New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-02
THE CANCSTERS
What the Cato Nine. Aeeo1
plished in Liverpool.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir The fragrant anomaly and prsyt
ferrous outrage Of the existence In suea
city as this of the lawless. nrrdercs
gangs is. in my opinion, a matter whtci,
is squarely up to the magistrates ana OF
capable of ready solution.
Some twenty years ago. when the vr'0
lived in Liverpool. England. that farous
seaport was terrorized by the acuNts
Of two rival gangs-the High Rip ssrs
and the "1.ogwood' gang consisting q
brutal assaults particularly on womsn
robberies with violence and murder
Conditions went from had 10 worse. ~
iii an old Judge Uustice Day. II ! rener'
Der rightly came to try the calendar el
the great Assizes, held. I think. tNicss u
year, for the accumulation OF the ncS
serious cases. such as murder.
When he looked at the calendar he Wa
amazed at the large number of perso9
charged with serious violence. assSY
with intent 10 kill" robbery with W
Ience." etc. and Indignantly aske
"Where are the poice?" To the old Spa
tans question the answer was given thr
the police had confessed their inability hI
suppress these gangs, and that there He'
certain streets down which even the ~
lice dare not go except in grouIs.
That night accompanied by two picks
detectives, the old hero visited the VIC
worst infested sections and saw the
tual conditions with his own eyes
The next day. when the first bruh
young rowdy was placed I'm the prisoner
dock he had the usual sneerinS caiov
look OF defiance on his face. anticipsu,-
the usual sentence OF a term OF leisafS
imprisonment. which meant just peru
OF welcome idlousss. with food ana 20"
ter all found without effort on his psi
But he had an aroused. red-o'oo'e
Nemesis TO face in the old judge
asked what he had 10 say AFTER T"
crime had been proved.
The smile froze on MS face when 'a'
fine old real representative OF ia" -
order informed him that mere iHipfSe.
ment was no punishment for such a.
and II was the intention OF the coun
stamp out once and for all time w.
gangs as he represented. =.
He further said that the Tow co"".'
who delighted in inhicting physca !"
ure on women and other detence'sS ~"
zens were the first 10 shrink and no"'
at the approach OF such an iniiiction v"
themselves. =,
The sentence was then pronounceu y
twenty-five lashes with the cato -".
tails, five at time. with fnter'e'
periods to recover. Immediately the ~
cradle creature let cut a scream
grovelled on the floor. yelling ior Nv
at tho mere thought OF the physiCa
It was now TO be his turn TO ehoa."
though he never WINGED at the iiD""
on others by himself. -
Every one who came before the so
Judge for a like offence received
liar sentence in varying degrees. anu
scenes IN the court are remembers
this day as an exhibition OF the sv.
ardice and white-lvered character OF -"
OF that stripe. 49,
The gangs were stamped out from ~
day. and, so far as my knovleose ~.
Liverpool has never had any reo''s
cence OF such pests. AZ
This page OF history Is onereo -
sincere hope that some magistrate '."
arise In our midst with tho coo'Ss
defy whatever influences are ensss
protecting such a menace, and VINO ~ -,
discover in the schedule OF his Po,s
some substitute for the at-o'-nine'"
which would be. in some measure !"
as genuinely effective. IN
New York. Jan. -. 1914