The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-11-04

around table smoking Lnelr pipes,
and when we objected to the payment
of the bin these sailors got up from
their seats and formed a circle around
as. and declared positively that ten
dollars was less than the customary
price and that the haclzman must he
paid for his services.
We realized that we were in trap
and consented to pay the price but
first suggested that If il we're a hotel
we wanted to register and secure a
room.
5oIted Out.
While the clerk was hunting around
for a register and the hackman aad
his friends were of their guard we
bOlted for the door and ran up the
street as fast as our legs could carry
US, not forgetting, however, 70 re-
member the number Of the building
In New York IN those days there
was a drug store on nearly every cor
ner and they were kept open all
night
We entered one Of these stores
about two blocks away and told the
clerk our tale Of woe. He took no
interest in the relation of the story
whatever. He did not say either yea
or nay. But there happened to be a
fireman In uniform standing near and
he told us that he had experienced
the same treatment when he first
landed in New York years before. He
said that the place where we had
been taken was a sailors boarding
house and had the reputation Of being
the vilest place IN the city; that If we
had remained there all night we
would probably have been murdered,
and certainly would have been robbed
During the coarse of conversation
the fireman asked us if we had left
1 our money i'm the trunk OF not, and
for fear that we had already been rob
bed we pulled out our pOcketbOOk and
showed &c to him.
The thought instantly occurred to
Us that we had blundered.
Friends in Need.
The fireman told us that the ser
keant at the nearest police headQuar-
/ tiers was a friend of his. that he would
20 with us there and have the ser
geaut detail a squad of policemen 70
20 with us to the sailors boarding
house, get the trunk and have It TAX
I en- 10 a hotel where We could stay all
night
The thought occurred to us that TO
90 tramping alone through the streets
Iof a great city with an entire stranger
al midnight and he a Hercules in
strength and knowing that we had
rather a large sum Of money on our
4 person, was almost like jumping from
the frying pan into the FIRE.
But we thanked our new found
friend sincerely for his kindness and
accepted his proposition to so with
him to police headquarters.
He proved true blue; every word
he said was true; the sergeant was
his friend and manifested extreme in
terest in the case. and confirmed the
ireman's story of the awful reputa-
ton the sailors boarding house bore
and said that some awful crimes had
/ been enacted there.
Al SQUAD of policemen were detail
ed to 60 and rescue the trunk. and
F the faithful fireman accompanied
them.
We found the trunk In the middle
OF the floor and searched the house
from top to bottom. but not a soul
could be found It was was absolutely
+ deserted.
The trunk was taken to the Court
land street hotel and the fireman and
I policemen spurned the offer Of pay.
Many times afterwards we crossed
the Jersey City ferry at the same
hour Of the night in an effort to spot
: our man. but we were never again
4 approached BIZ a hackman.
The green" had been worn Of
4 that is one of the inevitable effects of
4 living In a city.