New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-17


known. yet these men are all licensed. BY the CITY.
to pursue their profession, sud then to hold thsm
in check the same power that their trsis
employs small police corps to watch their move
ments and attempt to keep their barbsrisu with
in bounds.
The clearinghouse keepers are Of much the
same character Is the runners. An example Of
what they are capable Of is furnished BY the roo
ords, in the Mayors Office Of the oath and 26th Of
May last At the nvestig alton oftwo cases then OK
amined we were present and in justice to the Nay
or's Marshal and Mr. Bell We mus! premise BY stat
ing that the substantial justice then meted out to
the delinquent was the result of their adroisnoss
rather than of the power ofths law. Chss. Babb.
young Englishmsn, made complaint against the
keeper of an immigrant clearinghouse named
Wild, of Roosevelt-st., for charging him the sum
of SlS4 for the maintenance Of himself bis
brother, mother and little daughter, for two days.
The defendant first denied the charge, and then
plead in extenuaton that the brother WAS seized
with fever and the child with smallpox while in
his house. But it was proved BY the physciaa
who had attended the sick man that he had been
ill for several days, and that the pustules Of the
smallpox upon the little girl were at least three
days old before either of them had left the ship;
and that the man Wild must have kno.n this ct
the time be induced them TO come to his house.
The doctor further stated that the defendant be-
haved in the most brutal manner. When he was
called in, some three hours after the family hadea
tered the defendants house, he was shown into
filthy backyard, at the far end Of which was
small stable, within which lay the patient upon
heap of rotten straw, horse on enc side Of him
and reekiDg manUre-heap upon the other. The
poor man was In the last stages Of dysentery, and
died that night The defendant refused to supply
even the commonest necessaries to the sick poo
pie and on being demonstrated with for thrussas
the dying man into the stable, replied, Shure no
"can't live, and what's the use of botherin' about
"himl" For two days OF such entertainment the
sum of 1854 was demanded and paid. And bus
for the interest which the kindhearted physician
took in the welfare of the strangers they must have
submitted to the extorton. without redress, a. they
knew not where to seek for justice. He, however.
placed them in comfortable quarters, and induced
Mr.. Bubb to make the complaint. The officers to
whom we have alluded knew that if the plaintiff
took the matter before the courts, IL would DO
months before q hearing could be had-and to
him so long q detention would be ruinous; 80.
putting on very grave faces, they intimated to
Wild that the case was parallel to that Of Selo-
yer' and advised him to give up the money, to
avoid the consequences. This he promised to do,
and did, after some considerable demurring, apo
lceman accompanying him home for 1t, AID hand
ing him, by way Of receipt, reyocal Of bis
license. But this was not all; Mr.. Bulb inciden-
tally mentioned that family ofthree, named Smith,
who had left for Albany, had been charged BY
Wild Se4 for two days board and lodging. Mr..
Bell telegraphed to Albany, had the man sought
out, and sent back to this City. He confronted ?
the old man, an English farmer with Wild.
When the former charged him with having wrung
from him nearly all his means the latter IT
tempted to reply, but his confusion choked the
lie in his throat. This sum he was also COM
PEELED to refund, by the same means, added to
the hope of again receiving bis license. But
though his wife came frequently to the Mayor
for its renewal it was ate adily refused, and th8
delinquent warned against continuing in the bus
mess. This case was singular only in the fact
that the offender was detected and made to dis
gorge the products of his knavery.
The immigrant does not escape the plumber
ers, even after he has paid for his passage. Upon
the steamboat wharf, or at the railroad depot, he
has to undergo another swindle. 1.-The goes upon
the steamboat, which furnishes cabin passage
for so cents, the forwarder may by law (aud doss)
charge him to the full extent OF one aud aquarter
cents a mile. But the great profit is upon the
passengers luggage. Immigrants usually burden
themselves with large quantity Of 1t, and
the weight (by forwsrdsrs' scales) upon tho
dock is exceedingly apocryphsl. The luggage
having been weighed by the agent of the for
warder, who hires his onice-room upon the dock
or at the depot, from the company over whose
line he sends his passengers, the pssssge-tickst
is taken from the immigrant, and the luggage
dumped upon the boat. A few minutes before tho
boat starts, the ticket is presented with demsnd
for large sum, for freight. 1t 10 in vain that
the poor man expostulstes-the boat will start In
moment, his luggage is among pile of boxes
and bales inaccessible for at least half an hour.
His only alternative is to pay or lose his luggage,
and be hands out perhaps his last dollar to sstisfy
the harpies. And SO the game goes on-robbery
Wholesale fraud, almost without possibility
certainly without probabty-of redress.
The boat stsrts-the immigrants are huddled TO-
gether like sheep or swine on the forward deck,
among the cargo, and turn whichever way they
will they are confronted with "second-class pas