Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-15
/ | E
. Il.

Jealous of the sanctity OF their own terri-
tory. Outsiders do not trespass with Inn
punity.
From Halstead to Robey, and from Lake
to Grand, lay the broad hunting preserves Of
Kelly's gang, to which Billy had been almost
born, one might say Kelly owned the feed
store back of which the gang had loafed for
years, and though himself respectable
business man. his name had been attached
to the pack OF hoodlums who held forth Mt
his back door as the easiest means Of locat-
ing and identifying its members
The police and citizenry of this great
territory were the natural enemies and prey
of Kelly's gang, but as the kings Of old pro-
tected the deer of their great forests from
poachers, so Kelly's gang felt It incumbent
upon them to safeguard for themselves the
lives and property which they considered
theirs by divine right. II is doubtful that
they thought of the matter in just this way
but the effect was the same.
And so II was that as Billy Byrne wended
homeward alone in the wee hours of the
morning after emptying the cash drawer of
old Schneider's saloon and locking the weep
ing Schneider into his own ice box, he was
deeply grleved and angered to see rank
outsiders from Twelfth Street beating
Patroman Stanley Lasky with his own
baton. the while they simultaneously strove
to kick in his ribs with their heavy boots.
Now, Lasky was no friend of Billy
Byrnes, but the officer had been born and
raised in the district and was attached to
the Twenty-eighth precinct station on Lake
Street near Ashland Avenue and so was
part and parcel of the natural possession of
the gang. Billy felt that 1t was entirely
ethical to beat up cop, provided you con-
fined your efforts to those of your own dis
trict, but for a bunch of yaps from south
of Twelfth Street to attempt 20 pull off any
such coarse work in his bailiwick-why, IL
was unthinkable!
hero and rescuer of less experience
than Billy Byrne would have rushed MEL
dramatically into the midst of the fray
and In all probability have had his face
pushed completely through the back of his
head, for the guys from Twelfth Street
were not of the rah-rah-boy type of hood
lum-they were Bad men, with an upper
case B.
So Bill crept stealthlly along in the shad-
ows until he was quite close to them, and
behind them. on the way he had gathered
up cute little granite paving block, than
which there is nothing in the world harder,
not even n Twelfth Street skull.
He was quite close now to one of the men
him who was welding the officers club to
such excellent disadvantage for the officer.
He raised the paving block only to lower u
silently and suddenly upon the back OF that
unsuspecting head-"and then there were
two"
Before the mans companions had realized
what had happened Billy had possessed him
self of the fallen club and struck one of
them binding, staggering blow across the
eyes
Then number three pulled his gun and
fired pointblanS at Billy. The bullet tore
through his left shoulder.
1t would have sent more highly organ
lied and nervousy inclined man to the
pavement, but Billy was neither highly or.
ganized nor nervously inclined. so that
| about the only immediate effect 1t had upon
him was to make him mad. Before he had
been but peeved-peeved at the rank crust
that had permitted these cheap skates from
south of Twelfth street to work his terri
tory Thoroughly aroused, Billy was a
wonder.
From a long line of burly ancestors he
had inherited the physique OF q prize bull.
From earliest childhood he had fought, al.
ways unfairly. so that he knew all the
tricks of street fighting. During the last
year there had been added to Billy's natural
fighting ability and instinct knowledge of
the scientific end of the sport
The result was something appallng-to
the gang from Twelfth street.
Before that gnk could pull the trigger
again his gun had been wrenched from
his hand and flung across the street, and
he was down on the granite, with a hand
as hard as the paving block scrambling his
facial attractions beyond hope OF repair.
By this time Patrolman Lasky had stag.
gered TO his feet, and most opportunely at
that; for the man whom Billy had dazed
with the club was recovering. Lasly
promptly put him TO sleep with the butt
of the gun that he had been unable TO draw
when first attacked, then he turned to assist
Billy
But II was not Billy VINO needed assist
ance-it was the gentleman from Bohemia.
With difficulty Lasky dragged Billy from
his prey.
Leave enough of him for the inquest"
pleaded Lasky
When the wagon arrived Billy had dis
appeared. but Lasky had recognized him,
and thereafter the two nodded pleasantly to
one another upon such occasions as they
chanced TO meet upon the street.
Two years elapsed before the event
transpired which proved a crisis in Blly's
life. During this period ahis existence had
been much the same as before
He had collected what was coming 10
him from, careless and less muscular citi-
zens He had helped stick up a half dozen
saloons He had robbed the night men in
two elevated stations and for while had
been upon the payroll Of a certain ward
boss and done strong-arm work for $25 a
week.
BY day he was a general utility man