The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-21
TOO MANY COPS AT CONEY.
O BLUECoATs COULD NOT FIND a
RAINES LAW VIOLATOR.

06NV
nat They Ptnched One Thiuab,criEEer THE
Couchee.Couehee iiunco Game and n Great
Moral show-A Sentimental stpGcr Makes
ThinGs Lively on the Last Train for Home.
"You can't catch a crook when you hunt for
him with a brass band" was q favorite express
sion of q noted detective in this city years ago,
and the Coney Island policemen learned by ex-
pericnce yesterday that he was right. They had
announced that in addition to the regu-
lar force Of nfty.three men stationed at
tho island there would be fifty detec-
tives from Capt. James Reynolds Bureau Of
Criminal Investigation and Information and
two men from each Of the thirty precincts in
Brooklyn down there. This made 163 police
officers in oil, and at the end Of tho day thoy had
only arrested one poor thimblerigger. who
evidently had not heard the announcement.
True, there were several arrests under section
675 of tho Penal Code. which relates
to dlsorderly conduct on public convey
ances and has q provision which enables
the police to arrest n person for almost
anything, from throwing a banana peel in
tho street to looking cross-eyed at q Conoy
Island cop. These and q few DRINKS were all
the malefactors that tho big police force was
able TO gather in.
There was not a single violation Of tho Raincs
Liquor Tax law, according to the reports Of the
loo poiicomens anu yeU every ShiOOn, CONCERT
hall. dancing pavilion, and restaurant whore
drinks are sold was running wide open and
serving its customers as usual.
Unless there is n law passed by tho next Legts-
lature making 1t a misdemeanor for any band to
play the couchee-couchee more than once q day
a riot is likely to occur at Coney Island.
Every band, carrousel calliope. and piano
player drones out the Oriental music from morn.
ing until night while the shows are going. and
even when they are not the musicians keep up
their monotonous tootings.
III the police did not permit the bunco and
there were enough buneo iJdee vno i tberel
though those who were taken In by the bunco
shows seemed TO be amused at the manner In
not mind the expense. One Of these shows on
the. Bowery did a fourishing business, owing
nickel. The crowd was attracted around the
barker,s stand by a Fourth ward clown dressed
making grimaces and reckoning to some phan-
tom visitor In the distance.
The crowd gathered around, gaping, open
enough OF them got together. the barker began
his work in a low. confidential tone.
=" suppose some Of youse ladies an gents have
read In the newspapers about our show bein'
immoral; now. 1 want ter state that it's nothin'
nc neW W sT5si si says se G does siVs Move sveFy We Claim mat that .n
this show is one of the moralistist on tn island,
fer 81 y Ssr ssr: fer Z tn IT, S small iir ss s1eP 81 fnsi nick an 'uos'
Then the barker glanced around as IL afraid of
police intervention, and. raising his voice, he
continued:
Come on everybody, the greatest couchee-
couchee on the island. TIL real ting an no mis-
take. fer . nickel q throw"
A group of. cappers on the outskirts of tho
crowd showed and hauled victims toward the
box office. where they unconsciously gave up a
comfortably filed tho show began. The stage
consisted OF two boards.
A piece of calico answered for Q curtain. This
was drawn aside and the barker announced that
living pictures would be the first show. Two
stout German women dressed in Turkish cos
tunes and the Fourth ward clown posed in the
first. Tho clown was in the act Of filling with
beer two glasses which the women held. This was
labelled "A Scene at Coney Island" The next
picture showed one woman lying promo and
the other standing over her with a drawn re-
volver.. This was labelled Vengeance" and
concluded the living picture show.
Then the two women went through . Swedish
peasant dance, and the announcer said hat the
performance was concluded and the spectators
could tell their friends they had seen a highly
moral. show. The victims chuckled with joy
over the bunco and passed along.
Tho last train home from the island Is always
interesting. and that of last night was made
parently lost her friends. She had been enjoy.
Ing the refreshments on the island but had
her dignity. with her, and was determined
not to be trifed with-a very dangerous mood
for anybody to be in on the last train. She sat
we'll up in the front Of the car. with her arms
folded. She was singing a sentimental song, the
chorus Of which ran:
Don't turn her away. John,