New-York tribune., 1919-09-08
Wave of Crime
Strikes Terror
In Cherry Hill
Violence of Bygone Days
Recalled as Lawlessness,
From Petty Theft 10 Muir
der. Spreads Deep Fear
Residents Move Away
Charge Police With Fail
ing to Make Effort to
Discover TIL e Culprits

Cherry Hill. for many years more
sinister in tradition than in fact, has
entered upon a reign o. terror mildly
succestive of the horrors Of twenty
wears ago Residents Of the notorious
cohbled street that threads It's leisure
Iv climbing way u the direction Of
Manhattan Fridge are agreed that the
ea7rsters have had Z sudden access OF
energy. a series Of crimes. ranging
from petty theft to he murder OF
woman Of siNty-.hroe, has sen; q chill
Of terror through the Neighborhood.
Dozens Of families are leaving the
neichborhood despite the great diff
eultv Of finding place in which to live.
Tbev accuse the police OF failure to
a. a dozen crimes committed within
TIE last few months. Personally they are
sfrsid 10 open their mouths lest they
fall foul Of the dreaded gangsters
Small store keepers dare not leave any
hing In their tills overnight Young
rersors are beirg warned 10 turn in
early. Stories Of the past are being
revived and there is a rattling OF the
bones Of skeletons of two decades ago
Midnight chasos or roofs. wild eallops
up and down re-eSCapes and hot-foot-
I'd pursuit IN { labyrinth of alleys have
become as commonplace lately in this
locality & they are in moving pictures.
Mrs. Josephine SchacfTer, who for
many years did reclamation work in
Chinatown and Is now social worker
in the Cherry Hill district, has taken
u the cudgels in defence Of the har-
assea residents of the neighborhood
IS ore after another Of the recent
u.mes hes come to her attention. She
charges that they have not even been
reported by TIC precinct police to
headGuar+ers Mrs Schaetfer is try
ing to collect enough money to bury
the murdered old woman.
4 Tribune reporter journeyed
through the district. On the surface
there was nothing other than the usual
sights and sounds Of the lower East
Side intensified and concentrated.
Curiy-headod Youngsters tumbling
around in the gutter; the watchful
eyed youth with the dropping cigarette
holding up rhe door jamb: the crude,
baring lights Of the occasional eating
place cleaving the darkness and etch-
ing the banana skins and torn papers
OF the cobbies; the sound of laughter
from an upper Window; stumbling
figure lurging forth from an alley
way; rUshcarts. pinafortes, chickens
and frui- grouped promiscuously on
the sidewalk; the posters of the
NOV as; ,,e intense and fevered life
Q: 20 ma<. crowded brand of sum.
Then q dark alleywar, and the tone
ment where the old woman was
stabbed where robberies have become
almos, nightly affair, where ter
ror,7ei tenants are collecting their
Emerging from the pitch darkness of
yard, flankei with high. dirty walls
that seemed TO interlace and blot out
the skyline met the eye Fine stage
scenery for d burglar hunt, with lad
ders spanning from window to window
three dark allevways leading to the
outside world and convenient roofs on
which 10 play hide-and seek
ertedlooking room, where tragedy
seemed to brood A bed lay in the
corner-a rumpled. untidy bed A sea
faring picture hung on the wall. This
was where Anna McGrath, aged sixty
three. received the stab wound that
resulted in her death Her husband.
VINO is 4 sailor. had just come home
from sea. He had $500. Once before
he had been robbed after returning
from sea trip. This time three men
burst IN on the pair. covered the hus-
band with revolver, ripped the pict-
ures up IN their search for money. as
saulred the old woman and beat a
speedy retreat The official report
made by physician of the Volunteer
Hospital was that Mrs. McGrath had
been attacked in her home, struck
over the head and face and stabbed
with knife on the right shoulder."
The wound Subsequently became in
fected and she died. Her husband
went hack TO his vessel before he knew
TOW dangerously hurt she was, and now
ne cannot be traced.
People move out quick" declared
lsahk' lk' the tenement caretaker, to the
reporter. NO safe here any more.
Doors broken open. People much
robbed and killed. See-they gone
snd they and they and he indi-
Gated the rooms vacated by eight
famalles. The other night Franks
pace was broken INTO, but by the time
ne mad summoned two policemen the
MMarauders had made their escape.
I1eSSie' The housekceper, who preceded
FRANK, was choked and beaten and
robbed of $50
another woman residing in the same
tenement was robbed Of her phono-
graph and furniture. On the floor be-
10" lay sick woman with six chill
afeh around her when three men broke
.a'o the room Taking in conditions
a. a glance, they decided to leave her
alone. But the niece of the same
,|OHian was assaulted on the floor be-
low Just about the same time.
q, a man was held up in his home by
.snfee youths and told his head would
oe blown otf II he did not hand over
a. the cash ne had. They ended by not
0ay taxing the money but d cheese and
S.Aes eatab.es. Since the death Of
WIS McGrath Michael Cannicl,o's
grocery store was broken into and 5000
stolen
~, All these things have happened in
we alley within few months.
.s MfS- ocnaetfer declares that her
'<O,ts TO raise funds for the burial
W. \. WIS AcGrath have been hampered
y lesidents' fear Of the gangs.ers.