New-York tribune., 1903-02-16
SHEA 4TSHOPS VIDE OPEN.
East Side Streets rs Busy as on
Week Days.
NEW CAPTAIN CALLS MEN "GRAF FTERS.

When Police Commissioner Greene transferred
Captain Francis A Creamer from the Madison-st.
nrecinct to the unimportant command at Fort Ham
ilton. the orthodox Jews. who observe Saturday as
choir Sabbath felt assured that they would not be
-,o,ested f the police if they worked thereafter at
rheir trades on Sunday. That such feeling OF
assurance was not altogether an error was shown
Yesterday the first Sunday Captain William H.
Hodgins who promoted on Friday, was IN
command of the precinct.
In spite of the fact that Commissioner Greene
visited the Madison-st. station during the after
noon and had talk of some three-quarters OF an
hour with the captain the district, in so far
as the Sunday closing laws were concerned, was
wide open all day long From all sides were TO be
seen evidences OF this condition, and all through
the precinct there was bustlinS business activity
that scarcely is exceeded on any week day From
the big six and seven story buildings that line both
sides Of Birmngham-st and are the homes of the
principal aweatshop industries OF the East Side.
there al day long the buzzing of scores Of
sewing machines and the thump of the tailor s
goose. All along East Broadway, through Monroe
and Madison SITS. and in Rutgers-st- the same con-
ditions prevailed The big buildings were lighted
throughout the day cloudy. and there were
everywhere all indications of a busy working day.
Among the small tradesmen one seemed to be
afraid. Grocery stores butcher stores, delcatesseu
stores with wide open front doors with
proprietors inside and busy selling TO customers.
Manufacturers of cheap soda water and various
sorts of mineral water, who have their little
places Of business in the Easements of the tene-
ment houses. were all busy and all day long could
be heard the pop OF the small machine used in
ccrking the bottles after they filled. Every
now and then trucks drove up in front of these
places and were loaded with crates of soda water
and driven away. Clothing stores did a good day S
business the vcndcrs OF fruits and vegetables
pushed their unwieldy about ;he precinct and
cried their wares just the any weekday.
When Commissioner ,Ireanc transferred Captain
Creamer who had been quite active in keeping
the stores and business houses or the district
closed. he sent him q letter, IN which he said:
Your arrest of men working at sewing machines,
without making inquiry to ascertain the facts re-
ferred to in Section 264 of the Penal Code, shows
of Judgment your part
The excise law seemed to be pretty well entorced
throughout the district.
II also leaked yesterday that Captain ffod-
to his patrolmen. None of them like the new or
der Of things. and several emphatic in their
protests when they felt they could talk without
fear of their words being carried back to the cap
tain.
He told US" said ono who would not allow
his be used. that he wouldn't stand for
any grating He said he'd overlook d good many
things. but that. He told all a
bunch of 'grafters and said he wouldn't stand for
it any more He gave long talk when We
were turned out. He said that II wouldn't take
him two weeks TO get acquainted with the precinct
and declared that he'd out and take walk
around and see how things were running. Then
he told time that he had been out, and
| that he had had TO look for an hour and a nan
| before he could find n cop Now. | don't believe
that: I guess he wasn't looking very hard. And
nobody likes TO he called CRATER
| From what of the post had to say
| there is a good deal of feeling among the non
Jewish element in the precinct against the open
/ order of the district.