The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-06
DEFIANT SVIDDLERS.
Does the Green Goods Gang
in Greenville Enjoy
Police Protection?

The residents OF Greenville are up In
arms against the green goods men,
vino are carrying on their uetarious
business in a most high handed way in
that section. The story OF the arrest and
subseq nent discharge of one OF the green
goods s~teerers on Monday. as published
in THE JERSEY CITY News last evening,
ere tied quite n commotion asnoug the
law observing citizens. aud Snperinteu-
dent OF Police Cnrlsty Smith was round
ly denoun led for uot breaking up the
gang. fne residents look upon the
actions of me poles IN the green goods
matter with considerable suspicion,
aud it seems to be the geu-
eral opinion that the police are fprotect-
ing the swindiers. Whenever the police
at the Fifth precinct are asked whether
or not the green goods game is being
worked IN their preciuct they invariably
wink one eye and say, Il never saw auy-
body swindled. Go to headquarters for
your information. We obey orders.
SO don't ask u.s."
But the residents are determined that
The swindlers snail no longer opsrate in
GreenvIlIe and IL they do not receive aid
from the police they will bring the matter
to the attention of the Grand jury. the
residents have tue mans and address of
every IHdu WnOIS lulCI66UcQ III YAK ULuuCn
al G~reenvilie. and they will order the
police to arrest everyone of them OF know
the reason why.
THE GANGS HEADQUARTERS.
The headquarters OF the gang is III a
barn on Fifty-third street. near Avenu 9
DR.. and 1t is there that farmers aud other
gullIble individuals are feeced. rhe
main office is ia Liberty street. New
York, and all the mail matter is Sc Mt
from there. The farmers who receiv We
he circulars ara told TO co ne TO the
Liberty street office and from thers th ely
are taken to Gr~eenville, where the game
is worked. A member of the gaug ac-
companies the victims after they are
fieeced, and puts them aboard a train
and stays until the train starts so rs to
prevent his discovering the swindle
until he is a good man miles from Jer-
sey City.
But occasionally a victim manages to
escape from the steerer and complains to
the police. A case of this kind was
brought to the attention of Greenville
residents a few months ago, when a man
complained to the Fifth precinct police
that he had been swindied out Of $500.
The Fifth precinct police refused to Lake
his complaint and sent him to Headquar-
tiers. He told Superintendent Smith the
same story. and was told to make him
SELF scarce or he would be locked up. The
VI 1R1A ~ nv
home d poorer but wiser man.
Thai the police know of the existence
is certain and.the Greenville residents are
determined that they shall do their duty.
One indignant citizen is speaking TO a
reporter of The JERSEY CRY NEWS last
evening sal -
WILL DRIVE THEM OUT.
Il admire Policeman Cummings for ar
resting the ~greengoods sharpers, and 1t
IS nothing short of an outrage
that they are released without
being examined. IL the captains and
sergeants did their duty as well as Cum
mings, the gang would be broken up in
Il few days. do not like to accuse any
Que unjustly, but 1t certainly looks as
though someone In the police department
is being we'll creased with Doodle bV the
greengoods men. Ii the police are not pro-
tecting these swindlers why didn't they
open the ,valises which the men that
Were arrested by Cummings u few weeks
ago carried? | am certain that evidence
OF green goods would ave oeen found ia
these valises, but the sergeant at the
desk was apparently afraid TO do his
duty without al vice from Headquarters.
At soy rate, he t~eiephoned to Snperin-
tendent Smith and received orders 70
release the men, which he did.
"Dnesn't this looR as though the
sWindIefs were being protected? But
this gang NUT leave Greenville and il
neces sary we will arm ourselves. take the
law Into our own hands anu drive them
OUT