The New York herald., 1921-01-30
Hell's Kitchen Goes

~ RIDERS were posted on the big bull
Ietin board in Police Headquarters
few days ago ending the existence
of the West Thirty-seventh street police
station and instructing the officers in COM
mand of the two stations nearest adjoining
the West Forty and the West Thir
tieth-to absorb the old territory.
Coming at the height of a "crime wave"
the wiping out of entire police precinct
seemed to be a surprising action. In the
department, however, not even the can
tankerous veterans who now and then gnaw
inwardly at the brain functionings of the
big chief" and who WILL on persuasion.
voice their true feelings. were disposed To
criticise the order. 1t meant that "Hells
Kitchen" once the most notorious of all
gang rendezvous of a gang ridden city. had
been blotted out of police record, and out
Of police mind.
The old timers had seen it coming The
old station house near the Ninth avenue
corner, police stronghold since 1870 which.
according to the department tradition had
housed in it's time more murderers and cut
throats than any other precinct station Of
the city. had of late years been degraded to
penning in petty thieves and weak boy
bandits. The master gunmen had at last
been rounded up and packed off up the
river for long terms, and their followers
scattered.
Cops had to walk post by twos in the
fierce, gun fighting days, and even then they
walked in expectation of being showered
from above with bricks, or shot at by a
Sinking murderer crouched In doorway
1t was Owney Maddens famous stamping
ground held in fief by might of speaking
revolvers and flashing knives. The Gophers
sometimes contested this clannishness and
gang wars resulted that made famous read
ing, and many casualties, but back I'm 1914
Owney himself fell into police hands and
was sent away by Judge in General Ses-
sions for fourteen year bit. "Hell's
Kitchen which two years before had be-
gun to experience the throes OF a reform
movement backed by John d. Rockefelle~
who put up $250000 settlement house
turned over a new leaf from that moment.
The district roughly extended west of
Ninth avenue to the river between Thir-
tieth and Forty streets the neigh
boring gang to the south being the still IA
nous Hudson Busters. Tanner" Smith was
the last gunman of "Hes Kitchen" to gain
newspaper notoriety, and he was murdered
by his best friend more than year ago
over a woman, IL was supposed But Tan
ner" Smiths case was the only big incident
of the more peaceful days that had befallen.
Trains of freight cars moved undisturbed
over the Chelsea tracks. and the switchmen
who used to pack revolvers case Of trouble
turning up" leaned on their flag sticks and
came out of their shanties at night to shoe
children from the path of locomotives There
was time whenNhe children did not play
at night In that district, and when they be-
came accustomed to listening for the sicken-
ing crack that meant another killing was
on. Then would come the police reserves,
rushing heavily. firing volley upon volley
and breaking down doors But the new gen.
GRAFTON is not Huck Finn clan ard has
never smelled the smoke of gun battle.
Battle Row." which was the term applied
TO Thirty-nnth street at Eleventh avenue,
has been unmarked by bullets for dozen
years. The Forty Thieves" roysterers who
used to crack heads of comrades with beer
bottles when no greater amusement was
stirring. disappeared without forming
alumni association. and the end has come.