the gang. The men resisted
arrest. and for awhile the scenes OF Don
nybrook fair were re-enacted. Both sides
stuck TO the principle where Yeu see a
head hit it," Each policemen, however,
captured prisoner, The rest Of the gang
escaped.
The prisoners were arraigned in Police
Justice O'Denpell's Court this morning.
Some of them claimed they were only at
tracted to the scene by the excitement.
The prisoners were: John Noonan, No.
134 Dudley street; Daniel Barrett, No.
326 Grand street: Frederick Gerken,
No. 129 Essex street; Martin Cosgrove
and Patrick Conneli, No. Is Essex street.
Gerken's right eye was closed and looked
as though the lids had been sealed with
black ana red sealing wax, and Noonan
had big lump protruding from the back
of his head. Noonan satisfied the Court
that he was not one of the gang, and was
discharged. The others were simply
given the option of paying two-dollar
fine apiece or spending ten days in jail