The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-02
BLACK HOOD DEN CLEANS UP.
MRS. WOOD EXPECTS TROUBLE IN
her 2 CENT WOHEN'S HOTEL.

Health Omeers In the wake Of the Cop
Weird Feminine wrecks Rise From
the Bawdust 20 BeG the Price-Ca
Yen Ilame Them? Asks Mrs. Wood
Mrs Annie Wood had busy day yester
day in her two cent lodging house 70
women down on James Slip. Saturda!
night tho police OF the Oak street station
swept down on her. They routed ok
women in greasy black bombazine from
their burrows under greasy hunks; the!
woke half a dozen 'black hoods from |
berry sleep on the sawdust OF the mai
floor. Fourteen old women. the wreck
Of long lives more or less respectable, wer
bundled into the wagon. From the Wagon
they went 10 court and from court 70 tn
Island. Mrs. Wood knows from old ex-
peFience that after the police come healtl
officials, mbddlesome people with high
faiItin ideas about dirt piles In the cornell
and lodgings on the floor. So all day shC
worked with a shovel and a pail Of soap,
slyds, clearing out corners and scrubbinp
ddtn stairs.
The police say that her house is dump
for women panhand ers; the home OF the
black hoods those ODD and harness
women who panhandle the poor of Cherry
Hin and the Ghetto for pennies and nickels
Mrs. Wood says that she keeps only re-
spectacle working women, and that the
ways Of the police are a shame.
mo, not a look widin, darHn' said Mrs.
Wood, swapping the soapsuds on her
arms. "The poor old bodies is tired, an
the place Is tore up like. Come tomorrow,
that's a good child.
"BegRars? The saints hear me, an this
tho day Of the Holy Vrgin-now We wudn't
be pushin' by an old woman and We the
fine, handsome young man we are, the
Lord bless ye an spare We 10 yer motherl
Two sons I've buried, an one was as hand
somB a young man as ye are, not COM
paTin' ye 20 the dead We wudn't be
builyin an old woman, that's a bye
@Beggars! The devil fly away wild the
tongue Of the dirty Judge that said it.
There's old Mary now, blind this ten year.
Why wud she be begin an her dhrawin'
a pensionf IT'S true she walks out some
times wild the dog leadn' her. If a good
body slips her dime d ye call that begin?
An II a lady slips a bit o. money TO Ellen,
that can't scrub wild the pain in her back
these three years. is II Begin We call II?
Three months on the Island for Katie
MoGloyn. an she wild a baby! An what
I'm TO do wild it, win ye tell me-
Take it to Father Curry says Foley.
Father Curry, says I. an wild all them
pieces In the paper about me house,
The wailing Of child came down from
the upper floor, mixed with the cracked
voice Of an old woman. Mrs. Wood held
up one Of her soapy hands
Awake aginl' she explained, 'an' no.
body wild her but old Crazy Jennie. Now
90 away, that's a fine handsome lad, an
don't be bOtber'n an old woman'-and
MrS. Wood, with speed surprising, con-
sidering her white hair, stamped UP the
steps.
4 nniso Of bra Wing arose from the ground
nopr room. originally a store, which stands
TO the right OF the hail. A door bobbed
open, and q witch in rusty black shufled
out h q mans congress shoes, mumbling
her 6unlren lips. A wisp OF gray hair hung
over one bleary eye, and she was swim ging
sThe Lord bless YET she croaked. sonly
q nickel for a poor body that don't know
how shen eat the night. The Lord
bios yel'
Two faces, white. scanned. framed
n struggling gray hair, popped out Of the
doorway. Behind them burned one gas
Jet for ths curtains were drawn and nailed
dght 30 shut of the view from the street.
The floor was covered ankle deep with
dirty BaWdust, nodded into humps and
seams from the dodgers Of this night be-
fore. On a bench under the window were
tive bunohes Of black rags, sound asleep.
The rosktng walls, plastered here and there
with = picture from a Sunday paper OF a
cheap, rel gious print, were obscured by
the steam from an iron kettle, which had
just been Get on the table. Six hays were
speafinG ~ Il with forks or reaching Nth
thqir fingers. One, the withered creature
had taken her share on tin plate. launched
over 1t on the floor, she was mumblinE
q bone like 6n animal. Hanging close TO
the pot was bag somewhat younger than
the resi- Her hands, as she hshed In the
stew, were withered but small and white,
and on either cheek was a touch Of rouge.
For q eeoond, at the sight of a strange
man Of the other world, they sat staring
with bleary eyes.
"A copl1 .oackled the bag on the floor.
And then they lifted up their voices and
walled all together.
NO, I'm not O. COP said the reporter.
The bag on The floor cTawled up close
and began 70 fondle his arms.
"A fine, handsome young man We are
shs said, Fan ye wlIdn't be gr1idgin' a dime
or q quarter maybe Just Tor a dhrop o.
Another figure and another shufied up
TO the doorway.
Only a dime, an God bless vel"
For q poor old woman that was cook 10
the Astors for seven years.
tie such c fine, handsome young man
We arr
Something like a cyclone struck the door.
IL was Mrs. Wood, hourishlnR a mop
'Ie foureyed, monkeyfaCed divvlsi' she
shrieked. Didn't l tell ye 20 DO goin'
away wid yel-
Then, AZ Mrs Woods eye swept over
her dodgers sCurrying back 70 the pot,
and as she OWNED what they had been
doing she grew wheeling again.
ute only when they've had a dhrop too
much that they ask, she said. AN oud
ye blame 'em Tor tatin' a dhrop after the
cops breakin' in an scaTin' the poor old
bodioaf Now run away an don't be
botheTin'. that's a fine, handsome ladls
Cooked for the Astors seven years-
seven, years. croaked the wreck on the
sGWdust, az Mira Wood slammed the door.
NO MAY DAY PARADE AT MILAN.