
A vivid portrait of early‑twentieth‑century New York emerges from this gritty, true‑to‑life chronicle of the city’s underworld. The author stitches together first‑hand accounts from police dossiers, gangster confessions and political whispers, revealing a world where law, crime and power are tangled in a three‑way dance. From smoky wine‑cellars on Park Row to the bustling Bowery, the narrative captures the restless energy of a metropolis battling vice, reformers, and the ever‑present threat of a “death chair” courtroom.
Through the eyes of figures like Chick Tricker—a saloon keeper turned street‑wise impresario—the reader meets corrupt officials, relentless detectives, and the everyday hustlers who survive on a quarter a day. The book’s tone is both journalistic and intimate, letting the reader hear the clamor of organ music, the bark of a lost dog, and the whispered codes that bind the city’s hidden society. It offers a compelling, unvarnished glimpse into a slice of history that feels as immediate as a street corner conversation.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (331K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Widger from page images generously provided by the Internet Archive
Release date
2016-05-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1857–1914
Known for vivid Western stories and sharp reporting, this American writer moved easily between frontier fiction and big-city journalism. His work helped popularize the West for Eastern readers while also taking on corruption in New York politics.
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