davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27
SUNDAY BECOMES BUSY
DAY FOR SOCIETY HERE.

| Tuesday, Washington's Birthday,
was the big day of a busy week
busy from Sunday morning to Sat
urday night, inclusive. Sunday is
getting to be as busy a day socially
as any in the week. Sunday en-
tertaing is quite the thing-all sorts
of parties, except dances. and If
the blue Sunday advocates half real
lied what they were up against
right here in Washington, they
might not be very sanguine of re-
forming the country by Federal en-
actment.
There were fully a dozen big din
ners last Sunday, not to mention
a large number of luncheons and
tea parties. One of the most in
teresting parties was the luncheon
given by the Ambassador Of Peru
and Nine. Pezet. 1t was Peruvian
party, and the Pezets give one prac-
tically every Sunday. The menu
is always prepared by the Ambas-
sador himself. He not only in
vents the recipe, but actually
cooks the main dishes. He does
not cook on a chafing dish, either.
but does a very businesslike op-
Grafton over the gas range in the
kitchen of their private apartment
at wardman Park Hotel. They are
intimate little affairs and much en-
joyed by those privileged to par
ticipate in them and they say that
the Ambassador Is as good COOK as
he is clever fiplomatist.
SECRETARY MEREDITH
ENTERTAINs Co-WORkERS.
Monday was rather quiet, with
only few dinners on the program,
and a farewell party given by the
Secretary Of Agriculture, Edwin T.
Meredith for the men who have been
working with him while he has
been in the Cabinet. But Tuesday
made up for what Monday lacked.
People were wishing they were
three and four people instead Of
one SO as to. go to all the parties
they were asked to. There was the
big reception and buffet luncheon
given for Gen. Pershing by the
members of the Army and Navy
Club; a brilliant affair with many
bands and bright uniforms and good
food and a good time. That night
Gen. Pershing was the honor guest
at a dinner which Gen. and Mrs.
Dennis Nolan gave at Rauscher's
before the dance which a group of
army people gave there. Many din
ners preceded that dance, Col. and
Mrs. David King entertaining in
compliment to the Secretary Of War
and Mrs. Newton D. Baker.
+ +
HONORARY DEGREES GIVEN
AT GEORGE WASHINGTON.
The Army and Navy Juniors. the
members of the young army and
navy set gave one of their tea
dances that afternoon and then
there were the convocation exer.
cises at the George Washington
when a group of diplo-
mats, statesmen and several women,
Julia NARROW. Mrs. Francis Parkin-
SON Keyes, wife of Senator Henry
Wilder Keyes, and Miss Mabel T.
Boardman received honorary de-
grees. The Toward Resides gave
a costume ball; the Riding and
HUNT Club gave their weekly mu-
sical drill and supper dance; the
oinner dance at the Maison Dupont |
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27


.. George W. Johnston will be
the speaker at the Library talk on
Saturday afternoon. his theme being
'woman's Changed Position in the
World, as Reelected in the Drama" :"
On Saturday evening Mr.. Paul
Bleyden will present IAN Evening
in Persian Garden" a song cycle
for four voices. Those taking part
wiz be Mrs. Lawrence Grogan, So
prano; Mrs. Bernise Randall. mezzo-
soprano; Mr.. Frank Haneke, basso;
Mr.. Paul Bleyden, tenor; Mrs. Paul
Bleyden at the piano; assisted by
Mrs. Maud Howell Smith, reader,
and DR.. George w. Johnston.
At the board meeting on Tuesday
evening Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catr
and Miss Julia Marlowe were unan-
imously elected honorary members
OF the club. The following new
members were elected: Miss Eliza
beth Hayden. Mrs. Kate c. Hough,
Mrs. Frances p. Stratton. Miss Clara
L. Smith, Mrs Alfred p. Thorn, Mrs.
G. II. Wilcox. Mrs. +. p. Weller,
Mrs w. Bayley. Mrs. Maud p. Ford,
Mrs. Leon H. Herbert. Mrs. A. E.
Lapine, Mrs. Oliver Smith, Miss
Mary d. Smith. Mrs. Charles War
ren. Mrs. Monica B. woodell and
Miss Olive Pollock. Miss Maud r.
cavanagh was elected a member of
the, board. in place of Mrs. Agnes
w. Wtckersham, resigned, and ap-
pointed chairman of the law and
legislation committee.
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27
COLLEGE woMEN,s CLUE
PLAN FOR BUSY WEEK.

Mrs. Lewis c. Ecker, chairman of
section two, Is in charge of the pro-
gram at the tea at the College wom-
ems Club tomorrow, February 2s,
from to 6. DR.. Louis A. Bauer.
director Of the department of terres-
trial magnetism, will talk Of his trim
to Liberia, using lantern slides. Mrs.
Joseph {: Zirkle will be at the tea
table and Miss Jane Bartlett will
assist. There will be q reception
Wednesday, March o, with Mrs.
Henry White In charge. There wifi
be q musical program and Mrs. Eu-
gene Stevens will read selections
from her own stories. DR.. II. I.
Shantz, Of the Department of ARri-
culture, will be the speaker at the
club luncheon. Saturday. March ne.
The subject Of his talk will be "a
Year in Africa" Miss Fanny E
Barnett. 141o Girard street north
west is in charge of the reserva-
lions. which are limited to atty,
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27
Essadished 1907
.Jnoses3So,,s
F"cs.ss: c@s:.. + anS Eleventh Sheets u.i.;. ..s:

Monday, February 26th sUW mark the close of Goth
Anniversary and February Furniture Sale Your last op
portqnity to take advantage of the Liberal Discounts Of
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27

sure the success of the dancing
Miss Catherine A Newton is in gem
eral charge of the arrangements
and Is being assisted by a commit
tee of debutantes. The list of pa
tronesses includes: Mrs. Whitman
Cross, Mrs. H. Barrett Learned, Mrs.
VIM. Kent, Mrs. Robt. s. Woodward.
Mrs. U. q. B. Pierce, Mrs. Richard
Fay Jackson, Mrs. F. A. Holton,
Mrs. E. B. Eynon, Mrs. George F.
Authier, Mrs. Cato Sells. Mrs. Geo.
A. Kicker. Mrs. william Howard
Hunter. Mrs. BENZ. E. Smith, Mrs.
Truman Able, Mrs. L. K. Abbott,
Mrs. Joseph Stewart, Mrs. VIM. H.
Dali, Mrs. ]. Mcdonald Stewart and
Miss Helen Nicolay.
The ladies of the "Rector's Aid"
OF All Souls Memorial Church,
Cathedral avenue, near Connecticut
avenue. will hold in the parish hall
four Bake Sales on the afternoons
OF each Saturday in March from 2
to 8. They win have on hand good
homemade pies, cakes, rolls and
bread. and will serve with pleasure
all who will be good enough to
avail themselves Of this opportunity.
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27

There will be an open card evening
Wednesday, March 16.
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27

Capt William S. Kilmer, Corps Of
Engineers, in this city, has been as
signed to duty with the Fifth En-
gineers at Camp Meade, Md.
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27

First Lieuts. George W. Booth,
infantry. and Hugo p. Wise and
Vincent P. Ryan, cavalry, have been
placed on the retired list as cap
tains. on account of disabilities in
cident to the service.
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27
lew DIPLOMATS MAKE THEIR BOW HERE
coxrIxusD yaox PAGE ONE.

Meanwhile there is q perfect pro-
eession Of diplomats arriving or re-
turning after an absence, Last
Tuesday the Aquitania brought
three-Sir Auckland Geddes. the
British Ambassador, and Boris
Bakhmeteff. the Russian, return
ing. and Alfred SEE. the Chinese
minister. arriving. Their ship was
held up 1T quarantine because Of
The typhus which Is raging In
European ports-and IL would be In
teresting to know just how It hap
pened that while the Russian and
the Chinese diplomats were held on
board over night, the British Am
bassador was allowed to land and
got TO Washington only a very lit
tie later than he had planned.
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27

Capt. Wesley c. Cox. Medical
Corps, at the Army Medical School,
this city, has been assigned to duty
at Balboa Heights. Panama Canal
Zone.
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27

Maj. G. Soulard Turner, United
States Infantry, has been placed on
the retired list as a colonel, to
which grade he would have been
promoted by reason of seniority IL
he had remained on the active list.
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27

Maj. Howard H. Bailey, Medical
Corps. has been relieved from duty
at Washington barracks and or
dered to Baltimore for duty as
professor of military science and
tactics at the Johns Hopkins Medi-
cal School.
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27

The President has awarded q dis
tinguished service cross to Capt.
Roy r. Kriechbaum. One Hundred
and Twelfth Infantry, for extra
ordinary heroism in action near
Fismette, France. August 9, 1918,
in which he was severely wounded
in both legs.
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27
Clearance Sale of Grass and Fiber RUGS
Representing that do intend carry spring


to carry into the new spring
The Washington herald., 1921-02-27

And by the way, Mai. George
Oakley Totten, jr., has cards out for
a musicale this evening at that de-
lightful studio of his. He doesn't
announce his artists. and it is an
amusing fact that George Totten,
who proclaims loudly that he
doesn't know the first thing about
music" should be addicted to musi-
Gals. But some one who does know
picks his artists for him, and his
musical parties are always q treat
both a. music aud a. partiesI
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-18

inclined say some the place became known
Helfs Kitchen.
You might go on indefinitely, perhaps, set
ting forth all manner of stories having to
do with the naming Of the district Some
say that the district was so known because
Of a saloon that existed next to where
Jacobs piano factory was later erected. That
saloon they say was known as Hells
Kitchen for reasons too obvious to require
telling. The districts favorite battle ground
adjoned this saloon This battle ground was
known as Sebastopo although if the truth
be known about both the celebrated Crimean
affair and it's Thirty-ninth street namesake
II is safe to say that the latter site was
modestly named
But that saloon dominated the district.
Therein the rough boys Of the neighbor-
mood congregated to receive their orders
whether they be concerned with repeating
at the polls, disabling enemy Of Tam
many, disposing of stool pigeon, robblng
a warehouse or doing battle with an enemy
mob. And this version has It, the name Of
Hells Kitchen spread to the entire district.
Even the children were tough. They had
TO be. There was no such thing as the
shelter and protection of the family roof.
The family roof in Hels Kitchen was
light affair given to frequent flights and
shifts veteran teacher In the public
SCHOOLS BfdClDuslN CpHlIibulcu all
tive example of child life in Hells Kitchen.
Young Murphy" demanded this teacher
OF one OF her problems one day. did you
give your mother that note | sent to her
by you yesterday"
Teacher yesm," whined young Murphy,
who hsA recently become 2 years old.
"what did she say?"
Teacher yes'm, she didn't say nothin',"
responded young Murphy. she gimme
slam in the jaw"
Murphy don't talk like that in this
school," said the teacher III your mother
chastised you say so II she whipped you
for dsobedience here in school, say so. But
don't say she slammed you lnAthe Jaw Now
I ask you again. What did your mother
say?'
Young Murphy tried hard.
Teacher. yes'm she didn't say nothin
he repeated. "She didn't do nothin YOU
said She gimme a slap in the puss."
The same teacher offered another sample
of Hells Kitchen precocity.
very small girl, probably 10 or n, APP
peared al school one bitter morning IN the
middle of January. She had been absent
the day before.
Margaret" asked the teacher, where
were you yesterday"
please, ma'am, | couldn't be here. had
TO be in court
Court WHY"
please. ma'am. I couldn't help IL Me
father killed me mother night before last"
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-18

four o'clock in the afternoon. He might
have just as we'll stayed at home and shot
himself
And there was a three-hour battle be-
tween the Kitchen and the cops on June rs.
Just before that, twelve of the sons of some
of the Kitchens most representative citizens
were sent to Sing Sing for crime so brutal
as to inspire ringing cheer for the electric
chair. Only, in this case. the unhappy girl
did not die so the dozen sons of Helps
Kitchen live in cells
See the police records. Turn back-read
back-for twenty months. Take note that
Just about a year ago the Kitchen killed
Patrolman Joe Nolan, Dan Neville's chum
and patrol partner In those twenty months
the police have said, time after time. that
Helrs Kitchen had been reformed; that 1t
had been policed to death; that 1t was
gangless and pacific; that as a news source
II had become Sahara
Probably the police believed that. Maybe
they had done everything constables could
to insure the Kitchen against further out
breaks. Every time such talk issued from
Police Headquarters Hell's Kitchen devoted
an evening to showing the city that there
was nothing whatever to the rumor.
II is utterly correct, therefore. to say
that while 1t is more difficult to be tough
in Hell's Kitchen these days the district Is
as ready as ever to do it's bit Of killing
manning. robbing and the like. Ii is true
that Owney Madden and his boys have been
scattered and otherwise disposed of Quite
a few of them are seeing to II that whiskey
from the Bahama Islands reaches the
parched American throat. Furthermore
Tanner Smith is no more Splitting William
was blown to his ancestors one beautiful
Sunday morning on Eleventh avenue to the
vast sorrow OF lady named Burns-Euchre
Kate Burns, to be specific. Euchre Kate
IL the prevailing legends be trustworthy
was by all means the champion heavy
weight female brick hurler of the district
She was married to rough lad upon whom
the ceremony had not made deep impress
sion until he heard of the undoubted affinity
of Kate for Splitting William Therefore
they always thought that II was Hates
husband who did the shooting that carried
William OFF.
And Rubber Shaw, Goo Goo Knox, stump
Maarkey, Honey Stewart, Up Town O'Brien
and other celebrities Of recent and pre-
Gaynor Helrs Kitchen are more. But
their spirits still survive. Gone the
Gophers, the Parlor Mob, the Owney Mad
dens and the Hudson Busters organiza-
TONS but their common philosophy is
breathed still In Hells Kitchen.
1t was at least fifty years ago that this
tumultuous district became known as Helrs
Kitchen. The reasons therefor are various.
There was a saloon on the north side of
Thirty ninth street between Tenth and
Eleventh avenues. There was barketp in
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-18
Police Joyful Mood Dr
Asassns Keeping Up district Record

OF such was Helrs Kitchen. AS far as
can be gathered from sources that should
be accurate. the gangster of Hell's Kitchen
was widely different from the East Side
type. Probably the East Side gangster was
more vicious Certainly he did not have
the individual courage of the West Side
thug. There was far more individualism
about the Hudson busters. the Owney Mad
dens the Gophers. the Forty Thieves and
the Parlor Mob. Members Of these bands
operated in pairs or singly quite often. Such
was their propensity for combat that fire.
quently they fought among themselves. The
Irish and the Germans predominated, with
the former overwhelmingly in the majority
And each Irish lad was politician. That
OF itself precluded sustained harmony.
Just because Of this the police had to
adopt different methods Of dealing with
Hells Kitchen. on the East Side a gang
was dispersed temporarily at least. BY ar
resting its leaders. Virtually every gang
ster was leader in Hell's Kitchen. After
various experiments, during which the
ranks of the police force were thinned
Bit the cops hxed upon the scheme of falling
upon Hers Kitchen every so often and in
discriminatory clubbing and black lacking
every one with whom they came in CON
tact. No questions were asked. II made
no difference who was met. Mistakes were
made, OF course, but after time such
methods had their effect.
For years Owney Madden ruled Hell's
Kitchen. Now and then venturesome
Gophers from up between Forty -third street
and Fifty-nlnth street contested the Mad
den rule but never successfully. Despite
the police and jealous rivals the Bear Asso-
citation, the Twin Oaks. the Royal Oaks, the
Yankee Doodle Boys the Raleigh Athletic
Club, the Liberty Athletic Club and the
90 Ahead Boys continued to flourish.
Generally these lads were Shenangos.
A Shenango Is a chap who works now and
then on the docks. He never works more
than two or three days AZ a time and only
that when the burglary market is in a
slump. II appears that the Shenango was
peculiar to Hell Kitchen. At least the
term II.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-18
tchen Drops From Real Battling to Mere Murder

Tanners friends killed Rubber by way OF
retaliation. The spell had been broken.
Battle Row (Thirty-ninth street and Elev-
enth avenue) was the last corner Of the
Kitchen to acknowledge that a new day had
dawned. But even Battle Row showed signs
OF decadence Now and then there would
be riot or maybe killing. Every so often
the police would raid the Row and emerge
with bags OF stolen goods and half dozen
degenerate youths stupid with cocaine, NOR
phine, heroin or opium. The spirit Of Battle
Annie had gone, for even the women folks
saw their men hauled out by the neck or
heels with never a blow and seldom curse
in rebuttal.
Gone were the days when all a real Hells
Kitchen youth needed for killing was VIC
tim and one one-hundredth OF an excuse
Drugs Have Had Full Effect
In Changing Character of Gunner
But gone Is all this The killer in Helrs
Kitchen stll exists. But he IS little fell
low. Drugs have captured him and made
a degenerate of him. Where once he
cracked safes he now robs poor boxes.
snatches working girls purses and turns
off small billiard rooms. Where once he
fought like a wildcat he now fights like
the cornered skunk, the rat. the coyote.
The killing OF Dan Neville was brutal and
reminiscent OF the old days. It creates
stir to-day in Helrs Kitchen and folks begin
to see in IL q revival OF the early days of
Owney Madden and his band. But It was
only flare, an echo, the police say
And just TO fulfil early promise to say
word more about Splitting William the fol-
lowing popular legend Of that worthy Is
offered:
At one stage In his early life the Splitting
one worked in a spice factory. He learned
to chew particularly bitter Oriental Glove
that must have burned Williams hard
mouth fearfully at first. Obviously. how
ever he got used to il. Later he took to
mixing his favorite chewing spice with to-
bacco. by sheer accident the Splitting one
learned that the juice produced was an al
most lmpregnable defence against arrest
Thrice Splitting William was about TO be
taken in charge by policemen for various
and sundry msdemeanors and on each oc-
casion ne IS alleged TO have spat binding
flood OF tobacco and spice sQuarely into the
unsuspectng officers face, taking great
care that the eyes missed as little OF the
admixture as possible. Naturally the Spit
ting one was gone before the blinded cop
could claw and mop the stun from his eyes
II was not 50 easy for the police to visit
vengeance upon Splitting William as Il might
seem to-day. The word went out that he
was ali through splitting In the faces OF
policemen; that the cops had decided TO
do all the splitting when next they and
William met Their splitting was TO be left
to their revolvers.
But before they had the pleasure OF per-
forating Splitting william Euchre Hates
husband appeared upon Eleventh avenue
and. as this story has said. killed William in
defence Of his honor. Probably the Splitting
one was unarmed at the time. that In was
out of tobacco and cloveA
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-18

this particular gin mill known to fame as
Mallet Murphy.
One evening, the boys feeling bit
cramped and deciding TO make changes In
the map of Manhattan, fight with the
San Juan Hill denizens was started. Clever
tactics drew the San Juan lads into Thirty
ninth street and the Hells Kitchen warriors.
fighting in their own yard, buried their foes
beneath tons of bricks neatly hurled from
the cliffs running to the Eleventh avenue
corner.
In due time police arrived in great mum
bers. Great numbers were required. Patrol
men on duty in and nearby Hell's Kitchen
in those days walked in pairs. But on this
particular occasion four men were killed
end forty injured There had not been much
gun fighting, for the predominant racial
strain was Irish. and the Irish never be-
came gun fighters until forced to In self
protection. They used clubs and bricks
boots and fists. 1t took longer to kill
man that way, but the process was more to
the liking of the Hells Kitchen heart.
This place." observed a rookie cop ac-
cording to tradition, lis hell itself"
"Hell's mild climate" was the reputed
answer of veteran. Its Hells Kitchen
no less"
Ask present day cops how the place be-
came known as Hell's Kitchen and the con
sensus OF opinion has II that the women
of the district were responsible. II might
be stretching point to refer to the adher-
ents of Annie Welsh as a gang or a mob.
Certainly II would fall short of gallantry.
Yet, they say, Annie Welsh and her lady
friends could do more actual execution
when irritated than most OF the bands Of
their men folk.
Annie gained the wholly merited nom DE-
guerre OF Battle Annie, and, II Is said she
gathered around her twenty or twenty
Amazons who having washed the supper
dishes or having thrown them at their hus
bands, were wont TO assemble in the back
room of saloon near Tenth avenue and
drink beer After a measure of beer drink
ing II would occur to Annie that housewife
In Thirty-eighth street had insuted her or
had made unfiatterng allusion to her young
est offspring.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-18
Date of It's Decline rs Vague,
But Leaders Passing rs Blamed

II Is difficult TO define the date when the
Heil's Kitchen gangster began to decline In
strength and daring. But II is wholly likely
that the arrest and conviction Of Owney
Madden himself In 1914 marked the begin
ming OF this retrogression. owney was sent
to Sing Sing to serve fourteen years. Tan
ner Smith sought to gather up the reins
that Owney dropped. but the Tanner was
not quite big enough for the job He lacked
the leadership OF Owney. Eventually he lost
control and one night Rubber Shaw shot
the Tanner to death IN the latter's own
club 1t did not mend matters that the
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-18
Stories About the Place
Any One of Which Might Serve

Annie then became Battle Annie. With
her Valkyries following on, she would de-
scend upon the Thirtyeighth street hussy
and a fight that lacked only a more worthy
cause and vaster numbers to be classified
with that which occurred at Montfaucon
was on. That these engagements were not
OF the hair pulling and face scratching
variety is seen in the fact that now and
then lady" was done to death or was
permanently blinded or was so scalded or
rolling pinned that she subsequently died.
And because the women folks were thus
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-18
of Patroiman Neville
Latest of the District Outrages

Imbuing Hell's Kitchen with unity, peace
and concord is analogous to tanning fuii
blown timber wolf with a view TO making
the latter a pal for the youngsters. sooner
or later not to say ever and anon, the wolf
Is going to deny IT,
Recently courageous patrolman-Daniei
j. Nevile--was shot to death in true gang
ster style and within a hundred yards OF
the site of the saloon that once fourished
under the name of Hells Kitchen. Previous
TO the killing of Neville, the Kitchen had
been fairly well behaved. To be sure
youth from San Juan Hill, just to the north,
had been shot and stabbed to death week
before Mt the corner of Eleventh avenue
and Thirty ninth street. He had taken II
upon himself to throw four seyens in sue
cession the first time the bones passed into
his Keeping. Not only that; he did it at