People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-07-10
REIGN OF TERROR
IN LITTLE ITALY.
ITALIAN DISTRICTS Def.
ANCE TO NEW YORKLAW.
THE HOUSEOWNERS PROTEST
Mayor Strong viii DO Asked to
Protect Respectable Folk
Against the General
Lawlessness.

Il all the things property-owners
in Harlem sly about Little Italy are
true, Mayor Strong, to whom they
will present a petition this morning,
no doubt will agree with them, that
something must be done to obtain
better enforcement of the laws.
Little Italy is second edition of
Mulberry Bend in its palmiest days
unabridged, with notes and ad-
den1s, at that. 1t lies between Sec
ond avenue and the East River, be-
tween 1913 b and 115th streets.
1t is region OF densely inhabited
tenement houses, where the streets
are thronged from dawn to midnight
with jabbe,iog men, sovenly women,
quarreliag children and naked babies.
The cutters reek with filth and the
fire escapes are loaded down with
household goods.
PROPERTY LOSING VALUE,
These things are bad enough in
themselves Respectable ia nj are
moving out of the ntighbofhoOd.
Rents-and with them the value of
property are deer easing. Gradually
the colony is extending its bounds,
and the happiness Of 1l5th street is
tn eatened.
Lawlessness prevails through the
community. S,abbipg ARRAYS are
frequent and murders occur without
arrests, for the police seem powerless
to cope with the non. English speak
Ing Sicilians, of which the majority
of the population is composed.
In one block there are fifteen bar
rooms, which the neighboring prop
er y owners allege are patronizod as
much on Sunday as on others days,
Stores do business seven days in the
week.
Disorderly houses are said to
flourish in almos. every quarter Of
the settlement. with little attempt at
concealment.
Pistol shots are to be heard at all
hours of the day and night, Respect
able citizens are constantly in fear for
their lives.
BULLETS THROUGH WINDOWS.
One property owner, who has
signed the petition, says he knows of
seven instances where bullets have
crashed through the windows of re-
spectacle citizens houses.
The regulations of the Board of
Health are not enforced, Hundreds
of persons live in one tenement, and
in one small room as many as twenty
will find place to sleep. Goats and
chickens are quar;ered in the cellars.
If property owner refuses to rem.
his tenements to the Itailns he is
prosecuted The yard is filled with
garbage at night, and nuisances of all
kinds are committed about the prem
Uses, until the other tenants find it
impossible to remain. The owner is
forced to sell If, or surrender it to the
Italians.
EVEN CHURCHES SUFFER-,
The Italians are said to be divided
into two factions, one headed by Joe
Cappell, and the other by man
named Cantelope. But while fight
lug each other, both factions combine
against anything that affects the
Italian interests.
Priests in the Catholic church in
115.h street, near First avenue, have
suffered much annoyance.
At the recent festival Of St. An
thony they were compelled to refuse
admission TO some of he Italians, A
drunken mob then took possession of
barroom in the neighborhood AMI
set up an altar in the back yard,
where they held high carnival,
Since that time the lives OF the
priests have been threatened, and
they have had to appeal to the police
for protection.
Mass Meeting.
Pursuant to O call Of the Chair