The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-04
SLIPPERY DICK" CROKER.
The Boss Is True to His Record as q
Bruiser and Brawler.
New York Evening Post.

New York Evening Post.
1t is not at all surprising that Richard
Croker should incite his followers to riot
in case of trouble at the polls next Tues
day nor that he should announce his in
tention of taking the lead himself and of
knocking down" the first man who at
tempts to interfere with his free exercise
of the ballot We have no doubt that the
boss would be perfectly capable of carry
ing out his threat, for he has knocked peo-
pie down many times in the course of his
career. Croker is not so young as in the
days when, as the leader of the old Fourth
avenue tunnel gang. he was the terror of
the Twenty-flrst ward; but 1T is hardly
likely that his right arm has lost any of
the cunning that made him the respected
associate, and occasionally the teacher, of
prize fighters in the days of Tweed and
Connolly. His threats carry us back thirty
years, to a time when his prominence in
politics was owing chiefly to his feats in
knocking down people at the polling booths.
He was not "the Hon. Richard Croker
then; he was simply slippery Dick as he
was styled by the New York Times in de-
scribing how, in the course of an election
IL
of James Moore with a slung-shot, knock
ing him down and then kicking him" His
recent outbursts also recall the fact that
he is the same man who was described by
the Tribune In 1868 as 'the notorious Dick
Croker the leader of the Metropolitan BAN
dts, always well armed and spelling for a
fight
We also know, from his past history,
that Croker is not only able TO defend
Tammany Hall methods by the use of
his own manly right arm, but that he Is
willing to go to extreme lengths to do it.
1t only lacks year of quarter OF CEN
fury since this same notorious Dick
Croker awoke one morning, after an UNI
usually exciting election-one especially
after his own heart-and found himself a
prisoner I'm the Tombs on a charge of muir
Ger. 1t was Croker who, in his efforts 10
defeat Sheriff O'Bren for Congress, began
free fight at election booth. as re-
suit of which a man by the name OF John
McKenna was killed-his last words being,
"Dick Croker shot me-. Croker was not
convicted, IL is true; the jury disagreed,
and he was set free to become the ruler or
Greater New York and the prophet of
Tammany Hail. but his skill as an cleo
ton brawler. as man who was ready TO
knock down. any man who dared to pro-
rest against his electioneering methods,
was we'll brought out by the charge OF
Judge George c. Barrett, who presided over
the trial. In view of Cookers recent eS-
preston of willingness TO lead fight az
the polling place next week, Judge Bar
retts words on this occasion have an his
torical Significance:
There are some facts about which there
is no conflict, and one of them is this: 1t
is an undoubted fact that the very origin
OF this affair, the absolute commencement
OF it all. emanated from the prisoner
(Croker) himself; that is, he, in the COM
pany of the two Hickeys and Sheridan
members of Cookers gang), met Borst and
Costello He Croker threatened Borst
substantially directed him 10 get out of the
district: told him that If he did not DO So
he would get into State prison. That was
fhe beginning of the affair.
Croker wears better clothes now than he
cid them and has more money TO spend;
hut that he is still the same old brutal
notorious Dick" the champion election
brawler of his day, is clearly shown by
his latest utteranceS.