Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-07
BIG TIM AS BENEFACTOR
HIS HEADQUARTERS INVADED
ON DONATION DAY.
Distribution of Shoes by New York
Politician-Total Of $500 Per.
sons Supplied.

NEW YORK, February From all
parts of the Bowery and the lower East
Side yesterday afternoon there was a
movement Of shabbily dressed, shivering
men toward No. 2T Bowery.
big Tim Sullivan's headquarters is in
that building, and every year on Febru-
airy the politician gives away thousands
of pairs Of thick-soled, well made shoes
to the unfortunates of his district The
day has come to be known as 'shoe day."
When the hour for giving out the shoes
arrived there was line of men extending
along the Bowery four blocks to the north
and four blocks to the south of the head
quarters. At . o'clock the first men in
line were permitted to enter the building,
and to each was given a pair of the shoes
and a pair of warm socks. Thereafter
until nightfall the distribution continued.
In all $500 pairs of shoes were given out
and as many of socks 1t is said to have
cost big Tim over s13,O00 for the shoes
and socks.
Blind Given Preference.
Before the general distribution took
place half dozen policemen went along
the line and picked out nine blind men
and a score Of cripples who were waiting
their turn to share in the Big Fellow
bounty. These unfortunates were taken
into the Sullivan headquarters in advance
of the others and were given their SHOES
and socks. \ deaf and dumb man could
not make known the size he wore ana
had to be fitted.
The charge of being '.repeaters Is ire
uuently made in this section OF the clts'
hut it was interesting to note that yester-
dav there we're only few instances. Inc
ann,icants for shoes seemed to need the
gifts. and only twice during the afternoon
did the detectives discover men tying "
get two pairs of shoes and SOCKS.
Police Lieut.. Nicholas Summers; lci
ative Of Little Tim Sullivan, who dled
recently, was assigned to search out the
crooks In the line and see thal they
did not sell the shoes they were gwen
" henever Summers sighted a CROOK ne
accompanied him to the snoe counter anu
saw that the man put the new shoes
and socks on and left his old ones ne
hind. There have been times when the
Sullivan gifts were sold.
The ages of the men ranged from SIX
teen to eighty years, and there were In
line we'll known characters OF the Bow
ery. Among those having Interesting
titles were the King of the Key rap
pers' "Slippery' Short Ribs sam.
..The Lump. THE Gentleman Panhan-
Ring Hero in 1882.
There We're many who had been IN
line previous years. One was JACK
Banks. negro, who was one OF the
first negro prize fighters TO battle in this
city He was considered quite ring
hero in 1852 and bested number u
clever men Of that day.
Another character MAS Welics Cone.
who looks like "Cncle sam. lie H.
fact has posed tor artists il That CHAR
acter.
Many men after receiving the shoes
aud socks tipped their hats e. the .arEc
portrait Of big Tim" Sullivan on their
way out Big Tim, perhaps out 81
modesty, kept out Of sight.
In addition to the shoes given out II
the headquarters ten dozen pair were
sent to the Mission of the Holy Rosary
and the same number TO the BoWery
Mission. The shoes were given out by
ticket but no applicant was refused.
In charge OF the distribution were
John Fitzgerald, who succeeded Little
Tim Sullivan as leader of the third as
sembly district: Alderman John J. White.
who succeeded Little Tim on the board
of aldermen: Baker Calvert of the tene-
ment house department, Henry Apple
baum, private secretary 10 Big Tim,
and Joseph Dunn. president of the Larry
Nulligan Association.
While the men were waiting hot coffee
was served to them.