The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-04
NEW Y0RK'SHARB0R POLICE
READY 70 TACkLE ANYTHING FROM
HEROES 10 PIRATES.
Heroes Commoner Than the River Pirates.
Owing to tho Vigilance of Capt. smith
and His Men-Old-Tlms Battles with
CriminRlA Work Of tho City's NAVY.


Criminals 90 Work OF the City's Navy
The work Of the New York hnrbor police bs,
changed greatly in character within the las,
ten years and last years report OF the depnr,
ment Is un-xci,ing. Where are the old time
accounts OF bold river pirates overcome and
mutinous sailors subd ucd, Where are the pistol
shots and tho clubbings, NO violence or loss
OF life exccp, such a, Is incidental 10 accident "
"Only ono robbery" says the report What do
the shades OF tho old Corlears and Red Hook
gangs think OF that The only serious Injuries
suffered by the force wsre received by IN. Patrol.
and were duo 10 the efforts OF that sm all bull TERROR
among boaA to bully and manage the grsa, feet
that turned out 10 welcome Dewey. A few NOR.
heroes 10 receive, and tho harbor police would
succumb 10 overwork and sigh for the rood old
days OF picturesque midnight .hOo,iugs frays.
and knife armed drunken sailors There's nm
impression among the force that the ordeals of A
peaceful life are moro wearing than dramatic
episodes. and that a hero aud his admirers are
more difficult TO handle than any old time gang
Of river pirates. S,ill. il would be- hard 10 find
a body Of men who could do tho ornamental and
i'm posing more ell IL than that squad. Kip
ling has celebrated "'er MaieSty's Jolly, sailor
and soldier, too. but where's the post capable
OF doing Justice 10 New York. Jolly, policeman
and sailor, too?
Occ.s,o,.I,v ,sno,,., a, . c,u,., o,.r ,,,,,,
- - 49, ~ ~. 'uf'I
ing 'urn OF nina - Aio"eo 10 accompany one
Of the night patrols In its excursion I'D tho East
River. and the ., perienoe IL An .nt.,t.,nlnr an.
So on'
from a picturesque point Of view, though too safe
10 BE- thrilling Twelve or fifteen years ago such
q provl had IL posnibiitisa and WAS aecom nani,d
b. Ia,;....- I'm. 49,, -. w-
Wy ueiio'oHs 'n'ii's anu shi'eIS lhers was
HveT plTdCy tlen, and here WAS no telling what
might happen on the pight rounds Patrol.
.,,,,.d az, Tau 80 an 80
."u W. a W. '" u NJ anu l
r NJ, but the early morning patrol was the ono
that had the fun. Sir men. well armed and fur.
pIsbsd With J.rl l.,..rn. a,d n,.,.,.. -.
Ia, p,.. -. ,.n' -. e.'ppN.e :"
iei' fief \ IN he h"le poa'' winch went slipping
around the Battery, and turned up the East River.
In and ont among ,hs river craft 4, Gran, utii.
tho r,,ic. Lon, - ,ooLa,, ,r h,,L
'he ponce kept a Keen lockout Tor Junk men who
might be looting cargoes with the connivancs
OF a dishones, sailor. md many a tim. IN. ,hieves
us,. tor,t I'D -, .,Ir,- .~.
Wv WV Gnu 81 'AN'Ahs 'hnSo Vi q dangerous
night followed Every suspicious boat moving
on tn. river was oyerhauled and ex amined Among
the dark shadows Of the piers the poI,cs boat
stole. while Its crew threw the light OF ther Ian
terms into every Granny and hiding place and
lis,cnsd,or sounds ., tho thisvss,h n ho,,t ,h,o''ah
-" 'o"u'' - '"o' 'o wiz oor'o 'hfoush
'he noofs OF me piers tapped the nee or sugar
or coffee lying there under guard If A complAisant
Waterman. blled their h,,ts and then mod.og
"a he snaruiatoIs ~ NJ - amG 'v mHneon
side and delIt IN stolen gnnds 80 80
these snsc,Iintors Vas Lnnun tn tho III nv
their haunts wpr. watched hut the rat, ,onnJ
was long. and clever thieves tool ds.r.I.ta
chances WA "'f''"'
Ihe Brooklvn river from, w,s thu uo,s, nav,
of the round, There the srIgar and cofee cnrg -.
were landed. There Inc mnst nr,o,,nns 49,
lators were located There ,hs rnt,,,nuS rotGa,,.
gang. the most daring and desperate II ali me
river pilates had tne,r haodousr,ars and g., a.
defed capture. They me, their Wstrtlor at lsst
when tho arhn, Mic, ID Ior,, -, as as
failures finally t,,n,ad man h., ,na, "m NV "n's
fight worthy II A hptlit rarsa and H., a f. ~, "ps
bull Is sang through IN. nigh ar m nvsIv tn.hr'r
The leader 81 IN. Sare ua IL, nr 49,, = A'"".
wounded, The resi- liss pneared And wbss,th,
came Of them v,s nsvsr noa, RI """
Of the haIbor polio. IN ,hos. DAYS did mnrb " T.
Keep Sing Sing popul"us, but the lsst Of the tiycr
pirates semi mn for a long i'm - ..s III,
who had, in he course of an actir. cs,ss, nal,
the tidy sun Of S75 900 nnr,iv by Tho sim ns 20.
lion oi drowning the hay asf smnlI ~ 20,
slipped under the .ida ri . r,a o,o -, nrcin,
a clever Jerk slipped the n, w scr and - urs aaiIoSsd
20 s,nk. Afterward /, Was pnIIed nv ,nd s"J
The trade has been pr,ctpr.lpv dss wy ~" he ,hs
herhnr nile, VIII nnnsyrrtil NO. ", ~ u ~,
melodran,ntic and no scTuplrs against rnSbinp
the dime novel writer's Of CON- """ '''"''e
The shlps IN the harbrI do no, ore, b,v,
watch hLi the nm, nov ~ .n, UEnnH"
"ThaIe is I,na , w. dnr~, ,np.' nn,ith,
away the n.Jice .ra,acr'ys srI !" w m'T Wv, w. a.
pirates would he oIt sssin IN P NJ tm ~ " N'"NN "7
"a hr ap.s a, T A. -
decnr,tiys h6,h", nnJics i' Irnt. no'r5n oan we
Crows bv, 49, ", 49, " " tn"ukul "t a. s.hLr.
s,a a bnui 20 $50 " ~ W. Iu'n' WY
bs,bn, r'i,la b a, .ui",luh Il, ths
ssiitn, , Tte Un' wv '.r paSr'ns 81 te
n 80 1851 nn't' was a time NIeh was
~ I.n tn'uS II "a ItC"hiihE vessel " run
~ Wv uns IeN,LHeu. VIZ rouple Nishal IN al
Th ~ ani a. aplTal u, tne ponce 10y alh;
J. m,m ,'' la.i,l hurried 20 NE rescue ana iound
"r -. sion , ~, ana a,s1trn zen yet an
ucnSronai niliuet OF ShDOlhg Gnfay among
CreN 'nliS iol lnr hatDnt phllce' Out the men
VINO s'run PAM ana poiish BRASS on steamships
10 ~, = y, or ~ tnr n,oellnliSty ar b~randish-
ing variety OF sailor thht hgures IN ticuon and on
we od SAVING snip reports. \ trouble signal
TON an incoming vessel now usually means
hIe under the haicneS' aud the Patrol, which can
throw 5000 gallons OF watr a minute, does
elective work IN such cases. whil~ the squad.
p~s'ncS beng policemen and sailors, are, Incl
dentaly. rafting good firem-n. Most IT the
nights winch thu harbor police are called on 10 settle
nowadays are on tn" picnic harg"S. but even those
rows are becoming chiefly Traditional. \ kuown
gang OF tpughS lg not allowed b. take a barge out,
and since the excise law put a stop to SUNDAY
liquor selling III" mantle Of peace has descended
upon the barge picnlcs. and they are almost
too tranquil 10 be- entertaining.
That excise Law and the dumping n( refuse in
the hArbor have given Capt Smith and his men
enough trouble 10 prevent their beng lonaer ma
without their pirates. There ~ still an ucra Ipnnl
not on a collier barge or a longsho-e strike. rr a h,a
on the piers or n G. COLLISION The life saving rrcI,I
Of the hGrbr Police has been neri,orlnis Al
most every man in the squad comes Of n sailor
has spent most II his life on the water,
and can swim like n duck They are n ~tecLIass
fearless set Of fellows, and dive after a druwnrr
man under any conditions or in any weather they
take as all in the days work. Attcm ptsd suicides.
accidents and collisions furnish them plenty 4
oppprtunity for showing their skill and DliIrk
Another feature Of their work. less spactrculHr
and more disagreed HE. il the rrscu. ~ hodies Il
tho drowned from no water. and, # they will