he gang, Saul and Howlett by name, mere lads
both, were arrested, convicted, and executed, and for a while a stop was
put to the robberies in the harbor; but in course of time the infamous
trade was resumed, but without its old accompaniment of murder. It is at
present carried on with great activity in spite of the efforts of the
police to put a stop to it. The North River front of the city is
troubled with but one gang of these ruffian's, which has its headquarters
at the foot of Charlton street. This front is lined with piers which are
well built, well lighted, and well guarded, being occupied chiefly by
steamboats plying on the river, and by the foreign and coasting
steamships. The East River is not so well guarded, the piers are dark,
and the vessels, mostly sailing ships, are left to the protection of
their crews. It is in this river, therefore, and in the harbor, that the
principal depredations of the river thieves are carried on. "Slaughter
House Point," the intersection of James and South streets, and so called
by the police because of the many murders which have occurred there, is
the principal rendezvous of the East River thieves. Hook Dock, at the
foot of Cherry street, is also one of their favorite gathering places.

The life of a river thief is a very hard one, and his gains, as a rule,
are small. He is subjected to a great deal of manual labor in the effort
to secure his plunder, and is exposed to all sorts of weather. Night
work in an open boat in New York harbor is not favorable to longevity,
and in eight or ten years the most robust constitution will give way
before the constant attacks of rheumatism and neuralgia. There would be
some compensation to society in this but for the fact that the police,
whose duty it is to watch the river thieves, suffer in a similar way.

The river thieves generally work in gangs of three and four. Each gang
has its rowboat, which is constructed with reference to carrying off as
much plunder as possible, and making the best attainable time when chased
by the harbor police. The thieves will not go out on a moonlight or even
a bright starlight night. Nights when the darkness is so thick that it
hides everything, or when the harbor is covered with a dense fog, are
most favorable to them. Then, emerging from their starting point, they
pull to the middle of the stream, where they lie-to long enough to
ascertain if they are observed or followed. Then they pull swif