The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-26
BIZ IG HTED BY CHAPMAN.
How Ruin Came to the Place at which He
Ate Hts Meals

There is an all.night eating house on Broad.
way within sight OF Thirty-irst street that Is
well known to the habitues OF the Tenderloin
district Here many OF the characters Of tho
district dine. but business isn't what 1t used to
be. by any means. The proprietor of the restau.
rant lays the blame for the poor business at Po-
lice Captain C~hapman's door.
Capt. Chapman took to dining in the restau.
rant six months ago. The proprietor welcomed
the policeman with open arms, foreseeinR, as he
thought. a greater rush OF customers to his
place. But the restaurant keeper made a great
mistake. Instead OF increasing the number Of
his patrons, Chapmsn'o presence drove nearly
all OF them away. The restaurant man was In a
p~reiicament. He hesitated to tell the policeman
that he didn't want him to eat at his place any
longer because he was afraid he would incur tho
Captains displcasure. The Captains displess-
ure meant trouble, the restaurant man
thought, and the only thing for him to do was to
gr II and bear ii. As "A result the restaurant is
now in the hands of a receiver.
the place was noticed by the manager the first
ume the policeman appeared. 1t was when the
street; These women frcqucnted this restaurant,
ana Chapman S presence naturally did not tend
to put them at their ease. sitting at a table in
ne centre % the restaurant, facing Broadway,
Chapman could see every one who entered. He
always sat al the same table. and the way the
tables near him were vacated was ludicrous.
30 one wanted TO sit near the Captains table.
He always had plenty OF elbow room, although
the other diners Tor "A time were huddled closely
togeiher. When Chapman persisr cd in appear
ing day after day at his accustomed table most
OF ne others fou nd other eating places.
1t was terrible the way our customers
cropped away said the manager, explaining.
The first night Chapman ducked his head in
the place ! saw the vanguard OF prosperity
sneak out the door. Two OF our Oldest custom
ers were seated at a table near the entrance.
Both good eaters. too. They were just finishing
their meal and had each ordered a piece OF ME
when Chapmans whiskcr came through the
door. The two women spotted him frst. Their
faces flushed red as Chapman walked by where
they we're sitting; My. Name, said ono, there
goes Feathers. Hos going TO pull the place
Ihen tho women got up quickly and yelled dig
niiied'liko at the waiter: James never mind
The pie. just bring our check. We haven't got
time 10 walt. We've got to catch a train
out they went as II they really did have to
catch, a train. In a moment other women fol-
lowed them. Then several OF the gents paid
their checks In n hurry and got out, never
seen so many people irving to catch trains.
That's what they all said, anyway, and I didn't
get on to The real cause OF their hurrying away
until the place was almost deserted. Then saw
we we're up against II, but what could we do
every day our customers became fewer. But
hes gone now, and I'm glad OF 1t. Many of
our old, customers returned IA soon AS they
hehrn that Chapman was no longer In 4 place
where ne could harm them. Hereafter we steer
clear OF the trade of a police CaDthin."