Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1843-04-21

National lniellicencer, who Is said TO be
MIR Willis. has given that paper an ac-
cnun, of the 8 Five Points" from actual
observation made in company with po-
lice officer. and those who have been look
ing to London and England l"r scenes Of
vice and misery. may learn by this de-
scriplon tina, they have jus, such scenes
in their own country. For ourselves the
imagination had not conceived the exist
ence of such scene in America.
The d" Five Points" as they are called
in New York. are in the very heart of the
city, and no. three minutes walk from the
most fashionable houses and sociely.-
What contrasts this strange world presents!
"Our next dive was into cellar crowd
ed with negroes. ealing. drinking. and
dancing. one very we'll made mua''o girl
playing The caslinels. and Initiating ElssIer
in what she cal Ell the CRAcovERAGAIN.-
In their way shese people appeared cheer
full. dirty, and comfortable. We looked
afterwards at several dri.king places,
,lronsed with creatures who looked %, er
their shoulders very significantly AT the
officer; found one or two bar-rooms KEEP,
by women who had preserved the one vir.
tue Of nea.ness. though in every clean
place the hostess seemed terrible virago.
and it was then proposed that we should
see some Of the tioriniores Of This Alsa-
tia. Aud a, this point must end all the
cheerfuIness Of my description. This is
called Numbering Alley said our guide.
l, 81, T.,
with barely room to pass. and by the light
Of the police lantern made our way up Il
broken and filthy staircase to the frs, floor
of the building Under its one roof the
officer thought there usually slept lhou>
sand of those wre,ched outcasis. lie
knocked a, door on the left. 1t was o
pened unwillingly by woman who held
Il dirty horse blanket over her breast, but
at the sight of the police lantern she step.
ped back and let us pass in.
" he floor was covered with human
belrgs asleep in their rags. and when call.
ed by the officer to look in a, a low closet
beyond. we could hardly put our feet to
the ground. they lay SO closely together.
black and white, men. women and chill
d'en. The doorless apartment, beyond
of the size Of kennel. was occupied by
a woman and her daughter and The daugh.
,er's child. lying together on the floor.
and covered with rags and cloths of no
di>lingushable color. Inc rubbish of bones
and dirt only displaced by their cmacia:ed
limbs. The sight was too sickening to
endure. bu, there was no cgress without.
following close to the lantern Another
door was opened 10 the right. II disco-
sed allow and gloomy apartment. perhaps
eight feet square. Six or seven black wo>
men lay together in heap. all sleeping
except The one who opened The door,
Something Stirred in a heap of rags, aud
one OF the party removing dirty piece of
carpet with his cane discovered newborn
child. 1t belonged to one of the seepers
in the rags, and had had an hours cxpe-
rience of the tender mercies Of this world!
BAT these details are disgusting and have
gone lar enough when thew have sh ,wn
those WIN have The common co,nEnr,. of
lie. how meslmably. hv comparison. thew
are blessed! For one, had never before
any adequate idea Of The poverty in cities.
did not dream that human beings. with.
IN the reach IF human aid, could be ab,u-
doned To the wreichcdness which there
saw-and have not described The half Of
II. fut the drlicacy tf vonr readers would
not beat /. even III descriptions, And all
these horrors Of want aud abandonment,
he almost within sound Of your voice, as
You pass in Broadway! The officers
sometimes make descent and carry off
swarms To BtackweIl's Island for ali the
inhabitants Of the Five Points are suppos-
ed TO be criminal and sirioms--but sill
'no"sanus are there subj scis for tears, and
ply. starving, like rats, and dogs, with the
sens'Olll''es Of human beines: