The herald., 1896-05-02
PEACEFUL BOYLE HEIGHTS
Reports Of Gangs OF Hoodlums Commit.
ting Depredatlcns
Shown to Be Without Foundatlon
Residents Interviewed and All Deny
knowledge Of Any Overt Acts

Something over two weeks ago there
| was printed in the columns of The Her
aid, under the head Of Letters From
the People," two communications from
residents of Soto street, Boyle Heights.
which letters stated that in that vicinity
the residents had Of late been troubled
by gang or gangs Of unruly and mis-
chevious boys, who went abroad at
night mutilating fences, uprooting flow-
ers and shrubs. defacing property, and
in general conducting themselves in a
riotouS manner.
One of the communications went so
far as to state that the depredations had
become so bad that residents were un- =
able to longer endure it, and had put
their places on the market to be sold.
which they would do at greatly reduced
rates. and would move to some other
portion of the city, where they would no
longer be annoyed
This information seemed so serious
and the lack of police protection, which
it implied so fragrant. that an investiga-
tion was started with view of ascer-
tanning why the acts of hoodlumism
were permitted or not prevented. In
this line canvass Of the principal res
idents of North and South Soto street
was made to find out who had suffered
at the hands of the depredators.
The residences of Judge Chapman, Mr..
Wirsching, Judge Hendrick, Rev Chase,
Mrs. Yoakum, George l.. Arnold, +. ].
Gissing. DR.. Newkirk, Mrs. NJ. J. Henry.
and Mrs. SERVER on North Soto street.
and Henry Gard, c. w. Teale and
George Ferguson on the south side, were
visited and the occupants questioned as
to the damage done them. their knowl-
edge of the presence of a gang of mis-
chevious boys, and whether or not they
were preparing to sell out and quit the
vicinity.
All the parties mentioned own fine
places on this street, and in every III
stance. save one, there was total lack
of knowledge of any hoodlums, or acts
of vandalism. Only one party had a
stacorldnavu aknsia dnnsceu ootfh in
complaint to make. and that was F. j.
Gissing, who resides at the corner of
Soto street and Brooklyn avenue. Mr..
Gissing has white picket fence running
along the front of his property, which
fence someone had passed along and
marked with a lead pencil in several
places, also dragging the Faber over the
pickets in long line the entire length
of the railing. One of the posts had also
been daubed with what appeared to be
paint. No flowers were in the front yard
to be pulled, the house having lately
been built, and the yard not being even
graded nor boasting of grass plot.
Along one side of Mr.. Gissing's lot
runs high board fence, separating it
from the next lot. and from what can be
learned this fence is the cause of what
ever difficulty there may have been.
1t was said that some of the neighbors
thought that this fence should not have
been erected. and that the party owning
the adjoining property, who had intend
ed building there, had abandoned the
idea on account of his neighbor's high
fence.
That the above mentioned minor dam
age has been done to Mr.. Gissing'S
property there is no doubt but if the
work was that of boys no one knows it.
All the other residents were surprised to
be questioned on the subject, and ex-
pressed themselves that there was no
other portion of the city more orderly
and free from petty offenses of all de-
scriptions that Soto street, or indeed the
whole Of the Ninth ward.
There are only three police officers on
the Heights, two on duty al night and
one in daytime. but they are amply sufii-
cient to control all the mischief makers
at present in that locality. These men
were seen, and stated that at no time
had any complaint been made to them
previous to the publication of the letters,
and from reading them they gained
their first intination that anyone had
been interfered with.
All these officers are property owners
on the Heights. and take a particular
interest in that section. and would know
if any gangs, such as mentioned. exist
ed. Each says the boys in that portion
are we'll behaved and orderly Thus it
will be seen that from all that can be
gathered. the writer's of the letters
must have had some particular personal
grievance which was responsible for the
emanations. and unintentionally did a
great injustice to the reputation of the