The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-16
The $3.50 FUNERAL OF RIXIE.
GREATEST EVENT ny FAR IN OLD
TENDERLOINERS CAREER.

q Hacks Behind Flower Dccked Comm
Flowers Got by Passing Hat In Dance
Hall-HaclIs Full Of Girls VINO were
Up Al NiEht-TTlbute TO Good Nature.
Ri1ie was not the wickedest man in New
York He was merely one Of the best
natured. By the Tenderloin he had lived,
and when II became time It was by the
Tenderloin that he was buried. The large
hlondined lady who came down to Moloney's
undertaking shop in First avenue and said
that she wanted to pay for his funeral told
the undertaken that Mxie was "a cabman. >
He wasn't. His place in the life Of all
night New York was much humber.
But perhaps the stout lady Of the diamonds
thought the dignity Of cabman might
better become the funeral which she ordered
for him. 1t was no SLOUGH Of funeral
She laid down $40 in hard cash on Mr.
Moloney's desk when the arrangements
were completed,
Some folks say that Rixie's real name
was Weeks, Dick Weeks but nobody
knows, and by to-day nobody will care.
No one ever heard him say much more Of
himself than that he was born in this city
and that he hoped TO die herr. He had his
wish. He died a pauper in Bellevue. He
went TO his grave followed by six hacks
full Of hGckdrivers and young women who
Rad stayed up all night after the drinking
PLACES and dance halls had closed in order
20 20 out to Cedar Grove Cemetery. There
was no religious ceremony, either at the
undetaker's or at the cemetery. There
wasn't anybody there who had said any
PRAYERS for long. long time.
Rixie was a bricklayer once. There is
a girl In the Haymarket who remembers
when she used to take her dads lunch
Gown to him when R&ie worked on the
same lob. RiXie always scolded the girls
dad because he didn't give the little girl
a bite Of his pie as a reward for bringing
the lunch. There were things RiNie liked
better than work. One Of them was rum
lie couldn't lay brick to the satisfaction
Of The boss and drink all the rum he wanted
az the same tirle so he gave up bncklaying
and took to tending furnaces.
His patrons were IN tie brOwnstone
houses west Of Broadway In the Fortles'
He couldn't work much anywhere else
not only because Of his unst Gadiness but
hecause Of the cheerful and picturesque
language with which he filed the house
when he came and went on his labors,
But there was never a girl "ho was down
and out broke for whom HIKE wouldn't
carry watch TO the pawn shop, sconing
10 receive a cent FOR the favor. He would
run miles to find a cabman late in the morn
ing. II raid we're supp' sed TO he coming
he would stand On the corner all night TO
act as an outer sentinel
SO they said Of RiTie. in places where
real kindness is appreciated at lt5 highest
value -RiXie has good heart-he's good
ElOb"
lie became 40 highly appreciated that a
little more than year ago a woman who
wanted 10 better the good natured old
cot IN wit n AZ n
q rattlebone horse and rusty coupe and
started him as a nighthawk cabman. He
had always been so gpptlemanly with her
and the ladies' she said, that she want d
to do something for nun, but uxie was
30 full Of gratitude that he kept his cab right
In front Of the house all the time and spent
his hours inside, in the basement, telling
the colored maid what fine lady the mis-
tress Of the house was. making away with
left over drinks from upstairs the while.
Even when be was IRed TO get out on
his cab and take patron Of the estab-
lishment home he showed a great inability
10 keep his balance 80 far from the ground.
Most times, too, he drove aimlessly of
through the streets without any regard to
the directions Of his Passen ger, and he
frequently refused to collect his fare on
the ground that his services had been worse
than useless. Ri1ie's career as a cabman
lasted about six weeks.
He was quite useless as furnace shaker
too Of late. Fifty-fve years old and pre-
msturely inhrm, he driited down to the
chop suey and dance hall district. He had
q CHEEKY word for everybody and was
ALWAYS busy about other Peoples business.
He knew where every girl on the street
was and could always find her for an in
quirer. When he was not acting as a
travelling directory he hung around the
Haymarket corner and looked out for cabs
while the drivers went of 20 eat. drink,
the price Of a bowl Of soup or chop suey-
thgv were more than a n turn, in his esti-
nation, for the service he had rendered
Monday a week after he had faded from
the street, word came that he was dead in
Bellevue. Soon after that the large person
Of the diamonds and the yellow hair and
the authoritative manner appeared at
Moloney's and said that she had come to
eee 10 il that Rixie had 1an al right funeral"
She was willing 20 pay any reasonable
bill she said because though RiNie had
not got along well in tine world he always
meant well and tired 20 do well bv others
Late Tuesday night a dark haired girl
with a green Dr. ~, tho one whose father
Rad been a bTicklaysr on the same job with
the old man, walled into the Haymui ket
crying She borrowed a hat from a man
sitting back under the gallery and vent
around the room.
'Rixia's dead" she said, simply enough,
o. each table, 'and we're going TO send
some flowers
Il was the women who responded most
generously. Few OF the man know who
Eiyir was aud they looked askance at
= 2 contribution hat until they saw the
HJ,rality with which the women dropped
coins and even bills into IL. The coffin
wa nearly covered with flowers when the
li.te procession left Moloney's yesterday
morning