New-York tribune., 1901-07-21
" PUSH" " LARRIkINISM.
AN ANGLO-sAXON PARALLEL TO THE
SICILIAN MAFIA.

An article in the current number of Black
woods Edinburgh Magazine" gives some inter-
esting details on the subject of the organization
of larrikins or regular bands of reprobdtes, in
New South Wales, and shows the pushes to
be dangerous organizations similar in many
respects to the Scilian Malta The writer says:
Scarcely a decade has elapsed since the police
authorities of New South Wales found it neces-
Sary to arm the city ConstabulaTy with reVoIV-
ers, and to intrust its officers, moreover, with
WIDE discretion in the use OF their weapons
For more than quarter of century before
that time larTikinism had fouTiShcd almost un-
checked and all the larger Australian cities had
suffered under curious species of tyranny eX-
ercised by bands of reprObates, who, under the
leadership Of kings" We're leaGued together in
secret communities called ''pUShts," for the pur-
pose OF warning more or less openly upon the
reputa hlA classes of society.
SO daring at time had these pushes
grown, and so contemptuOus of the power of the
police, that they frequently committed, ana
often with impunity, criminal outrages IN open
daylight, and IL was notorious that the districts
dangerous alike 10 police and private citizen.
Public opinion was aroused in condemnation
of these ruilians by degrees so amazingly grad
ual that more than quarter century passed
before any adequate measure of reform was in
stltuted to suppress the eNi- 1he cuimihahh
point was, however, reached, and the last straw
laid upon the back Of the stupidly tolerant
camel. in consequence Of an heroic but futile at
tempt on the part of the police To arrest push
battle while in progress one. Sunday afternoon
in a place called Aliens Wood. situated on the
outskirts of Leiohhardt, about five miles from
the city of sydney.
POLICE DEFEATED BY \ PUSH
The police having gained intelligence Of a par
ticuIarly savage encounter. were ordered at all
hazards to prevent 1t. Arriving the scene
too late for that. they rushed fearlessly upon
the combatants and succeeded in capturing
eleven of the larrikins in the surpris" OF their
first rush. The pushes" however. sank for the
moment their private quarrc.. and amdlEamated
To engage thr common enemy After an hours
struggle three of the police fell desperately
wounded. and the remainder. finding themselves
Outmatched. fed for their lives taking with
them, however. two prisoners There ensucd
the extraordinary spectaCle ol two score blue
coats running like haT-S before. a mob of yell
ing lads not on. az hom could have been more
than twenty-five years OF age. After hard
chase they reached and entered steam tram.
the driver of which Immediately sent his engine
fun speed cityWard The pushes" eager to
rescue their comrades. followed FOR half a mile
battering the cars with showers of stones. hut
We're then distnncrd. No further arrests were
made. and the prisoners We're sentenced to a
fidioulously trivial punishment
This affair excited such a storm of Indignation
that the authorities were compelled 10 adopt
measures against the pushes" despite the in
fuence exertei by them in opposition to the re-
form measures. After the law was passed the
constahulary were allowed To traverse the most
turbulent districts without molestation. but the
pushes" remained active. simply changing their
tactics. The article continues:
No longer the bodies Of their victims To
he discovered lying mangled and fress in
some lonely nook deserted thoTouEhfare. but
men suddenly disappear from the face OF the
. earth, leaving no sign clcw To explain the
cause Of their eNanishmcnt
Tho pushes, moreover. having realized the
importance of their numerical power. politically
applied. lost little time in turning the discovery
I to their own advantage. and great has now
become their address that any candidate for
parliamentary honors who is announced for
election in push district is made immediate
ly aware. however vaguely. that ne has been ap-
proved or discarded as that 'pushs' prottge.
SURVIVAL OF CONVICT DAYS
There undoubtedly stiN survives among the
. lowest classes in Australian cities "A flavor al
the old bitter convict spirit which originally
sought expression in the formation of bandit
gangs OF predatory bushrauGers. In the tradi-
tiuns OF the various pushes the most desperate
/ of these long departed outlaws occupied posi-
tions of heroic eminence, and many individual