The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-14

. recruiting headquarters fer crime, ana
about the worst place in the woriA-1 ex-
cept neither London nor Parts-fof DOWN
right depravity.
'This game Of teaching girls thisvery II
dead easy. It's only q question Of . few
dollars worth OF fine clothes. Q ribbon Or
two and q bit of cheap 1ewelry. ana the
thing II done. The older girls, each repre-
senting some criminal. haunt their big hats
and gay dresses. and tell the poor little
things Of the good times they have; how the
boys adore them and are ready to cough up
silk dresses and gold watches By the buck
etful
.'If they keep their mouths shut and obsy
they'll have dresses to burn and win live
Ike sports. This catches the BUTTERFLIES. and
In few weeks they are trying to Guido the
older Giris in feats Of crime. The one who
brings home the most wealth il tbs envy Of
her companions"
Besides these special criminals there are
others. Among them are dog thieves. opsr-
ating In rich uptown districts, perhaps
spending days for a chance to steal q val
liable blooded dog. Not long aSo $1,000
English bulldog was recaptured from one
of these men. Thieves watch along the
water front and follow wagons loaded with
merchandise lust landed from shipA They
shadow the team like coyotes, and when
the driver stops for beer or . sandwich
thsy axjvo away. and hours later the horses
are found on the other side Of the town.
the wagon empty and the goods gone.
This district has been dark problem for
students Of sociology and overcrowded tene-
ments. Charles Lee. of the police, with an
extraordinary grasp on the situation gives
an interesting account Of tho evolution
through which the district has passed since
Its was Colonel Rutgers's farm and his big
manor house was the pride of the town.
Ia hnt chfof ~ nd
wretchedness on the East Side Is the hor-
rible tenement-house system
The WORT feature Of tho degrading tone
ment house life on the lower East Side II
the herdinR together Of the good and the
bad. forcing the children of decent house.
juvenile pickpockets and street gamin.
TN one apartment" says Mr.. Lee, ''ths
floors are so clean. the housekeeping 20
good and the people 30 respectable that one
would be willing to live there: but right
across tho hallway are the lowest Of crea-
in its lowest and most shocking stages Of
dopravity. herded together like beasts. and
living the life of the lowest Sums"
STORY OF A BOY.
OF course there are exceptions. M. Lee
told pathetic story of boy whose father
port Of the family, with blind brother
who could not see nor walk. They lived
ina Hamilton street over a saloon, ths
et1ezvous Of thieves and murderers.
The mother worked in an uptown hotel.
while the boy went to school. working
and evenings In the saloon, wash
Ing glasses, cleaning the floor and running
errands for an hour or two each day. In
the saloon the boy heard nothing but
thieves slang and the horrible details Of
crime. Returning from school he again
worked In the saloon until nearly bedtime.
t-Iu = h~IR
At school he tried to forget the fearful
things he heard night and morning among
the thieves congregated In the saloon.
One day he answered an advertisement for
a boy in Wall street and got the position.
1t was small. but he gave satisfaction, and
from Office boy he finally became 4 book
keeper. and to-day is a well-known broker
whose name apears in the newspapers from
time to time as man Of business integrity
and successful management.
He rides in an automobile. and visits his
mother in the fine house he has given her
in Westchester county. somewhere over
looking the Sound. OF course this Is an
exception, but 1t is vouched for as gospel
truth by one Of the oldest policemen In the
precinct.
WHY IT WAS REMOVED.
One OF the efforts at reform was the e.
Enlistment Of the Hamilton Athletic Club
by the Sea and Land Church. 1t II
said that the recent killing of Billy Nc
Mahon by Shea was to get even for being
blackballed at the club. AS he boosted Of
past crimes and of similar ones to come. he
was not wanted.
1t is also said that the club was mis-
used and made rendezvous for thieves:
and finally the church persuaded to move
the club elsewhere Captain William r.
Hodgins. recently OF the fremont precinct.
says he has made Hamilton street a special
post with men detailed for duty there day
and night, and he expects to make tbs dis
trict quiet and Respectable.