The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-01
EYICTED
Jersey City Authorities Take
Possession Of the South
Cove Lands.
THERE WAS NO DISTURBANCE,
Bradley, Wrapped Up in an Amer
lean Flag, Finally Gives In
Filthy Barges Removed.


fortunate squatters, who have lived there
undisturbed for years, evicted. The evic-
ton of the souatters is the natural re-
suit OF the march of progress. There
We're In all twenty squatters and their
Iamllles evicted. few were permitted
to remain, having advanced excellent
reasons for not moving at this time. The
eviction was joint move of the Lehigh
Valley Railroad and the city. The city
did not become an important factor in
the movement until today. Anticipating
trouble with the squatters, who were as
whole a rough class of citizens. Sheriff
Heller attended the scene of operations
with twenty-four men. Chief of Police
Murphy and Inspector Lange were on
hand with fifty uniformed men under
command of Captains McNulty, Nugent
and Cox. In addition to this force the
Lehigh Valley Railroad had a train load
OF two hundred or more men on the
tracks which run along the Morris
Canal towDath. To be prepared for an
emergency, patrol wagons, to which were
attached teams of horses, were stationed
at convenient points
The police arrived at the scene under
Instructions at ten o'clock Captain
Cox's first move was to compel every
person not having business on the land
to be raided to get off. AS a consequence
the banks of the canal soon became
packed ten deep. From the several coal
trestles, the tops of cars and sheds hun
dreds of men watched the proceedings.
The entrance of the police was a peace
a Ia. .rf,a -
the tract which lies between Van Worst
and Henderson street, south of the Morris
Canal. The Central Railroad owns some
land in the neighborhood, but as the COM
pany is not disturbing the squatters on
its land the police did not disturb them
The tract occupied by the squatters is
practically cut in two by the gap, which
is a navigable stream of water extending
westerly as far as Jersey avenue. All
along the banks of the stream were the
shanties of the souatters and close on to
the roadway of Henderson street stood
rows of shanties which for years have
been tenanted by squatters. Several of
the shanties were found vacated, the ten
ants having regarded the notices served
upon them and removede their effects
Such We're levelled to the ground by
workmen, who attacked the dirty dens
with crowbars and axes. Ropes were at
tached to the roofs and the houses were
destroyed. AS soon as levelled the rem
nants were picked up by workmen, placed
on fiat cars of the Lehigh Valley, re-
moved to the Jersey avenue swamps and
burned.
The destruction of the shanties was in
almost every instance accompanied by.
the hurried departure of rats and mice,
with which the workmen mad great
sport. Some of the occupants of the old
houses, from which they had removed
their effects, stood by and cursed the
officials and denounced the city's
move. They were threatened with arrest
until they remained quiet Two or three
of the ugliest, who were apparently un-
der the influence of liquor, were forced
to go beyond the canal and remain there.
found secured with heavy locks on the
outside. After consulting what to do in
such cases 1t was decided to allow the
shanties to stand. The invading party,
however, added a lock to the houses, and
the former tenants who decamped after
securing their shanties apparently i'm
agining they would escape eviction, will
only be allowed to re-enter for the pur-
pose of procuring and removing their eff
fectS.
At eleven o'clock Counsellor William
D. Edwards, who recovered for the city
is South Cove property, appeared on the
scene. He was accompanied by Street
and Water Commissioners Brown, Hard
ng and Heintze. The Commissioners
1ad with them a force of city laborers,
lnder command of the Superintendent of
Streets Robert Smith. At Mr.. Edwards
the city employees were in
structed to tear down such of the shan
les as stood on city property. Some of
he city's unwelcome tenants protested
md declared that the abrupt notice to
move was unjust. Mr.. Edwards explain
ID, however, that the squatters had been
'epeatedly directed to vacate since the
;ity acquired title to the property. sf.
grumbling the city sehaIlts
began to move out, carrying their be-
ongings in most instances over on land
If the Central Railroad.
In one of the shanties on the city's
Mrs. Charles vaukenberg was
ouEd sick in bed snd with her an infant.
rhey were not disturbed, but the woman
vas notified that she would be expected
o vacate as soon as her health will per-
nit
She agreed to do so. So the work pro-
sressed, the dirty, rickety, unsightly
tructures being torn down and removed
IS rapidly as possible.
Trouble was anticipated when the
vorlSmen arrived at the snanty of Matt
lew Bradley. Everybody knows Mat.
Bradley. He was born in South Cove and
las. lived there all his life. He has never
'een five miles from thei place in his life.
fe has earned a livelihood there for
t3nsef and family by building boats and
citing them to pleasure parties and fish
rmen. When the police arrived at his
'lace Bradley was aiding on the steps
n a defiant attitude. From pole in the |
ard Aoated a large American flag, which
lie had raised in honor of the occasion.
Pointing to it he DECLARED he would de-
end it and his hom9 with his life.
Chief Murphy, whip is we'll acquainted |
With him, went to film and directed him |
o offer no resistance. Bradley did not |
ropose submitting fquietly and declared |
hat no one had 4 right to disturb his |
orne as it stood fhalf ON land OF the |
Ugh Valley Railroad. 1t had been report |
d that the Lehdgh Valley men had in |
tructions to saw Bradley's house in two
nd remove thaf part standing on the |
ompany's POSSESSION. The proposition |
saS such a ridiculous one that Chief I
Turphy went to Bradley and advised |
i'm to vacate, suggesting that in doing |
o he might have a civil suit against the I
ompany whose representatives invaded |
he premises. Bradley abided by the |
'hief's advice, and. hauling down the |
ag, wrapped It about his shoulders and |
4 that strange rig, proceeded to carry his |
ahich corporation he said was not soul /
His household effects were few and I
hey were quickly removed. Half an |
lOur later his home for so many years |
ad been demolished. There We're tears |
q the old mans eyes when the work of |
emolition was over. Stepping in one |
+ his boats he rowed away disconsolate. |
after removing all the shanties possible |
or todax the workrnen of the CITY and |