The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-16

The DISTRICT ATTORNEY ON RowDYIsN, OR RIA.
Their NOT ON R0wDyIsM. alluded the other day
to the declared resolution Of Mr. Blunt, the District
Attorney to do his duty in reference to the bringing
to punishment all offenders against the public peace,
and especially the lighting rowdy characters who,
for length Of time past, have been carrying on
their Expectations with IMMUNITY. The people
generally do not understand the facts they EXIST
hence they are misled by the miserable party news
papers, who only seek to build up party polite in
their own favor, without giving to the public the
real cause OF the existing rowdyism now under dis
cussiOn.
What do the people care whether the breaker Of
the public peace is a wing or democrat? 1t is
enough for them to know that he is vioator Of the
laws-one who assaults without provocation-and
dangerous member Of society, and as such, suita
BILE person for the iron hand Of justice to interpose
and bring to punishment
But the bringing TO punishment seems to be the
great existing difficulty. Amongst all the turmoil
Of rowdyisW the mere discharge, by an Alderman or
Police Justice, of person under duress for two or
three hours, who can procure ample bail, does not
by any means increase that species of disorder,
although in many cases it would be better not to
interfere, that temporary lookup is about all the
punishment the accused receives Again, all these
cases are made baiable by statute laws; and the
greater the rowdy or fighting character, the more
able is he to procure bail In many cases it is not
through the want of vigilance on the part OF the
police, that the violator of the public peace is not
brought to justice, but absolutely the delay which
follows by the public prosecutor. Week after week,
and month after month. passes away, and yet no
assault and battery case is even brought to trial.
during which time the depredators are arrest
ed by the police for other acts of violence, the same
process of letting to bail takes place. and the
gressor is permitted to run at large again Thus we
see heaps of assault and battery laid over from
one Grand Jury term another, especially at this
warm season of the year, when only prison felony
cases are disposed of by the District Attorney
and the rowdies on bail, Of course, are not called
upon to answer
However, in the fall of the year, it generally hap
pens that whole batch of these assault and bat
terry cases are thrown before the Grand Jury, who
behold them with astonishment, look them overs
and, from the long standing of the majority, very
frequently treat them with Indifference and more
especially when the defendants are acquainted with
John Doe or Richard Roe Of the Grand Inquest, who
may suggest (and that, too, with full wish OF
doing justice to all parties) to the other members,
that from the long time the cases have been stand.
ing-many of the compliments never wishing to
appear and prosecute-it would be folly to trouble
the courts and ures with so many frivolous charges
of assault and battery, and, accordingly, batch
after batch dsmissed and, i'll that way too often
the defendants slip through the meshes of the law
without punishment. We admit that in too many
cases the complainants induced by pecuniary
to settle their matters, and never appear to
prosecute but if the action prompt on the part
of the prosecution, justice would be more likely
to be melted out to the rowdy than it is at present
1t is not the sending Of poor, miserable loafers
weekly to the penitentiary for acts of Violence by
the Special Sessions, that can remedy this evil.
1t can only be effected by taking up the ring
leaders of these gangs, who set the example to the
younger branches. Let them know that so surely as
they commit acts of violence, just will the
public prosecutor bring them to punishment. Then
and not until then, can the people hope for relief
We alluded, in previous article, the other day, to
the breaking up of the Chichester gang, some years
ago, by the criminal courts of that day, and the
sending Of two more of the rowdy leaders to the
penitentiary for six months each so in the like
manner must courts, and the county prosecutor,
now take up the matter of rowdyism, before the
existing trouble can be effectually stopped
Heretofore the present District Attorney has
given his attention almost exclusively to tue con-
viction of forgers, burglars, &c. deeming the COM
mon rowdyism, and the frequent assaults and bat
terry accrung therefrom, only secondary affairs;
and the prison cells almost filed to overflow
ing with offenders charged with high crime, his at
tenton has been fully engaged Be that as it may,
he must now wake himself up, and give some ttle
OF his services to the suppression of rowdysm about
which the political organs have been blaming the
police. When the police make the arrests, the
police magistrates do their duty by recognizing the
asailants appear for trial, and the adavits and
papers arc sent to the Office of the District Attor
ney, and there they are apparently slowed away
the shelves, becoming dead letter. 1t is now high
time that the dust shaken off some of these old
standing documents and the prosecuted, ii for
nothing more than to let the public understand that
all the branches of the prosecutors duty be at
tended to; it will, at the time, leave room for
some recent official papers to take their places.