The sun., 1903-11-05
BOYS TEAR DOWN OLD HOUSE.
USED 1T TO MAKE AN ELECTION
NIGHT BONFIRE.
Police Could Not stop Horde OF Youngsters
Destruction or an Old, but Not
Esteemed, Relic OF SQuattcr S0ver.
eighty In jackson Hollow, Brooklyn

The last relic Of the old squatter days
Of the jackson Hollow section of Brook
lyn, picturesque shanty on Emerson
place, near De Kalb avenue, succumbed
to the raid OF a gang Of smsll boys in search
Of material for bonflres on election night.
The police of the Classon avenue st tation
made heroic effort t. save the old place.
and for two hours fought the raiders with
their nightsticks, but the boys were too
much for them. and finally got away with
the fences around the building, the front
stoop and the front and back outside shell,
leaving only the framework, which wasn't
taken, because the beams were 70 firmly
fastened together that the youngsters
couldp't tear them apart.
The jackson Hollow district of Brook
lyn has been made into quite respectable
residential section in late years but the prop
erty of some of the descendants of the
squatters has not been for sale. No amount
of money will induce some of these people
to give up their forlorn old places, which
have naturally become eyesores to the
newcomers. One of the most obstinate
Of these owners was an old woman who
occupied this house until about two months
ago, when she accidentally upset a kerosene
lamp and was burned to death. It was
great disappoint ment to the neighbors
that the old house didn't burn, too, but
the firenen explained that the old place
was too dirty, 10 burma theory, by the
way. which the boys had no trouble in
disproving on Tuesday night.
The house was two-story affair which
originally had been mere shack but
which had been increased in size and
solidity as the squatter family occupy
ing 1t prospered. Every effort to get the
old woman to sell the property failed.
- s,H
real estate owners in the neighborhoou,
were unable TO secure it.
The boys had evidently marked the
old place for destruction early in the
day and the night attack was carefully
planned, Al about Q O'Clock fifty young
twinklng they had torn away the fence.
Next the front stoop was carried away
and dumped into the blazing pile further
up the block. Then the lads got to work
at the front of the house. They hauled
the planking out in strips and were having
a gay time when the police reserves came
on run. The policemen formed in front
OF the old building and thought they were
protecting il when shouts of derision from
the rear, followed by crash as the whole
back wall Of the place came out at once,
convinced them that the youngsters had
rear, leaving small guard in front The
boys ended the guard, got into the house
and threw ont sections of the floors and
walls.
The policemen ragged and swore, aimed
vicious blows at the boys with their clubs,
tore their uniforms and barked their shins
trying TO follow them about the old house,
but were absolutely, unable to stop the
work OF destruction, There were some
thing Like l5O boys at the old house at one
time and they Just laughed at the policemen.
By midnight everything that could be torn
away had been lugged off and burned
The policemen admitted defeat and went
back to the~station house TO report The
little remaining of the building will have
to be torn down. 1t will remove an old
landmark. but the neighborhood will see
it 20 with urconcealed joy.