The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-02-12
THE OLD POLICE AND THE NEW.
~ Police Department Forty Tears $50.
The Waterman or Charlie" Of the Old
Regime.
ONE DAY IN THE CHIEFS OFFICE.
TIE POLICE TELEGRAPHIC ARRANGEMENTS.
&c, &c, 10.

Among the few nyOfutionH v oiCh have been Ell
fected from time TO time In our municipal, govern.
msnt, perhaps the most important Ia that which has
taken place in the police department. Not more
than forty years ago the whole police force consisted
OF about seventy men, includigs the captains and
their assistants, while at prefsnt 1t exceeds one
thousand. II is customary "a xclAim against It's
ineficiency, and there has beer. 20 doubt, much 70
justly compliant; but duripg ths lEst two or three
yeas IL bas undergone q complete reformation, and
may now bear q favorable compsrson with the po-
lice OF either London or Paris over which II has the
superior recommt ndaiion OF b.,ng iree from that
odious system OF espionage so 'epulsive to every
true. republican.
When the old watchmen were toe guardians OF
the peace and good order Of me city, the police
court Was situated where tie present Chief Of
Police, Mr.. Ma.sell, has hs oties 81 the southwest
corner Of the City Hall. Here Juslices Hedden and
Hopson. and Recorder Riker, f~smilisrly known ~
Dicky Kicker, sat In solemn Judgment on al OMEN
ders against the laws. IL was 10 their day that old
Hays was in the zenith Of bis gory, aud vhes such
mysterious beings an " Shadow" were entirely IN
known. Terrible was the dignity which these wor
thy officials assumed when q criminal was brought
before them, and awful the tone with which they
pronounced sentence. This they considered aA but
due 10 the importance OF the Office which they held,
and the character Of the great metropolis whose
interests were partly entrusted 70 their keeping.
But afer all, they were men, and they occasionally
suffered their official sternnes 10 relax, even while
on the bench. Recorder Riker Was perhaps the oaly
one on whose shoulders tho responsibility Of Office
did not press so heavily. and WHOM committing
criminal no would do ID 10 such \ manner, and with
such On expression Of bensyolenoe, that even the
criminal himself was diarmet Of whatever malice
he might have felt towards him.
Well, young man. 7 be would aay, you have been
convicted Of this offence. II Is very bad In young
men to commit crime. We must make an exaripk
Of you. Yen must suffer come. shall send you up
for ihiee monlhs.'
This SAs the usual, II not the sbfeotype style, In
which be addressed oil convicted offenders = the ne
ces.ity o. tleir Suffering "sotas' being the pre-
dominant feeling in bis mind. alttough tho sum Of
their punishment was not unfrqusaily very made
quate 70 the offence committed.
The people we're 10 well acquainted with his pecu.
liArity IN this respect that they i.li certain whsn .
criminal Was brought before him ~ must " suffer
some, and the expression eventually bccane . by
word throughout the city. The police magistrates
or ~juttic.s, ~ they were called, with the Mayor,
constituted the heads 81 the dspArtmsnl. The
watcbmen were known In the onisIAl language Of
the time, an Mayors Malthas," WHO, ~ith = few
cpns;ablts elected in each ward, oom?osed the
whole force, numbering n sgttlxr a. wehAye ., ted,
about seventy men. Tiny we've aso / amsd Casr.
ies,p a title by wbich ihsy we've more ~pop1lrly
known, and which the rising geztrl.kn particularly
delib hitd IN calling them when ihGy Ntrr initrfu ted
by them IN sny 81 their innocent rsctsaiionS. Th.ir
u,uA drss v a. a rec fame pighi cap, ombe 2 ate.
We snIpo'e, OF the vigilance vito which they psrd 10
watch over the sleeping cit, enormous Angs ~oolirn
conforterr, which covered 40 lace uetlm meg
~ high ~ ID. eyes, ard somttryes over thr eyes, on
tho principle. doubtless. as jastlcs = blnd 30, police
should be reduced 10 the came condition. TD-
nighicsp ana The comforter forntd Ls head dress.
Will. tine body vas ~ heed IA "a Immense boz
coat, particularly noticeable fer ifs gigantic eApcs
which hung In graceful fo.os Uysg ths shoulders.
Their weapon WAS = clob, About tbfte feet long ana
q little thicker than a mans wrs;. In sddijoa 70
this they were srmsd with a rs.i!s. The sound Of
which ~ 10 struck ON the "siaitie1 esr OF nIght,n Was
~soflcisnt 10 siouss the whole poLos force Of the city
In ~ @ hours ~ least : no ANAL FEAT .itAsr, when The
soundness with which a "ChEAsn sleps 10 con.
ndef.d.
THIS -as their winter oo.igns, n course bu, thu
din.1.n . between Il AID thtir snnner drsss was %
tIiniDg thu Il s. hardy w-n noting. E,,h
wst,bnrn WIS provided with = p@K. and In THE ~
sp.ni The greater part q the Eigai. k.tpiHg . visi-
lsIt eye. " !, 10 he prcsutns8 GA tho proJsrt, Of
,br people, ard on al ,ust st,os cns; tcprs
whom be Glanced 10 see. iiue - would ,ernsla
All night long al The clock G. Sc Joln's or Tri.ity
suibipg the hoor, would o,.l an forth ike 40 echo.
10 repsa, IL Agaiu. Sometime. - boz would D.
overtbrowb by . party Of " ) ,oSs returning h5ue
iron their midnight revsh, aad % occupant. uas
bic 10 relesse himself, was found AZ IT morning by
bis mere fortunate fellow vs,csm-n. Tbs principal
reoomn sndat.on which ths arp ksat for the OH -
o. Mayors Marshal pisss a,ed 80 his years. ssd
very few were CONSIDERED auaah,d % the On % Who
bad no, attained the respsctAbls lmssr Of ssty OF
seventy. Anything below thts wa. almost sunbclsst
70 rspdsr him Ineligible. AID ths Charlie o. afty
~ss considered Too youthful hy hs sssscis,<s 70 be
tolsrs,st. 10 fact. IL va. a. mach any oss a
iL'm eeaid 90 20 carry bis tl1p Ia addition 20 The
weight Of bis bc1 ooss. 3esiiss thsir sxs, they
were repArtAbls Tor their sonaifsFoas prociivias.
and wksn = more vas heard from one o. their
eoiss. u va always sae 70 iEisr hat . Mayors
MARSHAL sssinsids. Like Doybsny. they could No,
SEQ he~ ssspirg should onss1 saa they .ccrs.
.sTly !sdUlgsd the n.sl,e. 70 "A. Utmost
10 the morning . portion u t5s force gerenuy
collected asooi The police eopr, vasrs nsy isp,
"saich sDd ~1re' in i~sfotnt,ls1 wss hsc.ss, Of
a rostery, ba'sisry, mafesr, q c,fer crime. shos
IRE SHOE cro-d we're ibs,at ~ % tbs ~. r.s,. u
4 Vas . robbery The interest esrAyst In the esss
~ss Always proportional - - AMOUNT sto'sr 70,
"tbs gIe,u the loss the gftAstf ihs rsvrtr "a
9Th item atisbly rvtus zntn On ~hsres-rt
q seeh pleasant info 20 q~as~ros' vsrs
Aivsys PCT 10 The ittcrnst, That . The 'Atso q
the property stolen Atd rhs. ID Joa eve ior -
I,.ovsry " 20 The lat qaensl tsy al roi 70
receive iavorbls a.s~r be HsiiH
v1 dssn,d upScrty e f-f'.er orser
stlor. on al sob eocss0ns ots talft
-. .~,.,.u, eo.id.rs4 rtgs esoagh soy ire