The times., 1897-04-02
MANY SQUATTERS EYlCTED
Families Routed from Homes TheY
Have Occupied for Years.
Jersey City and the Lehigh Valley
Railroad Company Assert Their
Ownership of Valuable Lands.

New York, April 1.-The work Of evict-
ing the South Cove squa tiers was begun
by the Jersey City authorities today, and
the pathetic and the comic have alternately
held sway along the strip of tide land
under consideration.
Promptly at 1890 O'Clock two squads
of Jersey City police, fifty men in all,
marched down to the South Cove neigh
borhood and were joined on the way by
thirty employees OF the Jersey City board
OF street and water commissioners, and
as many more employees of the Lehigh
Valley Railroad
AS had been expected, old Matthew Brad
ley, who has held this strip of sand for
thIrty-five years, was there to meet them.
He had hoisted a large American flag over
his old boathouSe, and he and mis- son,
Matthew, jr., were out i'll front ready for
the police
The son was armed with shotgun, and
although the old man made no display OF
arms, he swore that if the police made a
move four men would drop before he was
captured.
Supt. James DOnnelly, who was in charge
of the gang Of Lehigh Valley Railroad
laboreTs, who were tearing down the old
shanties under the escort Of the police,
took a look at Bradley's flag Then he
announced that that flag was good enough
for him. and that it woulGn come down
so far as he was concerned.
Then Chief Murphy. who was in charge Of
the police. concluded To resort TO diplomacy.
He has known old Bradley, who. by the
way, is now sevent y-three, for years The
xzvffI lIe.t~
and pointed out the futility of making a
single anded fight against fifty well
armed policemen. But the old man was
obdurate.
Finally the chief hit upon a basis for
compromise Bradley's holdings are partly
in the territory owned by he city and the
L.phigh Railroad Company and partly on the
New Jersey Central land
The Central is not Joining with the Lehigh
and the city in the eviction proceedings, so
the old man was persuaded to move his be-
longings over across the line into the
Central's land and leave the question Of
his rights in the premises to the courts.
He went, but the flag is still flying over
his old boatho use.
William Engels, another old-timer, who
fifteen or twenty years ago. used to be
known as the champion skater of Hudson
county, interfered with the work of the
officials more effectuaIly.
In another shanty the workmen came
upon dying child, and the police ordered
them TO pass by that place.
1t was in one of the worst of the TOok-
cries occupied by the family of Charles
yalkenburg. Tie child was but five months
old, and DR.. Rector who had had chargeOf
the case, saidit had pneumonia, andat most
could live but few hours.
Meanwhile the police and the Iaborers
were busy among the 200 other families
along the coves andinlets that variegate the
shore line sixteen acres under dispute.
The Lehgh Railroad Company had two
engines and about fifty fiat ears on hand,
and as fast as the shanties were demolished
the debris was piled on the cars and taken
away.
The evicted families huddled with their
small belongings in distressed little compa
MES and walled or viIlified. according TO
their various natures.