The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-12-24
POLICE 'SANTAS'
AMAZE KIDDIES
OF CITY'S POOR
Terrible Cops Give Xmas
Tree Parties at Many
station Houses.
CALABOOSIA \ JOYLAND
Places Of Dread Become
Bowers of Happiness for
Scared Youngsters.
WOODS TAKES \ "LOOK IN"
Commissioner Who Originated
Idea Sees Distribution
Of Gifts.
WOODS TAKES 4 "LOOK IN"

patroman attached to the West Fifty
first street station, but yesterday was a
Santa for the little children OF the poor.
fpped .he Fourth avenue elevation Of
his red pants while facing Fifth avenue
they weren't trousers. but bright GRIM
son Santa Claus pants) and a scram-
bed person named McNamee, who was
hailed before the Caliph In the West
Twentieth street station house for being
too full Of merrychristmas too early,
actively objected TO the orange colored
Urnamental stage moon back nf the sta
tion house Christmas tree and wanted /:
changed TO green until suhdued.
Also the Grand Opera House gentle
zen lent the same station house a drop
su-tain showing a tropical jungle scene.
which Police Capt. Percy Du Rois had
- use as a back drop for the snow scene
Ground the Christmas tree In the station
house
Rnt there, all in a paragraph or SO, Is
complete recital Of the only mishaps
which stumbled along amid the ecttat!c
i'arity which all day yesterday changed
polire precinct station houses--usuai,y
Objects of dread, on other days, TO the
7'sred little f..ldren Of the poor-'nto
bowers OF happiness, gay with greer
.-irrnings and aslow with holiday red.
11n resoundtpg with Jazz bands and
idi'ers and songsters and hulging out
sard With most amazing gifts.
DIany in Rags. hut Face. Aslow.
Into the big doors trooped the POOR
little people and their mothers. 100. IN
RAGS and tatters. but with faces aeloW.
With expectancy. For hadn't the big
cop on their beat scared them most TO
ieath few days ago 10y banging a:
heir tenement doors and demanding In
'hunderous tones Of the frightened
mother how many children she had. and
what were their axes, And then hadn't
he same terrible COP gone right back to
the station house and listed all their
ames--working for them when he
night have been loafing OF duty-and
personally brought them cards. and
worked far into the night in tie sta
lon house lounge room or gymnasium
Wing up packages for little black eyed
"achel or Marie or red headed Aloysius,
e. That they too might have some hap
p';tss at Christmas time,
The terrible cop had done all those
rHge. Wherefore all day yesterday in
'1' scattered parts OF the big town the
bueccnt was the Pied Piper OF Hamel!n
Town, and pressing and crowding and
trd he hitler kids and the kids so very
small that they had to foreso the hys-
'trical delights of stamping inpatientiy
J over the broken shoes Of the slightly
Nrser kids barring their way to the
station house door--had TO forego II be-
-alse they were altogether too little to
ak AT all. but had to be carried in
he.r mothers arms Into the station
houses OF awesome but rosy wonders.
RIuecoats the Bissest "Kids."
If It weren't that a copper might swoop
down to-day upon one for breaking the
gambling laws. It would he perfectly
'7'' N lay a little bet of. say. 1000 to
hHnch Of bananas that no one could
have told when the cops parties for
The poor were in full blast yesterday
Who we're the bigger kids in the station
Nouses--,he bluecoats who dealt out
presents steadily when not doing step
dances or singing ragtime for the other
N.,i>. ur tii- children of the poc- grouped
around the six foot Kids aglow with blue
a-d brass buttons.
Even the rip in Charley Pip!ow's
nukish pants wasn't a mishap; II added
10 the JOY of nations-of the children
n almost all the nations there are.
And the plastered Mr.. McNamee. HIM
u
tee, who wanted the orange paper moon
changed to green, was a most pleasant
diversion amid diversions already being
nNed on ten ply deep. And the tropical
Jungle back drop. with Christmas trees
ana cotton snow banks piled up against
I so that the eye would at an instant
h' drawn all the way from the north
pole TO South America In the most
natural way in the world. was un-
c7Ibtedly the most beautiful scene in all
u To.ll.
some More Fine Fun To-day.
Nrd that isn't the half OF II. as the
ff.c'iahie gentleman in vaudeville puts
~" only were station houses from
'o0'"' Manhattan TO The Bronx's furthast
,0r'h exploding with ecstasy from morn
rs until darkness yesterday but ali over
's''n 'o-day there will he still more
''a'io1 house doors thrown open TO the
ttie poor children, until all the poor Of
e. the precincts have had their parties
VIth cops as hosts.
Into the West Twentieth, street station
yesterday while a reporter for THE ErN
Vas there came a slim young man quite
'l!l Of pep and stood At the door a mo-
n looking 1t all over with beaming
IS the beauteous Mise Margaret
oSonnel, daughter OF Police Sergeant
''i oConnell was thrumniing the plano
'eIS and her sister. Miss Evelyn. was
singing beside her. and back Of the two
louns women stood Patrolnian Iooie
oael IN uniform footing an acconpani-
rent on the flute, Bill! Odel, being BY
way o' hnte tooter in the Police band.
IN front Of the station house desk the
moor was ia amned with children shouting
'Aorus"s. At varouH corners glowed the
orange moon and electric lights gieam-
NV amid "verrreers and Christmas n
ices a'd 'insel tparkled. and cops dealt
WI" '""a'er' ard clps and toys and
any ana oranges and cakes in bags un-
lorTicd
'N"d one dart corner knelt cart.
co"Hmsd os TrsItth Page.