New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-03

more important than might be imagined For them
Il was a training school, and IN the nightly battles
Of gangs IN the robberes, assaults and muir
ders OF their organization, for power or pIundeT'
the boys learned their lessons
How the youth OF those days regarded the spirit
ual side OF life IS shown by story told by the late
Charles Loring Brace. Sunday school teacher
who was trying 10 explain TO his charges. children
OF the streets, the idea OF divine WAtchfu!ness'
asked among other questions:
MY dear boys. when your father and mother for
sake YOU who will take YOU up
The purlice." was the answering chorus.
OF the brutality and the roughness Of the street
boy OF his own Mr.. Brace gave many striking
instances Daylight robberies were among the com
rnonest OF offences. and not infrequently murder
accompanied the robbery. Two exploits or The
famous Nineteenth-st. gang, which terrorized the
section OF the city just south Of Twenty thlrdst.
between Seventh and Tenth aves illustrate the
spirit that prevailed Within a brief period two
old men. who walking along the street in the
daytime were set upon by boy desperadoes In
both instances the old men killed. In one the
boy who committed the crime was captured and
executed IN the other three boys were arrested.
but managed to escape punishment. For months
people avoided these streets and the fame Of the
gang filed the press.
Then as IN every period Of history OF New-York
since the uptown movement began. the East Side,
lying about the foot Of the Bowery. was the seat
OF the most powerful and dangerous Of the gangs
Here we're the Whyos and by the Cherry Hill
ruf1ians. The slungshot and the garrote were used
indiscr rninately and day and night alike were
times Of danger. Early in the history OF boys
lodging houses the East Side gangs showed their
hand. Two different superintendent were driven
from one lodging house in a single night, after
being robbed OF all their possessions. and third
was uncereuoniously hustled into the street after
a thorough examination OF MS pockets. This was
the region in which the hold-up hourished. Boys
hunted in pairs and trios. Whenever n promising
pedestrian passed one Of the boys would sneak up
behind him and suddenly pinon his hands. The
second would rob him systematically, and then the
would knock him down and make their escape,
leaving their victim nsensibe dead in the street
Aa old patrolman who had beat through
a district near the Battery terrorized by OF
these gangs IN telling OF his experiences said yes
terday
Were the boys rough? 1 guess I can prove IT.
Bending over. he placed his hand his head and
displayed well defined scar. That's what got
the first night was on post Some of the Battery
gang-boys under hfteen-sent their compliments
in the shape a brick that put out OF business.
They did up another COD right side Of ne. Those
were days OF excitement for US. and they did up
cops right and left IN them days the gang around
the Battery made their living Of the market
wagons. which they pundered.
"AIl the meat wagons from the washington Mar
ket drove through and boys used to hitch rope
10 a lamp post and put hook on the free end
AS a wagon by they would attract the drivers
into leg OF lamb OF course. the meat came off,
and II the driver it and chase they lodged
into . xaloon- Il the driver followed Il was