The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-31
TOUGHEST I'VE.
N HEN YORK
Hamlin Street, Row of DenS
of Thieves
POLICE ARE HELPLESS
Children Born and Raised to
the Trade


York Herald. 1t runs from Catharine to
Market street, between Monroe and Cher
~ streets. The recent murder of Billy
Mcmahon there and the vanishing Of
Paddy Shea, his slayer, brings the
street before the public, and with it a
serious problem of suppressing crime in
the overcrowded tenement districts
That whole section of the city, except a
/, small street, has changed as by magic in
a few years. Hamilton, Cherry, Water,
Catherine, James and a few others con-
tain about all that is left Of the Hook
gang and the Cherry Hill desperadoes.
but they still cling TO their old haunts
like rats, ard in these streets are con-
densed enough criminals 10 populate a
western state.
Every kind of criminal is at homo
here" said Detective MeEyoy yesterday.
You can find anything you read of from
murderers to safe burglars and highway
robbers. The criminal is intrenched with
his pals and hackers here. Even so called
honest citizens OF Industrious habits prac-
tically stand in with the gang when the
police go searching for evidence and at
tempt to make an arrest.
The street says: I'VE can settle our
own affairs in our own way. Let the po-
lice keep away from us. 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. 1t explains why every
IN
hiding Talk about your Fagins and
schools of vice! The street is full Of
such places Boys and girls know moth
ing but crime. They hear Of it 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 themselves they
work for the gang as decoys-bait to en-
trap strangers for robbery.
AT the age of ten or twelve they are
graduated as expert thieves, and crime
becomes a part of their existence. Ham
Iton street is the home of the petty shop
lifters who work in the big stores on the
avenues-pIaying the modest maiden in
search of bargains. stealing silks and
tewelry from counters, or picking pock-
> cts of customers, whom they follow from
the stores.
These girls swarm the town, making
the acquaintance of strangers. If the man
is rich and difficult to work they decot
him 10 some saloon and leave the gang
to finish him. After a nights work
elong Broadway and Sixth avenue the
girls return to Hamilton street and dis
appear
BOYS are also used as stool pigeons
In various ways. If a sailor of a country
merchant appears along the water front
intoxicated. the boys jab him with sticks.
Naturally 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 dozen
men of the neighborhood saw it they
wouldn't say a word.
Criminals are like other people-they
must have women and society," and they
soon corrupt young women. The district
Is a recruiting station for crime, and
about the worst place in the world
except neither London nor Paris-for
downright depravity-
This game of teaching girls thievery is
dead easy. It's only question of a few
dollars worth of fine clothes. a ribbon or
two and bit of cheap jewelry. and the
thing is done. The older girls each rep
resenting some criminal flaunt their bis
hats and gay dresses and tell the poor
little things they have how the boys
adore them and are ready to cough up
silk dresses and gold watches by the
bucketfuI
If they keep their mouths shut and
obey they'll have dresses to burn and
viii live like sports. This catches the
butterflies, and in a few weeks they are
tryins 20 Guido the older girls in feats of
crime. The one who brings home the
most wealth is the envy OF her COM
panions.
Besides these special criminals. there
are others. Among them are dog thieves
operating in rich uptown districts. per
haps spending days for a chance to
steal valuable blooded dog. Not long
ago a thousand-dollar bulldog was re-
captured from one OF these men. Thieves
watch along the water front and follow
wagons loaded with merchandise just
landed from ships. They shadow the
team like coyotes and when the driver
stops for beer or a sandwich they drive
away and hours later the horses are
wagon empty and the goods gone.
This district has been q dark problem
for students Of sociology and overcrowded
tenements- Charles Lee. OF the police.
with an extraordinary grasp on the stu
alton on the east side and who looks
and talks very much like the late Father
McGlynn and is a natural orator. gives
an interesting account Of the evolutions
through which the district has passed
since It was Col. Rutgers farm and his
big manor house was the pride or the
town He SAYS that the chief cause Of
crime and Indebtedness on the east side
is the horrible tenementsvstem.
The worst feature Of the degrading
tenement house life on the lower east
side is the herding together Of the good
and the bad. forcing the children OF de-
cent households to mingle with young
vagahonds. Juvenile pickpockets and
street gan1in
In one apartment" SAYS Mr.. Lee. the
floors are SO clean. the housekeeping so
good and the people so respectable that
one would be willing 10 live there: but
right across the hallway are the lowest
Of creation ickpoolets and criminals
humanity in IFS lowest and most shock
: ing STAGES Of depravity herded together
IKE beasts. and living the life Of the
lowest slums"
OF course there are exceptions. Mr..
Lee told pathetic story of a boy whose
father had died leaving his mother the