New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-16

| thirst came upon them. they used to send out one
Hs ed %sS beer Sf was as Seldom gang
as sc to Simple fSF ma a out us ss
saloon with the filled receptacle and duI 4 the st bar
sssps rsm to s ne
with profanity and obscenty,. and containing ref.
to Ss%Ds 1S :
didn't "hold his yawp" There was only one q.
best Of tins gang His name has not gone down
S fact OF him not ns Si %s Sst
when they vent Ss to his place nan. ,.,,,,,.uv
about getting ali they wanted to eat. for the res
"a the S give neafy 70 s
pathzed with them. and were really rather proud
% It's Mas e S
Rotten Row in the Eighth Ward, great
entire block OF Greenwich and Washington SITS.
from Spring to Canal with s front on Green ~
the most famous rookerles in the city of twenty
s Of the e f sd Of s sSs
1t was admirably adapted for stamping place OF
which thieves could double when pursued by the
police, IN Railways where they could hide hide and IN
scarcely high enough for a man 10 stand upright
In. capital places for stolen goods to be slowed
This Doodle Gang. is renowned in the annals Of
New-York. 1t was large and mighty Its members
complished very simply. One OF the gang would
steal up behind man. JERK his . arm around the
his harI s to fly up and leaving him helpless
go through the victims pockets: This could oil
be done In moment, and then the man would be
dropped upon the sidewalk and the criminals would
hasten away into hiding.
THE DOODLE GANGS" METHODS.
They had several singular schemes OF stealing
which are worth noting. Rotten Row" was only .
stones throw away from the old Central Market.
In Canal-str and wagons loaded with provi-
s!ons used to pass by frequently. The gang would
provide themselves with long rope, the end OF
which was hook. The other end OF this rope would
be tied TO a lamp-post, and then the young thieves
full OF pigs came along. AS the wagon passed slowly
by the hook would be thrown with unerrng aim.
wagon would go on and the rope gradually tighten.
rev hundred feet away the pig would DE pulled
happening. Upon this the gang would run up. seize
the pig hastily and carry him of into the courtyard
safely there they would promptly cut the animal
up. and the next day the tenement dwellers or the
region would have offered to them by number OF
Industrious young men pigs feet pigs jowls and
pigs quarters at prices far below the market rates
deft way Of stealing hams off TRUCKS one member
would approach the truck ostentatiously. and, TAX
Ing care that the driver should see him, would run
away with ham. Naturally The driver would jump
down and give chase to the fleeing thief The man
with the ham would run for about two blocks and
then with whirl Of his arm toss the ham into the
gutter The driver taking possession OF It In ri.
the Of the gang had been at it and that every
other ham lad disappeared u,
ST. there were three noted old gangs; the
ington-st. and nifty strong. proving upon irAmi-
grants for the most part; the Silver Gang" Who
Chiefly. and the "Potsshes." who met under Bah
bits shed, in Washington,st.. near kector-st,;
Meehan. This latter OF the most belligerent
gangs OF the town, and waged many battle royal ,,
v4dual it happened to run across,
Up The West Side were the famous original
Forty Thieves" whose headquarters were at
"Sebastopo," the rocks at Fortieth-st., between
Ninth and Tenth This also, rocky bluff that
wanted was the location Of Little He'll" afterward
known as "iells Kitchen" the original building
here also notable row OF tenemcnth houses, in
which every other man; at least was professional
Thieves did most OF their work along the railroad
the New-York Centra-from 81; Johns Park. where
specially was the robblns OF freight cars and also
the then Sens at the ewsen aHa
Tenth ayes and the old Broadway stages (this
third-st from Broadway and up Ninthcave. to the
station The gang used TO go down to see the freight
Der OF the that seemed promise the best haul
OF booty arrange TO hide themselves in them in
some way at Thrtieth-st. where the freight trains
made up. and throw out the goods to confed-
crates somewhere along the line
spare tine With petty thievery and robbery Of every
sort Dutch" Harmon Ladendorf was their leader.
a of immense nerve and invent!veness. These
Forty Thsyes ehSnd not be c9 n with ns yss
ward at the foot Of Pike and Market sts VIII
lam NJ Tweed's time. These fellows were junk and
rope m Wos go the
back yards of tenements and find hanging up az
as on If na ae
on long sticks the Forty Thieves would saw away at
would drop into their hands. Many an honest
laborer OF thirty years ago down in this region
"fone burd' he hung safely outside his window
the afternoon before had gone
PESTS OF THE NORTH RIVER FRONT.
The entire North River front. from Forty-second-
st. up to about Sixty-third-st. was infested by
notorious gangs. such as the Red Star Social
Cub" in Forty-sxth-st.. between Eleventh-ave.
and river. the members OF which used to live
a good part of the time in the sewers to be out OK
the way OF the police. The leader. Jim" Wade.
who was afterward captured after years OF follow.
ing by Detect!ve-Sergeant Valley and 1t was one OK
the most important captures ever made In New
York;; used 10 spring when pursued areT.y in nd
swim from there into the sewer. He was perfect
duck in the wser and IN that lay good part OF his
Rome" in Sixtieth-st.. between Eleventh and
Tenth ayes; and .Wransenerry howi; ~, IA lily, LIZ
we're rows OF tenement-houses filed with GROWER
few bnc sFr from nh the enrsnce Of The old Ma
tional Park, in Tenth-ave between sixty second
and Sixtyth!rd sts and rob respectable citizens Oh
their return from the picncs and balls held in that
resort. This in 1876. thereabouts. and 1t was
went before the police were able to make any inn
preston whatever these mobs. for the rich h2uls
fearless and not at all averse to entering into a
tight whenever the slishtest opportunity ,s snowea
pier that part OF the town north of Forty-third-
St and all the excursion boats used TO stop there.
A br!ckyard by. and il was the easiest
possible thing for half a dozen iow-browed young
Criminals TO drag a In among the heaps or
bricks knock him the head and carry away
everything valuable he had about him. They used
do this even in the daytime, for they feared ao-
soutely nothing.
hundred more gangs OF like strength might be
named. There Cat Alley Gang. Tor ex-
ampe, In East Sxthst., near the river; PADDY
Masterson's Chang Gang. at Sixteenth-st.
St and Avenue A; the Holly Bergans. IN
East Sixteenth-st. which served as training schoo!
for some OF the cieverest professional thieves now
In the country: the Fourth Ward Crowd OF Masked
Burglars who hung around Catharne Ma an.h: