Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-28


special Correspondence OF Every Evening.
New York, May %. The lid is of in
New York, and every one is wondering
who lifted it. II has been getting
raised gradually for sometime, and
Police Commissioner Bingham's re-
cent absence from town, when his
deputy "Rhinewine Waldo" was left
In command, has been the signal for
all restraint to be thrown TO the winds.
The deepest thirst can now be assuaged
on Sunday in any part Of town, gam-
bling houses flourish almost openly,
and their touts crowd the lobbies of
certain hotels, the poolroom and the
handbook are much in evidence, and
In the Tenderloin rs we'll as on the
East Side numerous resorts of un-
savory reputation haunt themselves
under the eye of the passerby. Sew
eral prize-tights take place every night
in Father Knickerbocker's town, in
spite Of the stringent laws against
public hstic encounters. Ostensibly
the affairs are simply private boxing
contests, open only to members Of the
club where they are held, but in
reality admission is by ticket purchas-
able in some reighboring saloon, and
the matches are often finish fights.
Not since the days when big Bill Dew
cry held the reins of police control has
New York been so wide open. The
state Of affairs became clear to all this
week when it became known that a
prominent mining millionaire dropped
$50, 600 at Gottlieb Walbaum's gam
bling house near tho Waldorf. Down
IN Chinatown there are said to be
sixty fan-tan tables and ten lottery
games running, each table and each
game paying $3.50 q week for police
protection. Who is getting the money?
Who is the real head of the police
department These are the questions
puzzling New Workers..
Chinatown, New York's caldron Of
mystery. is again bubbling and seeth-
ing as It has not bubbled and seethed
since the rival societies, the On Leong
and the Hip Sing signed tho famous
Peace OF Chinatown last February
at which they swore to be good. Now
Chinatown is living in momentary ex-
pectation that something will happen.
Over the On Leong headquarters floats
a new white flag with a red border,
which, according to timorous Chris.
tiani2sd Mongolians, is the death
hag, and through Chinatown 's
crooked alleys are strewn little red
cards with ominous oriental lettering.
which, some say, means Death to
The Hip Sings, though others main
tnin that the cards simply advertise
Tue best place to buy chicken chow.
And new faces have appeared in China
town Tho Hip Sing men say that
these are notorious hachet men from
san Francisco, imported by the On
Leong. The present situation is the
result OF an attempt on the part OF the
Hip Sing gentry to get the ON I,eong
men Go JOIN them in an appeal TO the
district attorney and the Police Com
missioner o. stop gambling ia China
town. somehow the On Leongers.
though protesting their anxiety Co
banish ian-tan, appeared to have been
seized with writer's cramp when the
time came for the signing of the ap-
peal. The result has been a severe
strain IN the relations between the two
societies. The Hip Sings warily watch
the death fiag' fy ing in the languid
May breezes and predict slaughter.
The On Leongers smile, and, in re.
sponse to questions. shrug theil
shoulders.
Now that the Senate has passed the
Hepburn Railroad Rates bill, with the
prospect that it will become law with
out delay, interest in the proceeding.
OF Congress Is at low ehb in the me
tropoiis' So far as public discussion
OF the completed bill has gone. II
seems TO be regarded as nenorall,
satisfactory, II somewhat radical meas.
ure. None of the officers of the ereai
railway systems has expressed I'M
opinion of the law for publication
but their general attitude Is that the,
are willing TO accept the proviaions o
the projected law and to obey its re-
quirements in the hope that the poi
ticians viii turn TO some other subiec
and leave them Co devote an thei
energies to the task Of caring for tn,
great volume OF transportation pre
saged by the promise Of abundan,
crops and unusual business nctivitv
Xhis hope is fervently echoed bv III,
Investing public, for nothing is NOR
unsettling TO financial values tba,
legislation dealing with economic con
ditions.
These are bad days for dead men /,
the metropolis, and also for thei
friends and relatives, for with th
strike Of the funeral drivers funera
IS , hazardous thing. In some case
funerals have been held up for severa
days because of the inability 10 ~
drivers for the hearse and carriages
and IN other cases, after start IA,
been made for the cemetery. m,
Rdamantine walking delegate appeare,
and ordered the drivers away. Ther
have been several instances Of fupera
parties being attacked by strikers VIII
lay in ambush on the road to IN
cemetery and let fly volleys of stone
at the hearaa and carrinrnn l. 49,