The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-23
"TURK" IN FREE COUNTRY.
4 RECIfAI' cir WOES TN THE STR
 IAN QUARTER


 Washington street by day is noisy with trucks and trucknen, but at night, when the great warehouses are desert- ed, it becomes only the Syrian Quarter. In the silence of the evening the swar- thy little people come forth boldly. Only Arabic is spoken, which the po- lice do not understand and the Irish squadron that rules this district looks upon with mingled suspicion and con tempt. Greenwich street, which runs parallel, and all the side streets are filled with Irish families. The Syrians are surrounded by hostile herdes. Scarcely day passes without a raid on the quarter by the Irish boys of the neighborhood who sweep through it, breaking windows with sticks and stones. Almost any day one can find some old man or woman who will say, with an appealing glance from the gen. tie eyes: "See-I have toiled and saved through the years-I have left my Syria to escape the prosecutions of the Turks --I am old now. A thought here I could live for a little while in liberty and peace. But now I am stoned on the street! Why is it so? Why is it?" It is, of course, the old story of the warfare of races rendered doubly pa thetic because here it is supposed to have ceased.
 About midnight on the 2d of Novem- Der, five Syrians were standing on the corner of Rector and Washington streets talking excitedly in Arabic. Here and there a light shone faintly through a tenement window. Most of the little shops were closed. At half past eleven George Schwary entered narrow hallway, and mounting the dark stairs knocked at the door of Abraham Saba. SchWary is celebrated among his people for his delicious sah- { lab, a drink made largely of milk and sugar. For ten years he has peddled this drink on the street, saving his money, penny by penny in the hope that some time he could send for his wife and daughter in Syria. After ten years of patient dreaming he had saved almost enough He became feverish with delight, and growing bold had made an unusual quantity of sahlab carrying it in his pail beyond the quar- ter along Rector street, even as far as Broadway He had returned too late to buy his material from Saba's store and so had climbed to his tenement next door,
 ''I have come for my sugar, aid he, when his knock was answered.
 "So late?" asked Saba, glancing at the clock "It is half-past eleven"
 "But I must have my sugar urged Schwary. "I must mix my sahlab and be ready for the morning early"
 Saba is seventy years old and did not like to go down to his store again, and, beside, his neighbor Azone was with him, and they were talking of the mas sacre of Christians by the Turks. Jewell" said he, q will go with you presently but come in and sit down let us talk
 After this there were no more people in the street until the five men appeared at the corner of Rector street. They too. were talking of the Turks and the Christians, and their voices, loud and piercing, filled the street. They, too had suffered persecution from the Turk What a joy it was then to stand in the open street and curse him with loud poces
 At half-past twelve McKeever, the officer of the beat hearing the clamor and thinking that such violent language must soon lead to blows, came up to them and shouted:
 Here, you! Quit your noise. Move on"
 The Syrians refused, protesting in good Arabic and bad English their right to talk The officer pushed them, and they threatened him with their Walking-sticks. He knocked one of them into the gutter with his club and the rest dispersed. The one he had felled leaped to his feet and rushing at him, struck him down with a blow across the face that knocked out eight of his teeth and cut his lip open He rapped for help and fell back upon the sidewalk. second officer rah up and helped him to the station house, A few moments later five officers rushed to the quarter to find the "felon" who had struck McKeever. Five formida- ble fen they were-gigantic in com parIson with the little people of the quarter. They were accompanied by a troop of Irish boys, who offered to point out the disturbers It was not yet one o'clock when the searching party burst through the door into Saba's tenement. The old man and his wife, and Azone and Schwary were still there, for time passes unheeded when a few friends have met to talk of the Turk and of liberty ',rake him!'' cried a boy, pointing to Schwary. When they stepped forward Schwary, his slight form quiverng with terror cried: "What have l done? What have done?"
 They dragged him to the hall and beat him until the spectators screamed at the sight.
 ''Be quiet" roared the officers, 'or We will beat you too"
 They took Schwary by the feet dragged him down stairs, permitting his head to pound from step to step. They half-carried him, half-dragged and pushed him up the street, and the crowd of boys following greeted their blows with cries of "l<ill the Turk-llill him"
 After two months in prison, being found not guilty, Sshwary was re- turned to the liberty of Washington street He will not be able to send fol his wife, for his savings must pay fol his defence. His clothes still bear the stains of blood and his mind is thought to be seriously deranged by fear and grief An account of this raid and ar rest is on the blotter of Precinct No. 9 lao 1yybU tbay