The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-01
THEIR Ways
and MEANS
History of Harbor Police, a
Series of Escapades.
THEIR METHODS UNIQUE
"Warf Rats" are Caught Like
Real PastiIence.

| Towards the middle Of the last century
when one looking OFT upon the haroor OF
New York saw forest OF masts OF sail
ing vessels at anchor in the bay. bands
of river pirates, as bloody and merci-
| less as any of the buccaneers OF his
tory. preyed upon the ships. created
reign Of terror along the waterfront ,ano
| laughed at efforts to subdue them. Arm
ed with Spanish nuskets, pistols. and
cutlasses, they made of the harbor and
waterways precincts OF crime They muir
dered sea captains going ashore with the
| ships money, boarded ships at anchor
for purposes of plunder. and shot down
or knitted any who dared TO resist them.
BY day and night they despoiled vessels
| of part of their cargoes; stripped the
| copper sheathing off Ships side as she
| lay lightened, ready 10 sail, and then
sculled away over the water in their
/ Whitehall skihs. and disappeared in
| caves and resorts on the Jersey shore.
IL was in the year 1858, in the very
! height of this water carnival of crime.
that the harbor police force Of New York
| was organized and from that time to
this these hardy men have kept visilant
| eyes on the ships and stores of this, the
richest harbor in the world. Take the
harbor police from active service and in
years time New York bay would again
be as thick with river pirates, thieves,
and cutthroats as IL was twenty years
ago. for If the land has its criminals,
so has the sea, organized and subdivided
into classes.
The earliest body Of harbor police
sprang into existence in response TO cry
ing demand that the evil be suppressed.
The mission of the harbor police
to root out the river pirates. and that
they entered on this work with spirit Is
apparent from the fact that Ellis ISL
and soon became known in the early
days at Gibbets Island. as IL was there
that most Of the marauders caught by the
police were hanged.
The headquarters of the harbor police
is at Pier A, where a force OF seventy
patrolmen is stationed with a twin
screw steel steamer, the Patrol: two
naphtha launches, and eight skins. or
four-oared rowboats to operate in. They
have a waterway twenty-seven miles in
extent 10 patrol. This is also a SUBJ
station in Harlem, and an independent
Brooklyn waterfront
In the year 1855 when the force was
organized. it consisted of twenty men.
picked from the ranks Of the river boat
men, with headquarters at No. 1 State
street. They patrolled in four four-oared
gigs that tied up a boat at Whitehall
Slip Capt. Hart was the first command
er. He was an ex-naval officer: and be
began a series of attacks on the river
pirates that resulted in many a desperate
battle in the harbor, or on the sandy
beaches of Staten Island. The boatmen
knew many of the haunts of the pirates.
and were versed in their ways and meth
DDS of operation. In addition. they were
as mereiless. as rough-handed. and as
ready TO shoot as the pirates themselves.
Soon after the formation of the force, the
captain OF a vessel who ventured ashore
with q quantity OF money was waylaid on
a small island where the Aquarium now
the mainland and connected il with
stands. which was then separate from
a bridge. Here he was killed with sand
clubs. his money taken. and the body
thrown into the river. where IL was found
frozen in the ice. The murderers. two
fed across what was then the harbor to
their retreat In New Jersey meadows. But
they were hotly pursued by the police.
who. after a desperate tussle. captured
them and brought them back in irons.
They were tried and hanged on Ellis
Island. The oldest policeman in the har-
Dor squad says that when Capt. Hart
would go forth to capture pirates. ne
would scour the Jersey coast lock those
caught 10 spiIes with Custom-house pad
locks and brass chains and on his re-
turn trip would collect the prisoners,
and row them to court. Then they would
be sentenced TO death. If murder could
be proved against them; otherwise, a sen
tence OF twenty years Imprisonment was
their fate.
In the year 1860 A pirate named
BLOODY Hicks. we'll known-te the po-
lice for his evil deeds, bearded a fishing
schooner. knitted sinsle-handed the cap
tain and crew of three hands. and es-
capped with the proceeds of the schooner's
proceeds. He fed for cover to New Jer-
sey. but the pursuit became so warm
that ne put to sea in ship named the
Chancellor. The police followed in
revenue cutter. and the man was seized
some distance from shore. He was
hanged on Bedloe's Island. One, OF the
most feared and hated gangs OF this per-
ioi was that formed b. Bull King,
who. with a choice collection OF cut
threats. made his rendezvous under a
pier at the foot OF Dover street This
place was furnished with Oriental rugs.
supplied with imported wines and liquors.
and fitted with ships furniture-every
article the proceeds Of some past raid.
The lair was stocked with booty stored
to be disposed of as opportunity offered.
II was lighted Eith brass lamps stolen
from ocean steamers. The inmates OF
this den gave the police any amount Of
trouble one OF their number Il was
thought. shot & wa lehman in cold blood.
who resisted him when he sought TO steal
property. and the whole gang on one
occasion boarded schooner In the har-
Dor. held captain and crew az the point
OF the cargo they would carry away. Fin
ally a woman informed the police OF the
location OF this der. Il was rasded. and
after a hot battle. vherin eutls<ses ard
pistols were used By both slider. Bell
King and his men were taken He vas
sentenced 20 twenty years imprisonment.
Until lssa the police worked in barges
Then the Deer. the frs. police steamer
was procured. Capt Hart ard his sue
oessor both chased pirates n tsls steam
er. but :. was found. ard the pirates soon
took advantage % ths fact, that she drew
so much water. that sire was unable 20
run Into shoal depths after the mar
auders. SO the Metropolitan. an iron
steamer with q drsught Of but three