Last weekend I visited an exhibition being held at the Police and Justice Museum in Sydney.
For those in Australia and/or for those about to visit Sydney, the museum is at Circular Quay and walking distance from The Rocks and Opera House.
The exhibition was called ‘Sydney’s Pubs: Liquor, Larrikins & the Law’.
Although I thought the exhibition a little light on information and “toys” – I soon left it to ogle over the antique police batons – one section really surprised me. It was the use of cut throat razors by the major crime gangs of the 1920s and 30s.
The two formidable Gang Leaders which emerged from the Era was Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh; ex-prostitutes who rose to the status of Madam of their own brothel, and then crime boss during the 1920s and 30s – very tough women who ran the stand-over men.
What surprised me even more is that they ran their gangs from pubs in the suburb of Darlinghurst, (my weekend haunt for brunch) which, due to the number of slashings a year (up to 300), was commonly known as Razorhurst.
I’ve always had an affinity with the Straight Razor (aka Cut Throat Razor)………………and I had to know more!
My research led me to an EXCELLENT book called “Razor” by Larry Writer. Sadly, it is now out of print and rare. The irony is that I borrowed a copy from Kings Cross Library, which is one of the suburbs that the razor gangs frequented. Coincidentally, the Library was hosting an Exhibition dedicated to the Razor Gangs of the 1920’s-30’s.
In this era, people could work around the law in justifying having a straight razor on their person. Furthermore, laws made it hard to prosecute an offender for using a straight razor.
I think this period of bloodshed can be summarized with an excerpt from the book “Razor” by Larry Writer (page 47)
“………….The razor is more effective than the revolver as a cash extractor. The sheen of its bright blade close to the cheek puts deadly fear into the heart of the victim…Razor gangs are terrorizing the underworld of Darlinghurst, that region of Bohemia, crime and mystery. The razors its members carry in their hands are feared far more than the revolver of the ordinary crook. Men who will defy the black muzzle quail before the bright blade held threateningly to their cheek. But even with their faces slashed open, victims refuse to speak when questioned by police. They know too well the fate that awaits them once the gang learns that they have allowed resentment to get the better of discretion. So they remain silent, and prefer to attempt revenge in their own way. It is all an underworld affair, to be settled in the underworld’s own drastic way and that is why a deep veil of mystery shrouds a carnival of bloodletting. Many have pledged themselves to “get” each other and there are at least two men who, should they meet face to face in their peregrinations, will stage a combat that should be short, sharp and utterly decisive…………”
From 1927 through to 1930 there were more than 500 recorded razor attacks, and these were the ones reported. I am certain there would be many more victims who kept silent.
So widespread was the use of the razor that in the late 1927 alone, (the early days of razor gang wars), police confiscated 66 razors from suspects searched in connections with crimes.
I think the point of this blog was not only to provide an interesting insight to a bygone era of Sydney, but also to show that a tool like the Straight razor, which a lot of “knife experts” scoff at its effectiveness in “combat” can be, and was used with devastating effect.
SPECIAL NOTE: The book “Razor” by Larry Writer is now out of print. Can I ask those who read this and are interested in works of this kind, to send an email to ELIZA….she works at the publishers of the book. If we can get enough requests, they may do a reprint of this FANTASTIC book.
