Sydney’s Underworld.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 January 1923, Page 1

Sydney’s Underworld.

LIFE OF A CROOK. (Sydney “Sun.”) Tho underworld of Sydney is real. It revolves behind a smoke screen, but it's there. It has its laws, jealousies, pops ions, depressions, revelries—-but they’re all harsh and ugly. Tt doesn’t live. It justs slinks along—a work! with tho frills of life discoloured and tattered. Tt’s a democracy, perhaps, but a very crude one. Tts basis is fear and bate. Tts citizens fear and bate ;! c police and fear and hate each rtl.n. They cling together and help each other not so much because there is honor among crooks as because they're frightened. A crook knows that if ho doesn’t give reasonable 1 aid in a crisis he may expect an early morning call—perhaps 1 n.m.—from a bunch of men with guns ready to squirt lead at 1 nn. Now and then a king of crooks springs up—from nowhere. He pulled’ a big job, fools the police, and getaway with the dictatorship of tin- underworld. His coup i- whispered about. A few strong mem cluster around him. The rest, submit sullenly. He may be a square-jawed man in a -craggy flannel shirt. 11 ii.s King of tho Crooks— or he may lie a smartlooking fellow in three guinea boots and a tailored suit. A DANGEROUS CRIMINAL. Sydney had one of the last * epo not long ago. Tf a ‘detective, pointed him out to you in George Street, and told von that lit' was one of the most dangerous criminals in Australia. you would laugh. But it was no joke. This man worked some big schemes. At least, he was suspected of them. '! hey could never lie traced to him. He was too clover. . Finally tho police interrupted In, daring career with a murder barge lint, lie got. out, of it. Since then In' hasn’t made much fuss. But the king or 'the underworld has not much reach power. He doc.su t rule. IP’ is not the man you see nt the films, sitting in an upholstered chair in a lavish underground apartment hidden beside a subterranean canal, studying maps and flicking levers and pressing hell bullous, an I dispatching gangs of his licnchiiKii with a dignified wave ot his hand, to all corners of the city. Sometimes ho selects a crowd ol t. ■ I-, ( nii.li, and organises a b,g coup, hut not often. He is king more m name than an.'. I 'ling. . D - simply the presligo r the thing. Duller stars blink a! him in fearful ,vsp. ct—and the police wat-h him clo-ely. > ' KNOWN TO THE T*«»LK'S. ! Ail amazing thing about t'ns niider--1 world is that every crook admits that j,e i- a , rook, —sometimes li • boosts i ,it it. All ill', police know him mid he know.- all I'm police. )on will ~11,,n . ... e detective nod cli< erily to safe-blower in Hie -iror-K I 'icy even stop to speak to each other. “Hello. Jack! What arc you doing herovou‘l! hear a detective -ay. | And--' ! “Oli. i:i-1 keeping alb <• L> : "- i “The lasi lime 1 -aw mu was m ] Adelaide” ! “Yd-. I'vo just 'OHIO over. They’re almost- friends. r i lie detective knows that this man is a thinker and worker of the niiderworld. lull n" can't put. him in gaol. H> 'an i arrest a crook because lie i- a crons, lie must wait till he ran lay definite charge against him. .Meant time li, is civil. ~ Till-; p|{ f’.GS OF (Hi )0 DOM . Perhaps the most complete efforts at underworld organisation m "M l "’”' are among the park tent-- Lae m„n who sneak on young collides in the dark and blackmail them. They have the parks cut into sections. ’ Two men go to each. Ile y have sot boundaries and must not ! cari-v their operations past- them. Bid llic.-e men arc the dices. He real criminals the one- who plan rohherics and hold-ups-■-11.11' in di-gu-st at them. They're ostraci-cu. Still, they’re part ol the underworld this'blurred mysterious coiuinuuity ol slealthv outlaws.