The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1894-04-20
A SUMMING EXPERIENCE.
The Minister Who Had Gone Through It
Determined to Change His Plans.

Determined to Change His Plans.
With view to finding out what slum-
ming in the toughest regions is like the
reporter went to headquarters and asked
one of Byrnes' oldest and most trusted
detectives to tell him some of his expe-
fiences in taking Summing parties
about in the region east of the Bowery.
cts a good while now since I've
done any of that business" said the de-
tective, land there's very few that we
take around Cherry hill and its alleys.
It's too tough for ladies and for most
men. One of the last parties that took
through there was three young men who
were going to do missionary work They
were ministers, and they wanted to see
what life was like where it's least worth
living, so took them down to Double
alley. That's a - foot vide street about
200 feet long and hedged in by eight
story tenements. 1t runs off Cherry
street, and it furnishes more crime and
violence to the square inch than any
other place in New York, with the pos
sible exception of Single alley, which is
near by.
"Of course we attracted attention
there. The urchins yelled at us, the loaf
ers scowled at Us, and unkempt hags
stuck their heads out of windows over
head and made unpleasant comments.
We paid no attention. One can't afford
to be squeamish in Double alley. The
young ministers, however, began to look
rather uncomfortable, and l reckoned
they were getting scared and wished
they'd staid at home. That wasn't
their kind, though, as 1 found out pretty
quickly. When we got pretty near to the
end of the place, we heard terrific
bowling and yelling in one of the houses.
There were cries of 'Murderp and 'Helpr
mingled with curses and groans. 1t was
a characteristic Cherry Hill mixed ale
row from all indications. In a minute
out staggered a drunken woman, her
forehead bleeding profusely from cash
made by some sharp instrument. Close
after her came a big, burly longshore
man brandishing bottle. He reached
the woman and brought the bottle down
on her head with terrific force, stretch
ing her to the pavement. Then he began
kicking her. 1 started for him, but one
of the young men was before me. He
hit the longshoreman just once, and that
was enough. The man went down like
log.
''Then there was the devil to pay.
Half a dozen big ruffians poured out Of
the doorway and made for the minister.
He knocked the first one off his feet, but
the second ran in and grappled with
him. By this time / and the other two
were taking hand in it. There was
nothing scared about those fellows then.
1 afterward found out that they had all
been football players in college They
fought like devils, and with the odds
against US we cleaned out the gang in
about. half a minute. A couple of pO-
lice came running in, and three of the
roughs were arrested. The woman went
to the hospital, where it was found that
she was only slightly injured. Skulls
are thick in Double alley. Our party
was little the worse for wear. My hat
was lost in the scuffle One OF the min
listers had his coat torn half off. another
lost his spectacles and the temporary use
of one eye, while the chap that had
waded in first was wiping the blood
from his face and nursing a spra1ncd
thumb. When he said good night to me,
he remarked:
This experience has been lesson to
me. was going to China as mission
ary, but if can judge by what I've seen
tonight there is plenty of room for mis-
sion work right here i'll this city, and l
think I'll stay here That man has been
doing good work among the poor of this
city since then, and China has lost a
good missionary and man Of nerve. -
New York World