New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-24
A BOLD GANG OF RUFFIANS.
THEY MAKE A BUSINESS OF AssAULTING
AND RoBBING PEOPLE.
REAR-ADMIRAL ERBEN ATTACKED ONE NIGHT
RECENTLY-HE DOES Up A MAN IN FINE
sTYIE-W T MEREDITH A VIC
TIM DE TIE HOODLCMS.

srYLE-w T. MEREDITH VIC
TIM OF THE HooDLUMs.
Admiral Henry Erben. L. s. \ reured)'
was held up by gang Of young rufiians IN 'front.'
Of the Manhattan Club on Wednesday of last week.
That the young highwaymen were foiled In their
nurnose 10 rob the Admiral is due to the trple-ex-
mansion Of power OF his good right arm and the
vulnerabity of the highwayman's head under
heavy fire as the Admiral waged the fight single
handed.
The assault upon Admiral Erben on Wednesday
night and one upon william T. Meredith broker
80 No ~ West Twelfth-st on Tuesday night,
furnish a startling commentary on the muruer-
Gus lawessness of semi-orsanized pody Oh hoou-
lums which seems to have sort OF heaulual.ei'
I'm the neghborhood OF Bleecher-st.. South fli'h-
ave and Thorpson-st This Is the gang that prop
ably held up an Eight-ave. horse car on IhutSu's
night at Abingdon Square and terrorlzed ana roooeo
IT'S Messengers Both before and after the horse-car
.hold-un" they went through the streets ih tha'
nelghborhood, and robbed and assauteo u''ie'ei'
persons. 1t gang OF this charac'e', 'oi
posed largely of boys and young men, winch At
reunited TO rob Admiral Erben, who. since ne was
nlaced on the retired list OF the Navy Few weeks
400 has been living with his family at the ParK
Avenue Hotel The Admiral is sxty-six years oid
and heavily built. He Is tremendously strong anu
almost as spry on his legs as when ne was wy
on Wednesday night he had gone TO can Oh ~
S.xton at Flfth-aye. and Thirty-ntth-st.' out ""'
finding him at home he turned down fli'h-a'e y"
his way back to the Park Avenue Hotel
A nondescript band Of music OF four or I'VE
nieces camc through East Forty -second-st ana
turned into the avenue The musicians were io'
lowed by about 100 men and boys the gang h"u
knocked down and robbed at least two men "heh
they reached the neghborhood OF he prben
Clubhouse. where they overlook Admi,ai "a an a.
who in order to let them pass stepped UP Oh
stoop 49,, .,. T roy, bave" said the
Admiral ''ann my watch chain was long one en-
circIng my neck. one Glow made grab TOT 'nS ne
NV rocket grabbed the rascal by the throat WIN
nv left hand and drew him up close. lh en- nm, ~,
him with my right fist square in the eye ne tu'.
bIed clear off the sidewalk into the street anu ~,
didn up very quick again e tc ror e Of phe
gang was there help the first fellow out 5ut Inc h
fellow hit didn't rally worth cent some one ~,
me- in the neck from behind. | had big umbrella
in my hand and | made jab for the fellow eye
Some knocked the umnre 70 ono one bean Yelling
missed h and ny Sc humans scattered They all
capped. but they didn't take any Oh my property
The assau, on Mr. Meredith occurred on Tuesday
night He did not make me story phos , "n MIN an
ugly cut three inches .ong. over ms rsh, e!e i.l
temple from Tuesday ngh; Gn rrdag M About $50
o!,n Suddenly he becsnc aware that crowd
vas approaching Back of it he heard the music
dilel the whole width of Ffth-ave. from the raining
OF The Frt rres bSn+s Mr MeGT@ith stopped
'front.' Of The church railing and looked up the street,
in sleht suddenly out OF the centre Of the crowd
,lishei a short thick-set urchn of perhaps fifteen
Gi,5 In 't%nking the boy lid Mr.. Mere1ths
watch chain '0rc T. away rom MS "'Ns'C 80, ..
a Jerk and made straight back Tor the spot "he"'
Stop thief Catch him. cried Mr.. Meredith;
s.,rtng on a run after the lad. But several OF
,ba rn6b surromnlcd Mr. Meredith and one boy
stuck ont his log and trpped him As ne zen ne ne
other places by the other men. When ne sot up
he was dazed but he saw the boy VINO had sto asn
his watch and chain dart out OF the crowd again
and make for the east side Of the street Mr;
Meredith ran after him asiin cryl ne crowS on
the sidewalk and Mr. Meredith gave up me cnIse
Then the drum major Of 'Ss ST b"tS hands at
ane end struck Mr. Meredith terrible blow over
'n BlInded wi;h blood MIR Meredith felt his way TO
the steps OF OF the houses and sat down; 20 20
b0", I'M hovs who had assaulted Mr. Meredith,
passed on II was a parade Of the Yelling enowaer
party whose headquarters are AT "eiiihs saioo"'
al Houston and Thompson SITS ,,..A,s
Tho same crowd was IN hand IN tnat
ave ahead y the Lincoln Republican cub, WHICH
was returning from Slrlioga 20 rs r'Jrls IN y
80 the gang robbed young man OF MS wa'ch; 4
yonrs woman of her hat and an elderly man OF MS
captain Eaklns who commands the Mercsr-si sta
ton and in whose precnc Intss Smrt for Re ab
std l' 81 I h's ipo5 !.ce
in police circles Yesterday converse
t"I and ,h.ir recent "holups" Superintendent
'pvrnes was at Headquarters yesterday.
The statement IN this mornings papers that
said that tho police force is afraid to do its duty
ia not tr ie in airy Sense OF the word. no said TO
the renorters who went TO see him me iorce
is ready cow. as II always has been. to defend
tho nves ard property Of the citizens Of New
York" Having made this specific denial quoted
ne refused to talk further. SO far as could be
learned he did not issue any special orders.
Sergeant Albertson OF the Ninth presimct says
written upon a slight foundation. He said that all
r.J vo a sneak thief had boz rded
thr car had snatched a pockethook and watch
from n female passenger, and boltcd before the
conductor could seize him The conductor and
driver Of the den" that the horses were
touched