The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-29
"BOWERY BOYS"
Recollections Of the TINE when Rival
"GHngs" Clashed In Battle.

"Gangs" C1ashed In Battle.
To THE EDITOR or THE SUN-Sfr:
"reminiscences of tho Bowery are all In
terestiny. as Charley lioyt well UNDER
stood when he wrote his famous song,
but you want to 20 back further than
1878 to realize how picturesque a.feat-
ure the old thoroughfarc once was Of
our wonderful city.
My own recollection OF II goes back
only to the beginning Of the civil war.
but even then II had not entirely lost
the characteristics that differentiated 1t
80 strongly from any other street on
earth. You could still rec, sometimes.
a "Bowery Boy OF the type that Chan
frau presented on the stage, promenad-
ing tho sidewalk with 4 "Bowery Gar
on his arm. and o made way for them
respectfully II you were prudent.
Hoop skirts were coming In. and the
Gal o exaggerated ones. do not.
by the way. imagine that Gar was a
term of reproach or that II implied any
thing out OF the way. Tho lady known
by that title was the highly respectable
member Of East Side society who was
fortunate enough to have secured tho
escort OF one Of the most gallant dare
devils who ever enlivcned metropolitan
Me. And what a man he was!
His costume marked him. His black
broadcloth Prince Albert he carried on
his arm. His shirt was n bright red
and he wore his black pants inside
his red topped boots. His plug hat
shone wildly until. perchance. he en-
countered some other "Bowery Boy who
might belong to a rival gang. Then II
might perhaps be damaged. for fights
were not i%nfrequent OF the Bowery.
some Of those fights are historic, for
the gangs had feuds not easily under
stood now, but sometimes growing out
Of the rivalry between different COM
panies Of the old volunteer fire depart
ment, for every true Bowery Boy be-
longed to one or another of those COM
panies. Boss Tweed Joined big Six In
his earlier days.
The battle between two of the gangs,
the Plug t'glies and the Dead Rabbits.
was one Of the fiercest riots New York
ever saw. and nobody ever knew how
many were killed before the fighting
ceased. That was before my time. but
| saw much OF the trouble in the six
day Draft Riot. and the Bovery was
week.
Even then the d~ecadence cf the
BOwery had begun. The trees hat had
adorned II had mostly di sappeared, for
at that time and for years afterward
a tree was about the only obstruction
that WAS not tolerated In a New York
street. and the beautiful ones that gave
the old Bouwe erie it's name had been re-
moved either by old are or the axe.
And the character OF the street had
changed as Firth avenue is now chang
ing. stores took the places Of resi-
dences. and the parade OF fashion-real
fashion, mind you. in those days-eave
way to the crowds of toilers. More or
less disreputable resorts were finding "A
footing and were getting to he motor
ious. The glory Of the street faded
and sordid and repellent features multi
Piled TIL the name OF ii became "A by
word,
What is now Chinatown. with It's
queer little crooked streets. was the first
refuge Of the human rats who were
driven out Of tho Five Points by the
opening up of Worth street through the
polluted district. and crime fourished
almost openly there until II blosSomed
out in most amazing eflorescence at
Billy Mc5lory's dance house. hardly
more han a stones throw away. Not
many people remember Just how that
extraordinary outlaw shattered his own
prosperity by a most audacious exploit,
80 daringly defiant that II reused the
resentment Of the community. For Billy
was a typical Rowefy Boy. perhaps the
last survival OF his class. Handsome,
foppish. aNable and almost polished I'm
manner. he was absolutely lawless. de-
lighting In nothing else 80 much as h.
did In fiaunting his contempt for the
restraints Of conventionality and even al
decency. lie grew rich by c~onducting
one. Of tho most infamous resorts New
York has ever seen. and had ample
means To indulge his outrageous within.
The Brunswick was then one of the
select, fashionable hotels. well patron
lied by the elite OF the city. and Me-
Glory made a bet that he would give a
ball there for the entertainment az the
abandoned women who frequented his
dance house. Just how he imposed ~
the Brunswick management to the eN-
tent OF engaging the hotel ball Dom wa
never told. hut he won the bet.
When the evening OF the ball arrived
he sent his guests In public hacks To- tho
hotel entrance n before the ~startled
propr!etors realized their character. the,
sUarmed in In "A body, defyiug all Il
FORTS 10 eject them, and proceeding 4,
denlc the precincts with an utterly In,
describable Orgy. II was the sudden enc
~ the Brunswicks popularity. and Nc,
Glory enjoyed tho joke hugely until n,
was made to realize soon after that HI
had offended the community beyond
pardon and had brought about hts owr
financial ruin. For the police. who hat
never troubled him seriously before
never ceased L. trouble him afterwArd
and he went the way Harry Ilil did.
Speaking of hotels, one Of tine hes
rcstaurants in the city can't rcmcm'
Der the nams hut some Of Your reader,
will surely recall twas located IN In,
west side of Chatham square, lust Al
the beginning of the BoWery. II was q
high priced place. but YOU got YOU
lnDnpN'N worth whom Won sumner there