The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-05
RATTLE WITH BOWTRY TOUGHO
VoyK EASTMAN FOLLOWERS AND
COPS IN NOT FUSILLADE.

snap Merrily, but No One IL wounded
Clubs TrumpS--sinS Sing for TIVE,
runto the neck Of cussedness and liquor.
kettle Joe Brown and Six Fingered Muir
nv swaggered out Of the Bowery yester-
Az morning keen for trouble. Ever since
Wonk Eastman was sent TO Sing Sing for
. ling term, Kettle Joe has been the boss OF
Monks gang Of gun fighters and East Side
bullIes and Six Fingered Murphy has been
~ yipht hand man in all the ginmill fights
md pistol battles with the Paul Kelly gang.
Esttle Joe had Just been let out OF Black
ellis Island after an eight months sem
tsnoe and his thirst and bottled up deviltry
troubled him sorely.
Bv midnight Wednesday they had spent
every cent they could graft In the Bowery
nv panhandling and by forced contTibu-
buttons from the rank and file. Then they
we're kicked out Of Ave cent whisky joint
nsar Chatham SouaT D.. Six Fingered Murphy
caused that by doing stunts In a game OF
nlnocle that the barkeep didn't approve
N Mr. Murphy earned his descriptive
title by his facility in these lines. but he
Lacks discretion when in drink, an discre-
ton along the Bowery is highly thought Of.
The two wandered up the thoroughfare
IN An ugly temper, feeling their guns, cheap
shlny guns got at a pawnshop on Wednes-
day at very reduced rates. They shambled
into a grimy little saloon at Third avenue
and Thirteenth street, where tough boys
r,ay pool at two and a half cents a cue.
Kettle Joe and Murphy strolled up TO the
bar. rested their guns gently on the berry
surface, each muzzle nicely on line with
the bartender's stomach.
The gentleman blanched and asked
them what they would have several times
IN rspid succession. Mr.. Brown and Mr..
Murphy took whisky, four fingers OF It,
At every invitation. Upstairs dozen
Young fellows were playing pool. Kettle
Joe and his pal went through them neatly
and e1peditiously, losing their temper only
once or twice. Once they beat a young
man In the face with the butt Of a pistol,
having It not much Of a face TO look at.
once they showed another tough kid to the
window and made him jump 10 the street,
two stories below. The raid was profit
able. The pockets Of Mr.. Brown and Mr.,
Murphy we're heavy with small silver and
copper when they got TO another ginmill
1t Fourteenth street and Fourth avenue.
There, they didn't care to spend their
money; there was no need for such foolish
e1travagance. The barkeep was polishing
the mirror. He heard Mr.. Browns cackle
Of a laugh and Mr.. Murphy's profane order:
He wheeled and looked nervously into
two little black holes. He was very hos
pitable on the house. There was crowd
n the room upstairs, men playing pool
and a woman OF two. By that time Kettle
Joe and Six Fingers we're very nasty. lhey
~ nd ho mi
over the head in the face, crushing fingers
and now and then kicking somebody in
the stomach. II was very amusing, and
their good nature returned with the spot
Of II. They didn't neglect to make a col
lection Of what small change there was
MesnWhile one Of the battered victims
Of the Bowery jokers had telephoned Police
Headquarters. Headquarters told the Fifth
street station that hell had busted again
and TO please get men up to Fourteenth
street quick Detectives Moore and Butler
went that way on the dead run. They met
Detective Reardon Of 7Jerome's stan, who
vent along for the fun OF It.. few blocks
up there was a string Of bloody nosed young
want 20 tell the detectives what had hap
pened. They had learned by sad exper-
lence that the gang will beat the life out OF
an informer sooner OF later. The detectives
managed to get an idea OF the situation and
Of who the bad men were.
As they got near Fourteenth street and
Second avenue the door Of saloon swung
open and half dozen men ran out, sprint
ing into the darkness like scared rabbits.
There was pistol shot inside and the crash
Of breaking glassware. The door opened
again, slowly. Mr.. Brown and Mr.. Murphy
stepped out laughing and waving their
shiny guns. They saw the detectives
coming on the run and they obeyed the
crooks first instinct, fight. Up Second
avenue they ran, ng5ag fashion; fearing
the detectives would shoot. Reardon,
who is something OF a Splinter, took the
west side Of the block and beat them TO
Fifteenth street. As they started TO cross
they saw him, stopped and dropped be-
hind q row Of ash cans standing In front
Of q tenement.
RAardon on one side and Moore and
Butler on the other called on Kettle Joe
and Six Fingers 20 surrender and got bull
lets for reply. One shot Whiz1ed 30 close
to Reardon that he ducked instnctively,
but the others went wide. Then the de-
tectves pulled their guns and returned
the fire. II wasn't much use, because the
light was bad and Mr. Brown and Mr..
Murphy exposed mighty little Of their
anatomy. Lead pellets tipped and pinged
AGAINST the sheetiron cans and caromed
on with ugly whirrings.
In ten seconds after the first shot win.
dovs along the block few up and heads
popped out. Lovers Of scraps tumbled
into the street and viewed the battle from
behind stoops and in area ways, lying
nat on their stomachs. In some way
The news Of the trouble had got TO the
Bowery already, and members Of the gang
came on the run. Naturally many Of these
bad shiny guns and II wasn't very long
before more bullets were flying than could
be accounted for by the pistols OF Mr.. Brown,
Mr.. Murphy and the three detectives.
Just then six patrolmen numbered up,
but they hesitated 20 butt in. Il wasn't
healthy. They circled around revolvers
IN hand until Kettle Joe and Six Fingers
yelled that they had enough and were will
ing 70 be taken. Then the blueooats closed,
while the detectives held back, watching
bunch who had come 10 reinforce Mr..
Brown and Mr.. Murphy. The first cop
that got within real ching distance Of the
crooks behind the ash barrel got a stunning
smash in the face with the butt Of pistol.
He went down with a scalp wound. The
Policemen rushed and closod with the
whisky mad pair and the fighters rolled
and tumbled over the ash cans. The
crooks from the Bowery began to close in
TOO, edging in behind the cops. The de-
tectives were afraid 10 shoot for fear OF
hitting policeman. The situation was
pretty bad right there.
Then came the clang Of patrol wagons
nell from around the corner, sounding