Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-19

this district than are behind the bars at
Sing Sing.
This choice residential section is locat-
ed in the Union Market precinct. which
IS bounded on the north by 18th street.
on the east by the river front. on the
south by Rivington street aud on the
west by Avenue A.
Their. are several things which operate
10 attract the criminal to this district.
In the first place. there are the thou
sands of furnished rooms where the Grim
inaI. fresh from the commission of his
crime. may find refuge at any hour
of the day or night, without having to
present references or answer any en-
barassing questions. Though his fingers
be dripping with the blood of his last vic
TIM he knows that here he will be taken
in and given shelter.
y
Then there are the fences of different
kinds. the places where the criminal may
convert stolen property of every descrip-
ton into cash without having in any way
to conceal its character.
But perhaps the principal attraction
which this district holds for the under
world is the fact that there any one may
play ''stuss'' to his hearts content. Morn
ing, noon and night. twenty-four hours a
day. the stuss dealers are at work. al
ways ready to a -commodate the busy
criminal who wishes to crafty his pas
sion for gambling, and as / have point
ed out in previous article. the proceeds
Of practically every crime which is com
mitted eventually pass over the SamlnS
table. "StusS is the particular game OF
chance favored by the underworld. 1T
is described later on
OF course, fences are Illegal. So is
the running of stuss game. That
both these institutions are allowed
to exist this particular prec net is due
to the fact that in no section or the CITY
has the al lance between the police and
the criminal classes ever been so close as
IL has always been in this precinct. eN-
cept for short and infrequent intervals
Once in a while an honest captain.
whom the criminal element could not
corrupt has made an effort to close UP
these places. but the inevitable trans
fer has come. and new and wiser Of
fetal has thought il best to leave them
alone.
of the furnished rooms which house "a
many thousands OF criminals in this dis
trict little need be said. 1t is not Illegal
to give shelter to a criminal simply be-
cause he is criminal, and although, of
course many of the tenants of these
rooms are fugitives from justice. ii would
be quite impossible TO show, even II 1T
were the fact, that the owners of the
premises were aware that a particular
tenant was wanted by the police.
The criminal has to live somewhere
when he is not in Jail. and 1T is just as
we'll perhaps, that he chooses to asso-
ciate with his own kind rather than to
infest the more respectable sections of
the city.
The same cannot be said of the
fences" and the establishments known as
game Of stuss is principally played.
They. of course. ought to be cleaned out.
Although these places enjoy police pro-
lection. they do not Haunt their real char
acter in the faces of law-abiding citizens.
They bear an outward appearance of re-
spectability.
Thus the fences" where thieves may
dispose OF their stolen dress goods and
wearing apparel. are usually indicated to
the initiated by sign reading ''Tailors
Trimmings" Woolens stolen from whole
sale warehouses find their way to OBJ
scure little stores. the window of which
bears simple painted sign: 'Woolens. y
Jewelry and precious stones are sold to
brokers or at what apparently are
jewelry stores. \ few cheap watches
hanging in the window produce the de-
sired effect. The sign in these places
usually reads: "Jewelry Store. Watch
making and Repairing. Gold and Silver
Assa.cr.
r :; Houston street and nearby streets
aboUnd in fences OF this kind bu,
other wise legitimate pawnbrokers are
numerous here. too. and do an enormous
business in stolen property.
In the same way stusS games are hid
Cen from the eyes of every one except
those interested in them. Many of then
ar" established on the parIor floor OF
small sisn in the window of which in
dicates tl,at the house is the home OF
some literary or social club. Or the
blind" may be restaurant. the sim
:'ie sign steaks and Chops declaring Ii
unniis akable language to the pick
)cket VII" wishes to get rid Of his ILL.,
item ga as speedily as possible thai
Sfde ne may play "stuss" and do SO
rants OF neighborhood have a rea,
rom devoted TO stuss playing.
To des, ne one of these stuss games
would b 20 describe them all. Because
il Is the largest and most remarkabl
Institution OF It's kind in the city and i:
known - every one but the underworld
nd the police. L will describe "A hang
I OF test Houston street. run by thu
most powerful man in this precinct OF
crime no himself will come IN for
n2t description later on.
Til Establishment is apparently a res
taurant Tables are laid for prosperity,
diners. and meals are actually served Il
tbs. 10 enter the place for that pur
pose. \ matter OF fact. though. ths
restaurant e. cnly a blind To conceal tn,
real cli;!;trt,r Of the place.
In tn" wall of this restaurant i:
set a door 81 iIeavy icebox construction
which .,.,ds IL The "hang-out' proper
a room perhaps thirty feet wide anC
seventy feet deep. This heavy door Is $,
we'll EuU:; that from the restaurant IL:
e>istcTtc would never be suspected Il
app az To he part of the wall Ii can b,
Oprli,, ou!S from the inside and il 4,
opened only when lookout who sit:
a one oS the tables i'll the restaurant ir
tie .-ui>e eff diner. Indicates by press
fiS '-bUzz"r that visitor is al
Ii-fj ird m-ty be allowed to enter IN,
''lau:,-o'i-
J.: q Nc,.iG zoe visitor is unknown to thi
l.--Ir .tIt. az his admittance is not deefnet
u lao lu- tie hest interests OF the house
visitor 4.aches the iceboN door lie find
officer and armed with warrant. h.
&e.e TO attempt TO force his way in, a.