The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-10
The DIVVLE IN PITT STREET.
SHRIEkS or A TORTURED SPIRIT
WAKE AL THAT SLEEP.
Pshawi Says Frau Swiss. the Friend Of the
EriendIess cat. IT'S hut MeIn bismarck
Come Back and I'D Like 10 KNOW
NhO Dropped Him Down the chimney.

yesterday morning a fearful noise broke
from the house which Frau Augusta Swiss
keeps at the corner Of Grand. II began
with a long wall and continued with a series
of short, high pitched screams, a racket
a. IL little devils had fed on something which
didn't agree with them and were seeking
vainly for their ~paregoric.
The waiting and yelling awoke the notables
of Pitt street N sent them with curses
to their windows. Old Solomon Ickelberg,
head Of the seedcake trust, leaned out OF
his window, grumbling, dropped his skull
cap into the street and called to Herr Pinkus
Mandelbaum, h%urrying past with Frau
Mandelbaum and their seven sons, to save
his precious koppel. Round little Mandel-
baum and his round sons padded past,
paying no attention to the magnate.
Counsellor Zeltner, up late tinkering with
the wirele - apparatus that gathers news
instantaneously from the whole East Side,
pressed button after button unavailingly.
There was no response because the morning
papers had quit business. A splitting and
sparkling from the machine that connects
with the Office of the Yonkers Statesman
detained the counsellor for a moment, but he
found that the machine was merely trying
to get out Of its system a joke of the States
mans funny man with which it had been
clogged up for several days. The counsel
lor, annoyed and excited, hurried out him.
self and tripped over the long robe of Herr
Ickelberg, who was headed toward the
corner.
The screaming and waking had awakened
the whole quarter, and there was a good
sized crowd in front Of Frau SWISS house
listening to the tale Of Isaac, the ragpicker,
when the Mandelbaums. old solomon and
the genius of the East Side Wireless News
Corporation got there. Isaac, the ragpicker.
told an alarming tale, a tale that was not
good to hear in the cold dawn On an empty
belly. He had been, he said, at work in
the cellar of Frau Swiss's house sorting
over Saturdays take Of old rags, shredding
them and picking the good wool from the
worthless shoddy, when the devils got to
fighting on the rooftop. First he heard a
blood curdling yell which frightened him
50 much that he cut his hand on the shred
ding machine.
Behold that hand. Herr Mandelbaum, -
said Isaac, "and see if | tell the whole truth: '
Herr Mandelbaum examined the hand,
swelling importantly, and pronounced II
devils work beyond a doutt. He advised
immediate application of the goosegrease
that old Rebka Shabboth keeps in her tiny
sup AtAA'A NV " - Al tAA~
sent his fifth son Immediately for a rabbi.
Isaac, the ragpicker, told how the yells
continued. how he a prayer ami
how, a little later, one devil peered In on
him from a coal hole leading 10 the areaway
IL was a devil with red eyes, black head
and a long red mustache, He was still
relating the details of his fearful experience
when Frau Sinde, who lives on the second
floor of Frau SWISS establishment, burst
out Of the front door in nightgown and
slippers, screaming
4Helfen sic mir! Der teufel ISIS loose by
my chimney"
Herr Mandelbaum being directly in the
way of Frau Sinde, she precipitated herself
on TO his round stomach and bounced off
like a rubber ball. &c rtainly, said Frau
Sinde, when she had become slightly
calmer, there were devils in the house.
She had been sleeping peacefully, except
for the snoring of Herr Sinde, when she was
startled by the same yell that disturbed
Isaac the ragpicker. She had tried 70
awaken Herr Sinde, but nothing, she said
ever disturbs him until he completes his
eight hours. What had happened 70 the
good man she did not know. He might
have been torn to pieces by the devils al
ready. Wouldn't the brave Herr Mandel-
baum go in and seef
Most decidedly the brave Herr Mandel-
baum would not. There wasn't a devil
from here to Harlem that he feared, but
there were to think of the frau and the
seven sons, was IL not? Wouldn't Herr
Ickelberg 20 in and see what had happened?
The head of the seedcake trust refused
gruffiy. Mandelbaum was a coward, but
he was not. He didn't believe il was a
devil, anyway. Perhaps il was key Edel-
stein quarrelling with his wife; they hadn't
been married long and it was likely. Why
should a man of substance interfere with
the amusements of the young? Counsellor
Zeltner was appealed to vainly. because the
frau OF the Blackstone of Pitt street was
clutChing him by his coattails and demand
ing that Herr Sinde be left to his fate.
There isn't a devil in Pitt street that
would touch Herr Sinde il they got a look
at him first, she said; Frau Slndes cowled
and was about to reply. What might have
happened then nobody knows, because the
stout h~ousekeeper, Fra Swiss, appeared
clutching at the neck of her voluminous
nightgown, rubbing her eyes and demand
ing what the trouble was that brought he
she laughed at them fearlessly. because
Frau Swiss fears nobody, not even the
loafer who kicks stray dogs or the tearded
fish pedlers who i'll treat cats.
You are fools and sheepheads, she said
scornfully. There isn't a man among
you. will go up myself"
They followed her, Mandelbaum keeping
close 10 Frau Mandelbaum, the others
treading heels, and old Ickelherg bringing
up the rear, pulling at his long beard. She
took them to Frau Sinde's fat, where Herr
Sinde was still snoring comfortably. Then
she called softly:
Bismarck! Bismarck! Katie! katzel"
From the chimney came again the sound
that frightened Pitt street, a wall and a
series Of frantic caterwauls.
Il knew it," said Frau Swiss. 1T il
Bismarck, meme liebe katie! ! heard his
calling while | slept, but | couldn't believe
it.. Who threw him dow the chimney
There was silence then while Frau Swiss
scanned them with a threatening eye. They
looked at each other sidewise TO zee If the
guilty one would reveal himself, and most
looked at Counsellor Zeltner, promoter OF
East Side wireless news. The counsellor
proved an alibi. IL was well that none
looked guilty, because Frau Swiss is fear
some when she is angry. Was it not the
good frau who, when the neighbors threat
ened trouble and declared they would
move II she did not give up the home and
hospital for sick and destitute cats that she
still maintains in the areaway of 400 Grand
street, told them fatty:
IF my neighbors don't like my cats, then
they can move"
How to get Bismarck out of the chimney
was a problem. One ~ one the nOtaLles
of Pitt street left while Frau Swiss puzzled
over the matter. Finally she got a chair
climbed or il and pulled down the stove
pipe. She reached a long arm in the hole
nut couldn't quite touch Bismarck, who
uUaG tannnaI firhtl.. tn tIn 0,n Az 1annfh