The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-14
Wickedest Thoroughfare
in New York City,.
Hamilton Street, in the Heart of
Cherry Hill, Has Been the
Scene Of Scores of
Murders.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Hamilton street. a block long. with the
handsomest school building in New York
looking down upon IT. IL called the wicked.
est street In that city.
Tho recent murder Of Billy" NcNahon
there and the vanishing Of "Paddy" Shea.
his slayer. brings the street before the pub.
lie. and with 1t . serious problem Of sup.
pressing crime In the overcrowded tenement
district
That whole section of New York, except 4
small street. has changed n by magic In .
few years. Hamilton. Cherry. Water, Cath
arlne. James and q lew others Contain about
all that is left Of the Hook sans and the
Cherry Hill desperadoes. but they still cling
to their old haunts like rats. and in these
streets are condensed enough criminals to
populate Western state.
Every kind Of criminal 10 at home
there" said famous detective: you can
IND anything you read Of from Murderers
to safe burglars and highway robbers. The
criminal Is tntrenched with hia pals and
hackers here. Even so-calIed honest citI-
zens Of Industrious habits practically stand
in with the gang when the police 10 search
ing for evidence and attempt TO make an
arrest.
PUBLICITY HURTS U.s."
The street says: We can settle our ewn
affairs in our own way. Ist the police keep
away from us. Publicity hurts business and
the street. It's bad for landlords and rents
Drive out the crooks and who will take our
houses? Outsiders don't care to live here
We have property to look after and we've
got to protect our interests
This is the kind Of sentiment the police
are up against. It explains why every
mouth is shut while murderers are in hid
ing. Talk about your Fagins and schools of
vice! The street is full OF such places
Boys and girls know nothing but crime.
They hear Of 1t from earliest childhood.
Pretty little chicks talk sweetly to you,
while others pick your pockets. Until they
are big enough to go into business for
decoys-built to entrap strangers for rob-
berry.
AT the age Of 10 or Il they are grad
uated as expert thieves. Hamilton street
is the home of the petty shoplifters who
work the big stores on the avenue-playing
the modest maiden in search Of bargains.
stealing silks and jewelry from counters, or
picking pockets Of customers. whom they
follow from the stores.
These girls swarm the town, making the
acquaintance of strangers. II the man is
rich and difficult to work. they decoy him
to some saloon and leave the gang to finish
him. After nights work along Broadway
and Sixth avenue. the girls return to Hamil-
ton street and disappear.
Boys are also used as stool pigeons In
various ways. II a sailor or a country mer-
chant appears along the water front intoxi-
Gated. the boys iab him with sticks. Nat
urally he chases the boys. who. Of course.
run into an alley. where the gang lie in
wait. They get the mans money and kick
him into the street If a dozen men of the
neighborhood saw 1t they wouldn't say a
word.
Criminals are like other people-tkey
must have women and society. and they
soon corrupt young women. The district =