New-York tribune., 1909-05-31
OFFICIALS AT ISLAND
CLOSETED WITH POLICE.
Inspector O'Bricn Says Sho7omen's
Fur VII Flu To-morro,c.

In spite OF the record crowd and the conse-
quent increase in the volume of business the
merchants at Coney Island wore worried looks.
and much whispering and shaking OF heads was
seen among them yesterday. The reason for
this lack Of enthusiasm among the proprietors
Of the amusement and other places at the ISL
and was traced to the fact that early in the
afternoon Assistant Corporation Counsels Hahlo
and Malone were seen 10 enter the office OF
Police Captain Palmer. the Coney Island
station. where they hold a conference. They
were joined there by Borough Inspector John
II. Russell District Inspector OBren and Chief
Clerk Oliver, the man of whom every proprietor
Of pleasure resort at the island stands in awe.
for this same Oliver issues all the licenses to
those that DO business there.
When this imposing array Of officials filed out
Of the station house at the end of some hours
they were observed by many of the proprie-
tors who tried to read their faces and get an
inkIlng of what fate held in store for them, but
every official face and every official mouth were
set in Sphtnxlike immobility.
One official whose name must ever remain a
secret brought forth u map of the Coney Island
precinct pointed out the post Of every police
man on duty at the island and advised one OF
the curious who sought to know the future &C
ton of the police to go to every man on post and
ask him what he had seen-that was all. But
from this it is taken to mean that every police
man has received instructions TO look out for
violations of the law. Another indication Of the
way the wind blows was found in the utterance
Of Inspector O'Brien who declared that there
would be nothing doing" to-day, but that to-
morrow the fur would fly.
Borough Inspector Russell begrudgingly al
lowed few words to escape from his sternly
shut lips He was asked whether the from
the Corporation Counsels office had gone to the
island to advise the police. He replied with the
monosyllable Yes"
DO they need advce?' he vas n xt asked.
NO, don't think So" he said.
When Assistant Corporation Counsel Malone
was asked to give his opinion as to the state Of
affairs at Coney Island. and possible official ac-
ton. he smiled in "A most engaging manner. de
clared the resort was ''al right and that it was
a most delightful day for a swim
PUSHING. jostling, dripping with the effects or
the heat, with collars wilted and handkerchiefs
continually mopping their faces yet above all
Intensely happy, the banner crowd Of the sea-
son appeared at Coney Island yesterday. Old
timers in the history OF the great resort by the
sea placed the number ar 10000 and Incl
dentally these same oldtimers seem never to be
more than wv" or three persons out of the way
ia their estimates
The larger part of the crowd seemed "a tnd
ITS chief attraction on the beach where # could
watch n" cool breakers they curled IN toward
the shore and SO kept COO, itself by men
tai suggestion. \ few there were tie bronzed
and shapeiy. vh" took advantage of the occa-
sion to disIort themselves as dOlphius and other
hHny denizens "f III" Atlantic, ana while some
turned to deep indigo blue as they stood in the
brisk wind their teeth keeping up a steady
tattoo. this seemed to be confined solely to their
physical being Tor their spirits were Of the
merriest
Had It not been FOR the dark cloud OF sus
picion and uncertainty which overhung the
Island caused by tha visits OF the dreaded au-
thorities YESTERDAY would have been the great
est day for rejoicing that the resort has en-
j"yed this year. Everybody appeared TO be in
the hest Of humor: the smell OF the luscious hot
dog" eXerted an Irresistible attraction over the
appetites OF all who came within range Of i.s
odor.ferous sway, and the sight Of the hot pea
nuts ana other delicacies of the season opened
many pocketbook that looked TO be immune 20
persuasion or other kinds.
OF course. with such an enormous crowd there
We're any number Of lost children. who were en-
tertaned at the police station by induIgeny
cops until their frantic parents called for
them Beyond the fact that the hair and faces
Of these lost little ones were IberaIIy srneared
with jam and molasses candy. their doting
fathers and mothers found nothing serious the
matter with them. More remarkable still was
the police report that only single case of intoxi-
cation was discovered among the hundreds of
thousands who roamed the island. and as one
corpuleut policeman said. to-day was a day
when any might be excused for taking Il
nip too much. it that warm"
North Beach ana Staten Island lived close 70
the law yesterday All the resorts not bavip,
hotel licenses had to close and the hotels had to
trot out the regulation sandwiches for duty as /
meals. Inspector Kelly and Captain Darcy made |
tours Of IN" beach, personally inspecting all per