The New York herald., 1920-12-27
Crowd Gathers al 18th 81.
and ith Ave. After Crime.
but Only Murderer's
Pistol IL Found.
ONCE UNDERWORLD CAR
Eastman United East Side
Strong Arm Mobs and Spread
Terror With Murder and
Other Grimes.

Monk Eastman was shot to death az
( o'clock yesterday morning on the
curb at the southwest corner OF -Four
teenth street and Fourth avenue. tho
northern boundary Of the asphaited
domain which once he ruled by right
OF might Monk Eastman needs no
classifying Introduction. Wherever
the story OF the lower East Side Is told
in book or by tongue his renown has
spread He died as he had lived
violently and like a score OF the VIC
Tins of his strong arm rule: his body
was taken to the morgue and there
docketed as that OF IAN unidentified
man"
Who killed him and why is yet to
be learned. Whether he was alone or
with friends who deserted or betrayed
him is part OF the mystery. Maybe
he was killed by the man who had ac-
companied him TO the corner where
his huddled, riddled body was found.
maybe his enemy met him there. But
It looks as though he died like other
men like him have died-with his
hands and arms crossed before has
face instinctively and piufully seek
ing to shield himself from the fiye
bullets. which. at short range. were
pumped into him.
And the Monk was unarmed That
fact even more than the mystery OF
his murderer, was the talk OF the lower
East Side last night. The Monk WIS
killed while unarmed as were other
men who fell before his once powerful
mob
The Monk wasn't murdered by n rob-
her In his pockets the police found
S144. a heavy watch and chain. two
pairs OF gold spectacles and some papers.
Defenceless and absurd In his contor-
tions to shield his head, died this
gangeter and gunman who helped make
history that Is embazoned with the
deeds of Paul Kelly. Jimmy Kelly. Jack
Sirocco. Kid Twist. Humpy Jackson.
Piggy Donovan. Big Jack zellg. Sig
Jack Poggi. Louis the Lump. Dopey
Benny Fein. Little Solly Johnny
Spanish and the like.
Body Unidentified for Hours
So inglorious was the death Of ths
Monk and so great the change that has
come over New York that his broad.
thick. gorillalike body lay In the
morgue for hours before two cops--old'
timers who knew the denizens OF the
Flea Bag, Suicide Hall, the original
Bucket of Blood and the Last Mans
Lunch when the Bowery was the
Bowery-sauntered into the dismal
rooms and identified him. To make sure
FOR the Monk was no longer ;he
i.otorious man he used TO be--they went
down 10 Police Headquarters and got his
firger prints. The comparison banished
remaining doubt The Monk was ~
Years old. according TO police records
but. as one OF the cops said. he was a
in experience.
Sidney Levine, station master ~ the
Fourteenth street station OF the Inter-
borough. said that It was just Ava
minutes after in the morning when hr
heard five shots The neighborhood. as
all New Workers. know. IS not a lonely
one NJ any hour Until the current
crime wave inundated the city all four
avenue were populous all night with
sinister looking young men who were
wont to address one another familiarity
as Jake and Charley. Klke and Woppo
and other less innocuous sobriquefs
These corners are kept clear these
lights for the cops had reason to believe
that all of these corner young men were
net gentle. religious souls.
But yesterday morning az the OF
night restaurant in Fourteenth street
rear the curb where Eastman died was
blazing and fairly well hfed with chauf-
feurs, young women with pale foces and
plush coats, unclagsihcd night workers,
ard. probably. q detective or 80.
obviously there were no policemen or
detectives in the immediate ncighbor-
hC cd on the street.
half BLOCK away stood three TAXI
cahs with their chauffcurs browsing in
= sde-Peter Bailey. 103 East iolss
street. oscar Tlttman. 343 West l4Ith
street. and Joe Speigel. Si3 East i1ith
street. Levine says hat the shots cams
fast. az fast as you can clap your hands.
There was no other noise that he heard.
Ue sped up the kioek stairs and emerged
on the southeast corner OF the intersec-
I stRw