The New York herald., 1920-12-27

coat and vest open and pressed hand
70 the wetering breast He thought he
had detected heart beat and then some
one rang for an ambulance. Before II
had arrived Bailey heaved the inert body
into his taxicab and drove furiously 70
St Vincent's Hospital.
But Monk Eastman had died. There
were five bullets in his bulky frame and
all fired at short range-pont blank. as
the detectives say. There Were two
bullets i'm his right forearm and one in
the left, Just above the wrist one
bullet had torn his broad. thick hand like
shrapnel might. The fifth had plunged
into his left breast. just above the heart.
and IL was this one that killed the Monk.
Bill Funston, afting captain OF detec-
tives. and two of his men, Jack Bottle
and Wilson Gilkerson, were put TO work
on the murder at once and IL was Bottle
and Gilkerson who identified the body.
And thus far that's the story OF the
death of one of the toughest most pic
turesque, cruellest gangsters that Amer
ica has developed.
The newspapers have said and clergy
men have preached that Monk Eastman
had reformed, that he was purified by
fire In the great war. through which he
served in the 106th Infantry. Twenty
seventh Division. And here IL Is but fair
TO his memory to say that he served
bravely and honestly and voluntarily.
However. the police are of another
opinion regarding what has happened
since. They say that the Monk was
gradually going back to his old haunts
and ways that they had been suspect
Ing him of bootlegging. OF loft robbing,
OF drug peddling and even Of taking
hand In the daily robberies and hold-ups.
They say that they learned things re-
Gently that inspired them to search for
him and trace HIS movements from Will
iamsburg to Delaney street. where once
his name was q thing to strike fear, in
sure obedience and open locked doors.
Police on His Trail Again.
They say that they traced him on
Friday night from his home at sol
briggs avenue. Williamsburg, to an all
night restaurant. where he was seen
talking to two girls and a tall. thin man
who carried a travelling bag And
there the trail ends.
Detectives of Lieut.. Funston's staff
went to the briggs avenue address last
night and stripped Eastman's room,
carrying everything across me river to
police headquarters In Manhattan. There
they examined it but hurriedy. and said
they found nothing that would shed any
light on the murder of the former gang
ster. SO far as the police have been
able to ascertain few of the former
1ntimates of Monk knew where he had
lived recently Even his friend, Charley
Jones' or Fat" Jones as he is known
said that he hadn't known Monks ad-
dress for some time.
Fat" Jones is the proprietor o. an
autompbile accessories shop at e2s East
Twentieth street. He went to the morgue
Yesterday to see the body, but was told
to return to-day
Il don't care what they say" said
Fat. 'the Monk had gone straight
since he came home from France. He's
dead now and a lot of guys who didn't
have tenth of the CUTS that Jack
had are now knocking him and saying
that he was going bad again. II ain't
so, and / know. When the Monk came
back from over there / took lTim i'm
my place as sort OF half partner. you
know--paid him fifty bucks n week and
the Monk told me that he was through
with rough work and was going TO try
10 hit it on the level.
"And maybe you don't know It. but
the Monk got married after he came
back from France. Yes. he got mar
ried. and to tell you the truth. 1 don't
know where his wife is now.
lack cut loose from the old mob
after doing his last bit and coming out
VI Clhk solil6+ was III Tie OIls -5tNtllil
Regiment with him. but didn't get
across. He came back and told me he
was for the straight stuff from then
on. and I gave him lift.
Finally he said he was tired Of the
automobile business and wanted TO set
UP bird store over on Broadway.
Brooklyn. You'll laugh at that-Monk
Eastman running a bird store with
canaries and bluejays and parrots. 1t
does sound funny, ! admit. but on the
level he did start that bird shop and
kept at IL for a while. Whether he
owned II at the time OF his murder l
don't know. And so far as I know
Jacks mother and father. who were
nice old folks with nothing in the world
20 be ashamed OF. are dead. and there's
only a sister and his wife left"
Real Name William Delaney.
Monk Eastman's real name was Will
lam Delaney. He was born on the East
side of Irish parents in that era when
there was no Sullivan law and the nght-
ing was done with fists and clubs and
now and then brick The Irishman was
the bully boy OF tho East Side those days
The Italian and the Jew had not made
their appearance in any great number
Neither had the gunman entered the pic
ture. nor the stiletto. Fighting meant
with. The Sullivan law. drawn to keep
down the rising power OF the new type
of gangster. reacted to abolish the Irish
gangs. which may have been rough, but
they seldom shot.
The Monk (no one called him Bill or
Delaney paid little II any attention to
education. He lived in Delaney street
and fought his way up in the open ali
His police record is not In keeping with
his sinister reputation which is not an
unusual feature of the New York
gangster. He had few aliases--John
Eastman. Joeeph Morris. John Marvin
and Monk, a title thrust upon him by his
fellows. who admired his ability to
Chamber up or down building side TO
affect entrance 20 lofts and upper stories.
He was arrested the first time i'm De-
cember. 1892, charged with assault
Myrteriously the necessary witnesses
failed 20 appear and the Monk was dis
charged.
Eastman went out to establish himself
20 brand new bully in 1908. and he
gathered about him a bunch OF lads who