Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-15
CHAPTER I
In Chicago

D1LJY BYRNE was a product Of the
I'D streets and alleys of Chicago's great
West Side
From Halsted to Robey and from Grand
avenue to Lake street there was scarce a
bartender whom Billy knew not by his
first name. And, in proportion to their
number. which is considerably less, he
knew the patrolmen and pain-clothes men
equally well--but not so pleasantly
His kindergarten education had COM
menced in alley back Of a feed store
Here a gang of older boys and men were
wont to congregate at such times as they
had nothing else to occupy their time. As
the Bridewell was the only place in which
they ever held jobs for more than two
consecutive days, they had considerable
time to devote TO congregating.
They were pickpockets and second-story
men. made and in the making All were
muckers, ready to insult the first woman
who passed, or pick quarrel with any
stranger who did not appear too burly.
BY night they piled their real vocations
BY day they sat In the alley behind the
feed store and drank beer from bat
tered tin pail.
The question of labor involved In trans
porting the pail. empty to the saloon across
the street and returning 1t, full, to the
alley back OF the feed store was solved
by the presence OF admring and envious
little boys of the neighborhood who hung
wide-eyed and thrilled about these heroes
OF their childish lives.
Billy Byrne, at six, was rushing the can
for this noble band, and incidentally pick
ing up his knowledge of life and the rudi-
ments of his education. He glorled in the
knowledge that he was personally ac-
quainted with Eddie" Welch and that with
his own ears he had heard Eddie" tell the
gang how he stuck up guy West Lake
street. within 80 yards of the 2Sth pre-
cinct police station.
The kindergarten period lasted until Billy
was ten then he commenced "swiping"
brass faucets from vacant buildings and
selling them to fence who ran junk shop
on Lincoln street, near Kinzie.
From this man he. obtained the hint that
graduated him to higher things, SO that
at 12 he was robbing freight cars in the
yards along Kinzie street. 1t was about
this same time that he commenced to find
pleasure In the feel of his fist against the
scraps with his fellows off and on ever
since he could remember but his first real
fight came when he was H. He had had
an alteration with an erstwhile pal over
the division of the returns from some
freight-car booty
The gang was all present. and as words
quickly gave place to blows. as they have
habit of doing in certain sections OF the
West Side, the men and boys formed
rough ring about the contestants
The battle was a long one. The two
were rolling about in the dust OF the alley
quite as often as they were upon their feet
exchanging blows.
There was nothing fair nor decent nor
scientific about their methods. They gouged
and bit and tore. They used knees and
elbows and feet. and but for the timely
presence of a brickbat beneath his fingers
at the psychological moment. Billy Byrne
would have gone down to humiliating
4 defeat. AS II was the other boy went
\ down and for a week Billy remained
hidden by one of the gang pending the
Neport from the hospital.
When word came that the patient would
te, Billy felt an immense load lifted from
) shoulders. for no dreaded arrest and
.perience with the law that he had
armed from childhood to deride and hate.
Il course, there was the loss OF prestige
hat would naturally have accrued 10 him
Gould he have been pointed out as "the guy
that croaked Sheehan;" but there is always
a fly in the ointment, and Billy only sighed
and came out of his temporary retirement.
The battle started Billy to thinking, and
1.-THE result OF that mental activity was a
> determination TO learn to handle his mitts
sclentihcally-people of the West Side do
not have hands; they are equipped by
nature with mitts and dukes. A few have
paws and clippers.
For several years he had no opportunity
20 realize his new dream; but when he
was about IT a neighbor's son surprised his
little world by suddenly developing from
an unknown teamster into locally famous
lightweight.
The young man had never been affiliated
with the gang. as his escutcheon was defiled
with record OF steady employment, So
Billy had known nothing of the sparring
lessons his neighbor had taken. or OF the
work he had done at the downtown
gymnasium OF Larry fillmore,
Now, II happened that while the new
lightweight was unknown 10 the charmed
circle of the gang. Billy knew him fairly
well by reason OF the proximity of their
respective parental back yards and so when
othe glamour OF pugllistic success haloed the
young man, Billy lost no time in basklng in
the light Of his reelected glory,
He saw much OF his new hero all the
following winter. he accompanied him to
many mills. and on one glorious occasion
occupied position in the coming champions
corner.
tinued to hang around Hilmore's place
running errands and doing odd jobs the
while, and almost unconsciously he picked
up puglisto lore and absorbed the spirit OF
the game along with the rudiments and
fine points OF its science
Then his ambition changed. Once he had
longed to shine as gunman; now he was
determined to become prize-hghter. But
the old gang still saw much OF him, and ne
was a familiar hgure about the saloon
corners along Grand avenue ana Lake
During this period Billy neglected the
boxcars on KinZie street. partly because
he felt that he was ntted Tor more dlgnlhso
employment, and also TOR the fact that the
eraiIroad company had doubled the number
of watchmen In the yards But there were
times when ne felt the old yearning for ex-
eitansnt and adventure,
These times were usually eolncidsnt with
an acute financial depression on Billy's
change pocket Then he would fare forth
IA Inc stlu watches OF the night with
couple of boon companions and roll q souse
or stick up . saloon
i was upon an occasion of this nature
thsf an svcnt occurred which was fated
lassr 10 change the eatire course q Billy
Z. Lyfuss life.