New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-28
IMPRISONED ~ THE OZARK SECRET
PANIC FOLLOWS The TAPPING OF AN AUTO
MATIC BARTE> DER AND THE POLICE
APPEAR OK THE SCENE

MATIC BARTE> DER AND THE POLICE
APPEAR OK THE SCENE.
Eight young men out of a crowd of about hfiy
who created panic last night in the tenement at
No % Rooseveli.s St were captured by tho police
of the Oak-st station and locked up on charges OF
disorderly conduct. NO 81 RoOsevelt-st.. which liz
cludes a rear tenement. has for years been known
10 the police as the Dark Secret" account OF
the many mysteries it has furnished. People OF
many nationalites live there, but the hoodlums Of
the Cherry Street Gang" and the Seventh Ward
Toughs' have often caused the tenants 10 move
out in fear Of their lives.
The rear tenement only be reached by an
inky dark hallway abou. forty feet long. at the end
OF which there are short steps 10 permit one 10
pass through the door without striking his
head against the top OF the jamp. Back Of this :
a dark alley where high fence separates the
place from Connors coal-yard. next door
About two months ago Joseph Fernando
Italian inventor rented three groundfoor rooms in
the rear house. His furniture consists Of one small
cot, two broken-down chairs, a rude bench and
machine which he calls automatic barter der.
Last nights panic proved that the machine is eX-
ccedingly popular among Fourth and Seventh
Warders and also that Fernando was making I.
pay.
He had II fitted up in a small room. with two
rubber tubes from i big stone jug, so that. when
customer dropped money IN siot attachment AMI
held glass under spigott. an amber-coorcd
LIQUID would flow until IL filled the glas~. Then, ~
touching a spring. the mans correct chang would
fall from the machine
Fernando has lc--se. and declares that the
liquid IS not beer, bu: it tasted very much IKE IL
last night. tn he explained thai ne mad bought
d GROWER fun of bcer just TO snow hia friends
how the thing worked. His rooms were filed with
men last nigh' and his bartender was put 10 a
crucial Test His customers were tie Mulberry
ST. gang" and when they tired Of drinking FER
nando's beer they made rush IN a body for the
street door.
This door has a spring lock- and Old Thomas
Cook the ia litor of the premises. was sitting an
front of il about o'clock last night smoking ms
pipe wher the yells Of excited men UaMpins along
the hall and cry Of pain, accompanied ~ crash
ing OF glass, aroused rim from ms TrttTl-. COX
simply closed the door the front buildlHg NAlOn
locked itself and yelling Police az the TOP oi l7
voice ran for help 10 the OAK st. station near by.
Captain VreedcEburgl. Detectives Rley MalaT-
key. Allen. Armstrong and ounniGehan3. ana "
dozen policemen. FASTENED pell-uci 70 the scene
snlas he'd the lamp IN the hallway. left orly lnAy
darkness behind them as they dashed BACK 20 Is
cane over O'Couners fence. In The excitement the
poiice fell all over themselves ana one anOiAcT IN
Frank Bochinto, Greek pcdler, who was
stabbed in the cheek went over the fence WIN
his assallant who is al present unknown. ana al
lut eight men escaped the same way while CROWDS
watched the excitement
one of the prisoners gave his name as John
Murphy and said that his parents were born 10
Iialy The others were Angelo StaufueO, twenty
SIX years old Dominick Alpln. tweniy-ihf'c years
old. John Cawano, twenty -four years Old. Julien
and John Ounce. tWenty-feur and twenty-ihrec
Years old respectively; Edward Nrnard. twenty
years old and John Alberichy. twenty mine years
old q French CaEadian