The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-03-06
NEW YORK, SUNDAY MORNING. MARCH 6, 1912.

gered-others in the service Of warrants, subpGBas,
notices and messages-all authorized to arrest,
| without warrant, all ofender-will, in the day
time, constitute every where present preventive
and corrective police, knowing every body, and OBJ
| servant Of new corners aud unusual movements.
Men skilled in criminal investigation used TO the
trail Of crime and the tricks Of the Oldest adopts
familiar with all public places, and conversant with
| all private haunts, the distinguished by their
| dress, but a number without mark or badge-hun-
dreds of eyes 10 watch, and hundreds Of hands 10
| seize, they will be never failing terror to evil
| doors, check upon crime, and sure and speedy
| means Of detection. While on the subject Of the
| day police, the committee cannot avoid pressing
upon the Common Council the importance Of a
| workhouse. as most valuable auxiliary 10 the po-
| lice. The thrifless and strolling beggars-the
| neglected and tempted, vet untaught and uncsn-
trolled, children Of both sexes-the idle Migrants
of all descriptions can in no way be so well dis
posed Of for their own good and that OF the CON-
| munity, as by sending them TO workhouse, where
they may earn their bread aud be deprived Of the
com NOR excuse that they can get nothing TO do.
In the night time, when the most dangerous
| crimes are committed, will the duty of The police
men be the most arduous. but il Will not be more
arduous than the usual labor OF the more aborlous
trades, and much less than that of hands steam
boats and railroads, or on shipboaId. They will
be able, and it should be their duty to take their
usual rest before going to their stations and there
be no hardship in their remaining ON Their sta
| tions half the night, in of extraordinary
| emergency, all night. The simple reform Of
making the watch station, right lines as near
ana AOt rOunQ DlOck more thon ire Die
their usefulness and efficiency making each STATEN
only fve-eighths of mile, three hundred men will
| fill up the city, and at the moderate pace Of two
and half miles an hour, they may visit every part
Of their stations twice in thlrtyfive minutes, du
ring which time each station will have been also
crossed several times by the watchmen, in the
| streets, at uncertain and lrregul.r intervals The
| watch will be set at sunset, and not discharged
| until sunrise. The day police to remain
duty until the watch is set, and the watch to remain
duty till relieved AT no time in the dusk Of the
evening, when the citizen IS most careless, or in
| the gray of the morning, when closest locked in
sumber, is the city to be left unguarded, as it is
| now. The Waterman armed with his club, and his
lantern at his belt, usually dark, but ready,
casion may require, to throw its light into dark
places and areas, and upon the faces Of night
i pre- wlers-with watch-hOuses near. and magis-
trates at hand-it cannot be doubted that the etfi-
cheney of the watch would be ten fold what il now
EThe presence of the Magistrates and Policemen,
in all their capacitiesc constantly the look out
| for offenders, will prevent first offences; many
will be hindered from taking that first step in
| the downward pat of crime which impunity soon
changes into the hurried and accelerated rush TO
ruin that too often closes the of unpunished
first offenders: How many families would be
saved from ruin-how many young men kept in
honest course-how mach pifering, embe excitement
and theft would be prevented if the haunts of vice
were visited by policemen, at all hours of the day
| and night, and the names Of those who frequent
them noted, taken to their employers or their pa
| rents, communicated to the police magistrates as
suspicious persons, and compelled, by giving evi.
dence against each Other. to publish their own
/ shame. How often old offenders will be compel.
| led to hesitate and wait for better chances and
| a surer prospect of mpunity when the ministers
Of the law shall not be at hand. The continual
| posture to observation by those who are watching
his movements and have power to arrest him
without waiting till Co nplaint can be made
| and q warrant issued-wi,h the fact that punish
| ment will follow 60 close upon crime, in usual
cases, that ans Of escape and contrivances 10
shove by justice and buy cut the law cannot be
tured-will destroy the hope Of impunity. now thee
great evil and make the occupation of the greatest
| adept one of much hazard and so small profit
here, that he will fad few apprentices and will
seek other places to practice his art is only the
certainty Of detection and the uncertainty Of the
timo, and place, and manner that the minister Of
the law shall lay his hand upon the guilty-the
knowledge that Judges are constantly in session in
every part Of the city inquring into suspected Of
fences, collecting testimony which shall overwhelm
those who fancy thenselves most secure; that there
are officers without number, who are always the
trail OF crime but constantly and noiselessly fol-
lowing the footsteps Of the criminally disposed,
that can operate to prevent old offenders. We can
not radically reform them life Of guilt and hab-
its of crime cannst be easily changed by human law;
il we can prevent first offences anu iAtimidate
old culprits, we shall have wrought our change
whoa one generation Of criminals shall have pass.
| cd away, (and they last but about i've years,) and
then preventive system will show its fair effect.
The great mass OF criminals are such emily because
they are tempted, The sight of means TO do i'll
i
| cy to crime 10 innate, are very few. Those who
take the hues of their character from those with
whom they associate, are many. They are crmi-
nal from the love of appreciation and Difference to
| the opinion OF those whose encouragements they
feel and whose praises they seek. The weaker in
tellects are fed BY the stronger One bad and art
| full man shall lead hundred unchecked to crime,
who, by proper p:evsntions, had quietly lived on
in honesty and peace, taking their character from
| the we'll regulated community with which they
have their daily walk aid conversation.
Let us glance at the operation OF this system in
| connec tion with recent events. With this system
| in operation, within ten minutes after Adams was
! killed, policemen would have been in the room
where the bloody deed was dene, and the instru-
| ments OF death and circumstances Of the horrid
deed would have told the story, leaving doubt Of
the manner or the person or the crime-Under this
system could man be five hours killing his wife
| in the day time, and arrest his hand Could
store be robbed in Broadway Of thousands of pro-
perty, carried publicly through its doors Could
incendiaries kindle their hundred fires to defraud
underwriters and promote plusder Could citi-
zens instead Of pursuing the proper course or re-
pealnK laws that are un wholesome, adopt the de-
moralzng Of systematic violation thus over
throwing the ordinances, destroying the property
of the city and isju the interests of large class
OF citizens relyip upon public protection9 Would
thropgs Of vaerani courte openly nfest most
crowded thoToughfAre and lie in wait in our most
retired streets Could il be possible that crime
could be so rife in the city, If when crime was
committed, every haunt Of vice in the city would
be visited and every ferry or steamboat watched
by officer Of the law almost simultaneously, and
in less than an hour after the crime was kaown3
But that our system may produce, in a moderate
degree, such results we must BY prospect Of rea-
sonable permanency, induce persons to take these
Offices and enter upon the duties as a mode oflf
AN occupation In which, by proper skill and care,
Justices, Clerks, and Policemen, they may hope
to distinguish Themselves aud rise TO higher office
aad better pay. Promotion and increase OF pay |
are the great Incentives TO good conduct Ihey |
must be out Of the reach Of caprice or poiictcal
fuctuation and safe in their occupation SO long as
they do their duty, and NO longer.
The city has now invested in the present sys-
TEN capital Of S3Q6 i40, and pays an annual ex'
penditure Of SflS,573.
The proposed system will require twelve sta |
ton. houses Thee will be most advantaseously |
situated in the more qnet and retired streets, and