New-York tribune., 1902-05-17
TO FIGHT THE CRIMPS.
EVIDENCE OBTA INED AGAINST
BOARDING HOUSE MASTERS.
TRIAL OF MAN WHO KILLED ONE OF
THEM TO BE BEGINNING OF CRU
SADE BY SEVERAL SOCIETIES.


? shot and killed Patrick Malone. a sailor
boarding house master begins fight for his life
IN the Supreme Court next Monday. The
trail through the evidence introduced by the
defence will be the first step IN an organized
campaign against the Seaman's Boarding House
Association. members of which are said to be
responsible for the inhuman treatment of deep
water sailors which has given this port bad
name all the world. Several organizations
which conducting established work among
sesmen have Joined forces for the fight. which
they hope will end in the determination Of
.crimps" and their sailor robbirg system.
The Protestant Episcopal Church Missionary
Society for Seamen. which has a mission at No.
81 Pike-st.. and floating church on the East
River is providing the funds for Childs's de-
fence. and has obtained the services Of several
attorneys The officers Of other seamen's socie-
ties ard missions assisting in getting evi-
dence, and will testify TO the reign of terror
which the organized boarding house masters
have spread the waterfront.
-Childs is good and did this act in self
defence" says the Rev. A. r. Mansfield chap
lain of the Pike-st. mission. We will him
through the trouble
There is more in this Childs case than ap-
pears on the surface adds the Rev. ". c.
Sttt, secretary Of the American Seamen's Friend
Society, one of the largest and most prosperous
ORGANIZATIONS OF It's hlnO IN Inf country we
will secure his acquittal. but that will not he
enough. The time has put end to
crimps' and after this trial will fight them
10 the DEATH
The Rev. Stafford Wright. who is in charge of
the Seamen's Christian Association. at No 800
West-st., has taken interest in Childss trial
and will be one of the strongest factors in the
fight against the association. He has carried
on a private for a number of years in a
faSb
ters are afraid Of him. and his mission has not
been troubled by them for a long time.
Success in shipping men for the New Sailors
Home conducted under the direction Of the
Protestant Episcopal Church. at No - Market
St. is directly responsible for Childs being in
the Tombs with charge of murder in the first
degree hanging over him. He supplied crews TO
q number of vessels which had formerly paid
money to the boarding house ring. They tried
20 drive him out Of the business by threats, and
failing to frighten him. went step further and
used force He fought back, killed his man and
gave himself up.
The trouble began early the * Of
April - when Childs met Patrick Malone and six
other runners, who set him. Childs got away
and went home for two revolvers. He met Ma
lone again in Pearl-st.. back of the Army Build
ing, and they began to fight Testimony differs
IS 10 who strrck the first blow. In the mix up
through the head.
SHOT TO SAVE HIS LIFE.
Policeman Frank Jose was standing near by
and arrested Chlds. What did you kill him
for" the policeman asked.
If didn't do it he'd have done me- Childs
replied and that has been the only statement
he has made since.
His attorneys are satisfied that they can prove
self-defence by showing up the character of
the two men. James w. Mclaughlin has col
lected a of evidence showing that Malone
the most brutal and dangerous of daring
crowd or ''crimps." At the trial Louis S. Chan
Ter viii join in the defence. and Clark H. Alb
hott Of the Seamens Branch Of the Legal Aid
Society, will assist. Mr.. Abbott has been fight
ing the Boarding House Association for more
than three years. and will bring out the evil
dence which viii be used in the crusade which
IS To follow the trial
My success in shipping a crew Of fifteen men
on a big ship bound for China was the direct
cause Of the assault made on me that day." said
Chds yesterday at the Tombs II got months
allotment, running from S15 TO $50 for each man.
and il amounted more than $500. If the
boarding master had got the ship they
would have claimed SO bonus a man besides
the allotment This bonus is really part Of the
mans wages, though he never sees cent Of It
and all he gets out of his allotment usually is
bottle Of whiskey and old clothes, for
which no ragrnan would give a dollar. If the
sailor asks for a settling up and don't want to
ship unless he gets it, he usually gets severe
beating from the boarding house master instead
8nd is put on board the ship against his will.
Anyway, IL the boarding masters had secured the
China bound vessel II would have put 5000 in
their pockets Losing her they regarded me
as q natural enemy to their interests. Therefore
theY tried harder than ever to frighten me, and
reForted to an assault TO put me out Of the
held Of competition. But | strongly objected to
being frightened. and stood for my rights"
childs on the stand may tell the jury about an
experience which he had with the same sort Of
rum ers on the clipper ship Benjamin F Pack
ard, while she lay at anchor off Clifton. Staten
Island on May g. 1899. He took five Japanese
sailors on board the ship and fifteen boarding
house masters followed They knocked him
down ard kicked him until they thought he was
dead.
Although the different societies and missions
which aim To help Jack Tar when he is ashore
nave several times pulled together for needed
legislation, there has never been an organized
war against the boarding house masters. The
laws no" on the statute books. IL is said, would
solve the problem of sailor protection II they
could be enforced. and il is TO that end that the
fight will now be made Conditions are rot
nearly so bad they were two or three years
ago, and the improvement is said to be due TO
the work of the Legal Aid Society more than
anything else. The society has not been prop
erly backed up, or the determination of the
boarding masters might have been ACCOMPLISHED
before.
l nelieve the time has come when we can
undertake successful fight against this whole
system