The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-03
EVEN The SCHOOLCHILDREN!
DECOYED FROM SCHOOL DOORS ny
HAMILTON FISH PARk GANG
school nj Levi, and RivinEton streets
Lost Five Little Girls Way and
INVESTIGATION showed systematic Cor
rupton MANY Cases. Two Convictions.

Little or nothing has been made public
abo, 1 the worst feature Of the filthy con-
,.itions thai have ~tiiiven In the city with
the growth of the red-light alliance OF
authority and vice. but II IL well known
TO all sohoolteachers on the East Side and
especially to the agents Of the Children's
society.
Last week Michael Mureo Of ~ Bowery
and Frank Capello were tried in the Court
of General Sessions on the charge OF hav-
ing assaulted several small schoolgirls.
Mureo was convicted and sentenced 20 ten
years imprisonment by Judge New burger.
Capello pleaded guilty TO abduction md
will be sentenced this week by Judge
Mcmahon. Those two convictions give
only a hint of the prevalence OF the crime
In question. The agents OF the Childrcn's
society have in the last few months had
scores OF similar cases before tho City Mag
i~strates, especially in the iorkviue and
ESSEX Market courts. But so strict Is the
law In its demand for binding evidence
and 30 hard Is the task OF obtaining evil
dence in such cases, that for one culprit
who was held for trial many have escaped
The parents often fear publicity more than
they desire vengeance.
The evidence brought out on the eN-
am nation Of Mureo and Capello showed
that the prisoners had lain in wait at the
school doors and that they had succeeded
SO well that not less than five little girls
from the school at Lewis and Rivington
streets alone had been lured into their
nets. The girls were persuaded by prom
ises Of small gifts to follow the two men
over to Prospect Park, Brooklyn. II was
the desire Of the Children's society men
that the girls should be committed to in
stitutions, but the parents protested and
the Judges were unwilling 10 follow such
a course. The return Of the girls to the
school brought the matter TO the atten-
ton OF the teachers and led To an inresti-
cation the end Of which is not yet in sight.
One of the girls when spoken TO by her
teacher, exclaimed indignantly:
"Oh. / amt the toughest in this school
Ard to prove her assertion she proceeded
10 point out q few whom she considered
worse than herself. These became useful
witnesses the moment they found them
selves discovered. Thus the teachers learned
Of the existence of several dens Of vice
of the blacklist kind within easy reach
OF the school building places to which
guns btlN''l ~ civ d . yNoio '" = "''
being decoyed, One such place
is said to be in Mangin street n another
one in Broome street. Both are being
watched The principal work IL
being done by agents OF the thildren's 30
but the teachers are assisting. tn
teachers have furthermore found IL neces-
sary TO introduce a system Of constant
watching over the pupils even after chool
A common plan Of these devourers
Of children whom the police have not ar
rested is to lie in ambush in the Railways
OF the big tenements and TO catch the little
girls as they run In and out in pursuit of
their games. Nor are the girls the only
ones exposed to danger. The agents have
repeatedly brought cases into court in
which the victims were small boys.
Supt. Jenkins of the Chidren's society
said Yesterday that 1t seemed almost i'm
possible To put a stop TO the evil although
agents of the society were constantly
on the guard. There II hardly a week.
he said, when some school principal does
report n case OF this kind. The evil Is
most widespread on the East Side, but Is
not confined 70 that locality. Hamilton
Fish Park IL one Of the favorite hunting
grounds Of that kind Of offenders. We are
after them, but we are compelled TO pro-
coed slowly and with the utmost prscaution
In order to insure against failures.