The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
OLD TIME WHARF RATS.
a POLICEMAN IN LLBYRIH1H UN-
DER THE PIERS.
Pursued n Boat Full of water Thieves Into
Their Retreat, Got Lost and Narrowly
Escaped with His Life-The Clue tn
In. In rrinth-An AhNantnra In IHNh.

York" said West Side police sergeant to visitor.
YOU would imagine from its tone that some yellow
reporter had Just discovered crime. Why, there
isn't a part Of the city to-day that man ran
go into with a reasonable degree OF safety OF
course he may bc sandclubbed in the shadow OF
some lonely street but such cases are rare, Look
nj the difference in the watrs front Of forty years
ago and to-day when was patrolman in IS
II was different
In 90 | was doing patrol duty in one Of the
riverside precincts. | was an ambitious young
fellow, anxious 10 distinguish myself. The best
way could think OF 10 do ii was 10 watch the
wharf rats, who were in those days pretty bold
From the produce wagons that passed along the
river front they would swipe whatever came hand
lest Thea they'd dive for wharf and dropping
into the water disappear, Tho piers had no bulk
heads at that time. II was all easy matter for
n boat or Il man 10 get under Once under in all
ordinary eases they were safe. The whole river
trout WAS built upon piles, in some cases filed
in with dirt or rubbish. The planking was laid
on the piles and earth spread over the whole.
Well. as have said ! was ambitious. On my
off days in citizens clothes used to prowl around
the pi,cs Sometimes I'd chase II thief under
and follow him far as / dared running along
the s'rngpcCes. As up 10 the time I'm telling
you about they always got away, l suspected
that they had some hiding place way up under
the city. In many places where filling had washed
away uhutr INC "'noh oi inc udc open channels
existed wide enough for good sized boa, running
""'s ""'" :" nowhere i"eie was a regular
'''H INV" VI '''''c 'h"iho'S. y U'lhE 'ha' sruck
Wv H"''' '",'S !" my "'"c sue u''ec"'e eh"f-
p''' was '"S "a,N "hon' W. h"e" ny s'Eh'
'''." " ""''u :" we river, iheH se' away
under the whnrves and perhaps an hour later
woull b" plnrhcd somewhere UP near Spring and
a.ha
,h.,., w. a'"asS suspe',u "'n'
a land exit for the water highways existed.
oDue nigh, Inv under ,r,ct ~, , wb.rt ,oor
,,,,, t,, rai 10y ",' n",H WI "'Io'' near
'h' l""t 81 'anai street watching large row
boat that came sneakng down the river in the
shadow Of the shipping She showed no light
, ~, :, '' NV "h"'
"nn ner oars eT'uth'iE were mntled' concluded
'ha' her" was the best chance Id ever get lay
quietly watching her until she was Just of my
pier linen she headed in. Before l had time
to think She had passed underneath | waited
for what ,hou,rb, was , NAH. time aud tben
~, ' y, ""' 'o" 'o'''o'' "i' ''u ''''n
Hi'd u'"h 'hc "hari front, swung IN onto string
piece and looked around. The boat evidently
',,.,, ,,i.i. ,'"' ""s va, ".a'u
H""''' ,''"' recognized as Inc crunching OF wood
There ,,ocs that blt again wbsro,s N.
other ,,,cr, e"''" WV
"'" "Sar ",,[ alien IL ~.
q nd flashed = bullseyc ,round IN ,bc bo,tom
s,S "'"u"n ~ .,I not'p
/ hold the light
"Nc,nyyh;lr Md hccn yrodu.IIv s,st,;ro. ,..-or
"'a"" ,'''' ! h"" prn kraauaiiF ge'nng nearer
anu nearer by lhe llEht ot the DARK lantern
that occasionally had the slide off | made out
that they were boring a hole up through the pier.
'he man "a"hed me light when II was necessary.
at the same Time holding the boat steady, another
used The bit and augcr, while third got together
a number Of hnrlap sacks didn't tumble to
their game until the anger was withdrawn from
the hole and something white began 10 run out
MT" thr sack held beneath Then I remembered
that there were lot Of hOgshcads on the pier COW
cred over wish tarpauin. These were being
robbed Of their contents by the ingenious method
To cart of the hogsheads, they would
find u, number Of empty ones
cmpted Of ,hc sugar when a heavy rumble over
heed frightened of the rats Their retreat. how.
ever, deliberate They filled the sack they
had begun ON and then with no light showing
went on up ;hc channel noticed before the
light was slowed away that tho boat was heavily
loaded with boxes and barrels and that the added
weight 81 the sugar brought it's gunwale very
nrar the water.
practically no noise, guiding myself bv the CAV
Splashes and snaches Of converse ton tina echoed
back. followed Che course Of the boat. We were
in the boat thinking themselves perfectly secure.
lighted an ordinary lantern Aftcr that II was
course in order 10 keep up with them, / had been
obliged to move very rapidly, but found time
la ntrh vii Init IN,
some Of the piles Hy means Of the "Hnlunss nj.
tachrd to my watch chain as a charm / managed
10 keep general idea Of direction, though as /
had to keep ont Of :. ght while scratched match
didn't consult it as Otter as wished To-
The boats course became decidedly cratic
from this time ON \ multitude OF channels
,pcn"d out. Tn" rats would follow one Tor a
little distance with no apparent reason and then
turn oil 10 the right or left Often owing 10 these
iuru!nrS they would disappear Cumplelclv Tor |
tire Then i'd die a notch in hustle and follow
after Finally, after hours il seemed ia me nj
TINS devious progress they made two Sharp turns
lnh disappeared utterly leaving me alone in thr
Lark Scratching a match | looked nj the com
pass To- calculate their course, and Law ont my
,wn My reckoning was all right So in abnut |
Ten minutes / turned a shnrp corner and came
within thirty feet Of them The boat was noored !
I" sort Of platform built around a number of |
piles Boxes and barrels were stored in orderly |
upon il. IN a cleared space al one |
md large torch was burning All three Of the |
rats were too busy H.. loading the boat 10 notice.
me-. took in the whole scene IN a second
tn TO thus time had been absorbed in the sin |
gle idea Of tracking them 10 thcr h.deout without
hnl,ing much u what I'd do il found it, What |
say now convinced me thnt il would be imbccIe !
10 attempt n capture Single handed :, sidlcd |
around the pile was clnginl, to and with tn, |
d, "a Of making some sort OF dctour around 10 nv
notchCd Path 4 clambercd of To the right Then |
turned to the left for six piles I, turn here 10 !
he south and three or four piles Chamber should