Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1848-09-14
/, miscellaneous.
FROM THE REV YORK TRIBUNE.
n L W YORK In SLICES.
THE TONES.


Grim mausoleun Of Hopel Foul lazar-house OF
polluted and fostering Humanity! A chill and moi
some blast, as the midnight breath OF grave YARDS sa
luies US as we enter beneath the rowning vestbulea
batter WHIT, laden with groans and imprecaons, hur
ryng swiftly away frightened what it has seen and
heard and Fastening lose itself in the purifying sun
shine osthe upper world. What unsighy labyrinths
OF nun anu attenuation what heaped up cells 81 in
igulty and unrepentan--what dens Of drunken mad
ness, bowling over the graves Of Reason-whal dark
rccesSes, sacred to the orgies Of corrupt and abom
nabe Juslice-hast thou not passed over No wonder
that thou art tainted with poison that strikes to the
very SOC but 20 breathe. No wonder that in such a
red hot urnance OF corruption, bribery, theft. burgia
~ murder, prostitution and delrium tremens the We
ry air is rarifed with crime. We can hardly realize
that there is IN the whole gloomy edi6ce an honest
space wherein man may safely set his foot Where,
then, shall we beg n-On the Bench, or in the Cell7
Atihe Law, or It's Nicuns2 In the Bar. or the Dun.
eeonf NO matter where. Let US enter by side
door, and explore from the ground upward
IT IS within an hour OF daylight. A Policeman
STANDS al the low door, and seeing tina, are icon
nected with the press" offers obstacle to our en-
trance. Some time he may have ''case" which he
has been pad Tor suppressng-and then we may be
OF use TO hun. We enter and grope our way with
difficulty. stumbling here and there over a sleeping
Waterman, and making slowly toward dim and dis
tant stmmering light Approaching, we seek dark
lantern held SO that Its single ray may illuminate the
corrugated face and ghasy spectacles of the Police
Magistrate, who Is dong the oalers and loaferesses
in squads. The recesses OF the damp unwholesome
apartment are illed with drunken men and women
found helpless 10 The street. with mig htbrawers and
disu bers OF the public peace, and with young boys
and girls who have been caught asleep cellar doors
or suspected Of the horrible crime Of stealing Junk
bottles and old front The very lowest and mos, bru-
tai form OF human depravity may hers be in all
its horrors and the horrible sight OF all is the
bieareyed drunken woman, arrested for robbng her
paramoar or ioi quarreing with her companions on
the Points, and waiting her turn, among negro
and women thieves and vagabonds, Of every age and
quality, TO be taken Of in that tender and al
feconale manner in which Society is in the habit OF
providing for such of her children as take
OF themselves Our Magistrates has work enough TO
provide all these uniostnnaes with comfortable quar-
ers either on BlackwelPs Island ID the Drunkards
Room, and II is necessary that he Should begin be-
times, and proceed by summary measures. As each
case called the WatchmaD on whose list is, comes
forward. gives wink nj The worm eaten Bible on the
desk. and proceeds 10 relate his side OF the story. This
is all that the Magstrat has tlrae TO listen TO. The
miserable creature who has fallen in the Watchmans
clutches is at once comnited and hurried away. If
he has money, he manages well enough with the
Wa,chmah, and makes hts escape at once. But II moi,
he go 10 quod and wait mex, day for the visits OF
the ''shyser" lawyers--a set OF turkey buzzards,.
whose touch polniion and whose breath pestencs
1.-THE prisoner however. has neither money friends,
Justice rigid and uncompromlsing NoShys,er dis
turbs his drunken mediiations and no Keeper allie
viates the agones OF returning sobriety. Thrown
bowling and miuriaed into yai filed with wretches
like himself ihey aid each others attempts at demon
;srn, until HE whole place becomes shudderng He'll
The women are crammed into long lampess corrl