The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-11

could discover no other means Of get
ting past the obstacle. Not infreQuently
one would step on the body OF sleeper
not seen in the dark. But even that
did not seem 20 be sufficient to rouse
them. OF course. many Of this number
had gone to sleep stupehed by thu
amount OF beer they had consumed.
It was considerably past the midnight
hour when the round OF the houses had
been completed. Late as the hour was.
many groups We're still sitting about the
steps They eyed the party as it pass
ed, and occasionally some Of them would
mutter TO the others that the man in
plain clothes was the same one that had
been there earlier in the evening. and
they would speculate on the object OF
his visit
Just outside the c Street entrance we
passed party Of eleven Of the young
bucks. They were marching along in
silence. and sullenIy eyed the officers as
they slOuched past. They swung into
the entrance 70 the main alley without
d sound. but the trampMGg of their
feet The officers remarked that .hev
were specimens Of the sports who do
not nave TO work. Their LADY friends
/ IN the alley take in washing anu sup
port them in idIeness.
Members of the police force= say that
the alley is not a good place for a
stranger 70 visit without adequate pro-
lection. They believe it is better than
It was five years ago, but still consider
II the worst section Of the city. The
assault upon Officer Fletcher IS slIf1-
ciently recent to be fresh IN the public
mind. The fierce attack made IRON him
by the mob, and the riot preciuitated by
I the calling out Of he reserves Of the
Fourth
Is merely lying dormant
Many Crimes.
The records show that there IS not =
single crime on the calendar thar -
been overlooked by these lawbraa ka-s
During lS9S-99. when Detectives Cornv-aI
I and Bowers wele doing a trict- sg
roundsmen, they made thirty-nine ar
rests IN one night between the hours
OF and z On one raid occasfone5
oy general fight there were seventeen
prisoners piled into one patrol wagon.
Inc rear and respect that the officers
OF the precinct have drilled into the
minds Of the Willowites is their areats,-
! safeguard from assault ana 7,o-.,57,-
death When i sudden burst of furv
particularly infiames their constant h.
tired for representatives of the Law, e.
situation becomes critical Office Jack
son was attacked one night by a si7qIa
DUCK, and, wishing to avoid the use
OF MS baton or revolver. closed in t,-,,,,
nm and threw him 10 the ground. The
negro was large and powerful and
struggled fercely. During the scrir,-
mage he managed to reach hack ava
6,1+ -,,-Si. nsoiI revolver, and slowly
cure an aim al the DOIfceman's bee5
= 49, Llsth, passing through. saw tha
reloEe IN IIne the grlb HIS hand and
tuiSt II 10 the ground. 1t was uOs M IN
ne mad ground the hand into the nave
ment with the heel Of his sh0a that ~
h Ls gro cropped the revolver and allowed
himself to be taken
Ordinary penalties do not alarm these
inhabitants Of the underworld of WASH
lneton To serve time is no disgrace II,
their scheme OF existence. Fifteen dos
Is called sleeping time" by them. Tbir-
" days Is resting time" Longer terms
are simply called time" They have
some dread for long sentences. After
several months they pine for lfherfV-
and their former vretched lives II
was by the use Of extreme penalties thar
Louise Alley was cleaned out The ma
tority of the inhabitants OF that court
are now Italians. who give the police
little or no trouble.
Helped by Long Terms.
Long term sentences are helping the
situation in Willow Tree Alley. The
WORST characters nave been removed in
this way. One of those who have pass
ed on from local ken is Bud Walter. AS
clever n second-story man as there has
ever been IN Washington. He was mar
ried to white girl called Mamie Nor
beck. who lived I'm the alley with him.
At the age Of thirty-six years, he had
served nineteen years in various jails
and peniteutiarieS, allowing for time or
because of good behavior.
1t must be understood that all the
alleys about South Washington are not
as bad as Willow Tree. The police have
done all they could to alleviate the situ-
alton, and in many places have accom-
plished marvelS As Major Sylvester
points out. you cannot help people who
refuse to be helped The paving of the
alleys Is excellent and the drainage first
class. There IS none OF the horrible
filth in the cutters 10 be found i'm some
OF the cities. The hOuses are compare
lively we'll built and kept. The squalid
furnishings and crowded filthy condition
are due TO the people themselves. Some
OF them make good wages but their
money is spent for beer or in other un-
necessary forms of what Chey consider
pleasure. AT the present rate of i'm
Trovement under the Police Department
Willow Tree and kindred alleys viii
soon have lost their ''toughncss."