The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
CAN'T DOWN THE" ALLEN.
BE LAUGHS AT THE Police AND
KEEPS ON HIS WAY.

Protests THAT ne Never nid . wronG ThinE In
His Lire but Once, when He Kept . Dive
for n Year-For Forty Years the Police
Have Beou AFTER Him. ana Always ThcJ
Have FaiIed-nis story OF his wropEs.
After listening to what the police have to
nav about Mr.. Theodore Allen. better known
N New Workers as THE Allen. one will como
N the conclusion that that individual Is q
very desperate character, fond Of sluRging his
fellow citizens, and Indifferent TO tho conse-
ouences OF constant violations Of the law. No
exarRcration can paint 1.-THE" Allen O worse
man than the police make him out. Assassin
"Rambler," law violator," and crook" are
eomo OF the names that the authorities apply to
him. and, in addition. they will toll livld tales OF
his jabbing the lighted end Of q cigar into tho
eye Of an enemy, Of trying to puncture the neck
Of another person with whom he was ondeavor-
ing to settle a difference with an ice pick. and of
doing a hundred and one other wicked and des.
perate things.
A talk with THE" Allen will not tend to
strengthen the impression Of him gained from
the police. A little, Misunderstanding man.
with a nervous, jorky way Of talking. eyes that
all with tears whom he tells OF the abuses to
which he has been subjected, and blaze with in
d~ignation when he slaps his fist down on the
table and says that he will not be downed no.
not II the police of every city in tho country
combine against him. That such q mite of a
man should beat the police OF q great city
like New York is surprising, yet there 10 no
other Just way of characterizing the latest
phase in the fight between Allen and the
police, n fight which has been going on for
upward Of forty years and has never resulted in
.nrlinj ~ N yintorr for tha np1ira c N ya prha 4
brute force could attain. Chief McCullagh says
"Tne" Allen is a bad job. Inspector Grant,
with twenty.sevcn policemen at his mman
and three weeks in which to get evidence. had
TO report that no couldn't make out a case
against Allen. There was no use In arresting
the man when there were FIVE indictments
hanging over his head for violating the gam.
bling laws already and mono OF them ready for
trial. So the Police Board meekly addressed q
resolution to District Attorney Gardiner, sny-
ing, e Please, Mr.. District Attorney. send The
Allen TO prison on one OF those old indictments.
because we really can't do anything with him"
Yet all the time The" Allen is running a
poolroom. He won't deny it IL you ask him
yourself. What he will say-and he'll say it as
though It was a real grievance-is: THE man
doesn't live who can prove that l ever accepted
bots on q horse race, or ever conducted n gam
bling house. l have been arrested and indicted
some forty times, but the District Attorney has
never had the evidence to bring me to trial. It's
shame the way I have been treated by the
"The' Allen is one OF the most interesting
Eelics Of old New York to be found In the city to;
jess jesse All Alien emu better U XXI known %sD'n as ives and an I eHa
were bright stars OF sporting life in New York
tweSty:hve years ago. when HIhS, was known
McCullagh says that Allen is the ~shrewdest
law yiolator in the country.
porter the other day. that The Allen is vio-
lating the laws on pool selling every day. His
West We SIDE Club Clubs Is merely ,srt a CLOAK I. = a poolr os
tally It might interest, you to know that Allen is
scarceiy aSs feet tai. and d years old. yet in q
rough and tumble fight he can lick ten times his
he s Knocked s'0 out a bariv POLICEMAN Ice am who
went Into the West Side Club after evidence
and kicked him down stairs and ont into the
street. Then he insisted on the policeman ar
resting him. In court he was discharged by a
Magistrate, who told the policeman that he had
no right In the premises after being ordered off.
He'a one of the most fearless little fellows that
ever lived. and. in my opinion. has got more
brains than al the rest of the sporting frater.
Areporter OF THE SUN started out one day
last week TO find Tho" Allen and mako him
men it is well known that Allen is one OF the
hardest men In New York to find. He's never
n aeF RSm a, he 4 ht ws ssFy siSe ' c,S 70 b 1s ,S Ssl %Ss + h rs
door speaks truthfully. II a reporter catches
MIN on the street he never has time to talk. but
VIII make an appointment to meet him later.
IHe never keeps these appointments. He doesn't
IKE newspapers and he doesn't like reporters,
theless, he is exceedingly polite on all occasions
when he Is corncred, and no reporter has over
nsn 70 complain o, n lgck of courtesy on his
questions.
Quarters of the West Side Club at so Sixth ave-
nue.. II is on the floor above the street. and the
ehlrahce IS through n door opening from the
street into a hall. There were two men in front
OF tho door.
Is Mr. Allen in r. asked the reporter.
He Just went upstairs" said the other, and
men they looked at each other.
YOU'D better inquire at the door," said the
nrSt man. and the reporter went in the vesti-
bule. He knocked on tho door, and a man opened
II ING length OF the chain by which 1t was So
What do you want r. he asked pleasantly.
- want to see Mr.. Allen
Jul Come back at 5 o'clock. He said he'd
Tell Mr.. Allen" said the reporter. THAT q
representative OF THE Sun wants to see him"
To. come back at o'clock"
PLEASE carry the message to him now" in
Wait a minute" and the door shut. A few
imht n later the man came back and opened
Come upstairs" he said. 81 could have
s sf,Sr 10 went out. but found him upstairs
lOunu IN the front room or the nr0t
noor. There were half a dozen men sitting
csoand the room. some smoking. some playing
TS"raS, and others talking in whispers. The only
d don,shihgs OF the room were a table. a half
Soaeh chairs, q sideboard. and a blackboard
containing some club announcements. The
;,indihg doors which lead to the back room wero
sShtly closed. 1t is in this back room that tho
pense say the gambling is done. They have
,u;v'er peen able TO get in 1t, although for a long
sms Allen welcomed them TO the front room. Al
nsegu!ar hour every afternoon Allen would
sessior a motion that the club go into executive
}oura 10 the back room. leaving the police in
irVht 10 twiddle their fingers and wait.
to nii e., greeted the reporter politely. and whom
~u whnt was, wanted said:
Ia l read IN the papers that the Police Board
o%a asked the District Attorney to try me on
U % OF those indictments. Now, isn't that a
nn W. rick It's a case of down The Allen.
~ matter how you do 1t. For forty years
W WY we nn 5den a. this Job, hut I'm a bit perky yet.
itSSTe don't know. With other men who they
den"s are violating the law they seek for evi.
Sinne' ana, failing to get 1t. let them
AUne' But they. can't let me, have
ftImWo peace; They're after me all the
an sns FOR the last three weeks they've had on
ROOM reLage OF ten policemen a day In tho club
t"oHls mere. It's bepauEe 'Tha A lion Ia n mann.