The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-19
HIGGINS UNDER A CLOUD.
FLREIIGHTERS, GANG SORE ON
HESTER sTREETso MAYOR.

ne Arrested Five or the sistsrhosd Yesterday.
and They wore Sent - the Isiand Tor
Ninety D~ays-GaaE Gets IT'S name froua
Lighting Firss for Orthodox Hebrews.
Tho Firelighters' Gang is sore on the Mayor.
Not the Tea Drinker who hangs out at City
Hall. but an official much moro respected by
the gang. because II seos him oftener than 1t
sees Col. Strong. The Firelighters' Mayor 10
Patrolman Higgins Of the Eldridge street sta
ton. He Is unohacially known as the Mayor OF
Hestcr street. He knows everybody on Hester
street by sight and name. They all address
as Mr.. Higgins, and hold him in such re-
spect that nelGhbors who go TO him for q deci-
sion in a quarrel seldom appeal to that ordina-
rly universal authority, tho desk Sergeant at
the police station,
The Firelighters' Gang would number sov.
enty or eighty souls II It wero mustered to
its full strength. Its meeting place is at Hes
ter and Orchard streets. It is made up OF wo-
men, most of them over 60, who arc scaled to
tho tribe OF Ishmael. Able-bodied, keen.eyed
and shrewd in a bargain, they will owe lasting
allegiance to no man or woman. They will
work until they earn enough to pay FOR a few
glasses OF ale and then they drink and sleep.
Always, working or drinking or sleeping, they
are ready for . fight. They take their, name
incomesothe lighting Of household fires for
orthodox Hebrews on holy days. The ortho-
doy Hebrew may do not so much labor as re-
quires the turning over OF a hand on the day
that is the Lords. Yet to keep the fire burning
from the time when it is usually ,cxtineuishod
full on Saturday 1.-THE Hebrew Sabbathl would
mean a shameless s2uandeTing OF tnet HimTst US
SINFUL TSa s sss the ws sTeo a5t q 9 tbs sh dif SaSpnih Of t' sonrse,
Is to find some one VINO has TO religious scrm-
pies against doing labor on saturdays, who win,
the fuel. The pious Hester street household
er has only to go to the ''Roost' at Hester and
who viii for the sum Of Ave cents be her scapc.
goat in breaking the sacred day, The women
Of the gang take the spiritual risk Gheerfuily.
What care they for heaven or FOR henf ASK
them il you would know. Their answers will
not he uncertain. And is not a nickel the price
iH is:hter On saturdays whoa NOV ~
w5 On ,hs ao ;tS p jSss Sf SSS esgse Ct shS Eeef fb the r old
cents. Or tho Sabbath the house must be
qSentiy on thursdays and Fridays the lines OF
curb. The entire gang is never there. A third
OF its membership is usually ''on the Island.
serving sentences for disorderly G9hnduSt,
not usually arrested by the Eldridge street po-
lice who have jurisdiction at Hester and Or;
the time when they are in that neighborhood,
because they are then sober and want to get
SS 9ee s so p dhsf w thfy a m iityle 09 mo opegk tG onss scatter @Srs;
all over the lower part of the east side.
1t is with regard to this matter Of being or.
rested when looking for work that the gang Is
displeased with Mayor Higgins, Yesterday he
sent for the wagon and c9rited FIVE Of them:
Higgins and Kate sullivan; away to the lock
up. Magistrate Cornell looked them over while
attractivencss of his personal appearance and
his mental perspicacity. He locked them over
and said, Ninety days. ALL" They cursed him
while they were led out of the back door of the
stnffy little courtroom to the prison.
looked askance at Higgins when he returned to
his post. They pulled their tattered gray
shawls closer about their shoulders and
scowled when he pointed them out to q SUN
"lt1l be a month before they win have any
see i = get too gay sometimes. They think
they own the corner. They, gel, SO that speak.
ing to'ths% don't DON'T, DO no, no good; Theyy n geet to h 9
when1t comes time. about once In three months.
to quiet 'em down q bit. / send for the wagon:
From The nofso.in there you'd a. thought some:
body was slaughtering a hog. couldn t stand
On They The ,s are a.. z queer e sang o1 Those aver there zero
Irish won't lot them over here at all. They'd
tear EN- up. They don't get much work, the
Hebrew HSsT Srs h,T Taey yoI amt aStr 50 c Ios,Iv as the Irish
on a heap OF building material across the way.
With their heads all wrapped in white ker-
chiefs. far from clean. they looked like so many
moping magpies. A young woman, black Of
hair and round of figure, hustled up to them
and pointed her finger at one of the group. Tho
Old. woman designated hoped from her seat
and trotted meekly away after her employer.
THE Irish gang are most Of them old sta
ton house dodgers. Black Mary over there
lived at the OAK street station for years. She'd
tear n hole through the side of a house when
she is full; Go over and talk to her. She's
sober now"
Mary was sober and polite, moreover, but
suspicious. She had seen tho reporter leave
Higgins's side, and she eyed his shoes as though
she thought he was Il plain clothes policeman.
Mary" he said. how is businessi"
Indeed" she said, with cold. courteous
gravity, II am not SO busy meself, sir"
do they treat you well. these people who hire
your
''rhcy tell me, sir" she said. still declining
to include herself in the gang, that thew do"
What do you charge for lighting a tlrel'
~ hear it is a Nickel" She turned away and
closed the interview.
Afraid OF you, wasn't shel' said Higgins.
"But she amt half a. afraid as she would be In
the springtime. Being sent up now, with II
plate OF soup three times a day, a warm bed
at night, clean clothes and q clean body all
the time, it's a good deal of a snap for the win
ter. But tackle EN- when summers coming,
whew!"
The Mayor of Hester street removed his he'll
met and scratched his head reminiscently.