Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-16
EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

and the Wakemsn fanatical murders, the
Eudora tragedy, and tho late great abortion
case IN Houston street, New York, the public
Is In fair condition to "sup on horrors" The
last mentioned case, has been universal topic
OF conversation, and discussion in this city ever
since Its occurrence, which is not to be won
dered at, considering the terrible interest
washington must take in 30 fearful crime
and trsgedy-where the parties concerned are
her own citizens. Even in New York, where
traglcal events are no novelty, this is sufi-
clently startling to excite general horror. By
the New York mails of last night, we get some
additional particulars, though not enough to
throw full light upon the matter. The Police
Gazette, says that ga DR.. Seight, who was
talked Of, and expected to be nominated for
Coroner last election, recommended the de-
ceased to Mrs Croker An honorable men,
Der of Congress, it is said recommended her to
Sleight. This honorable was telegraphed a
few days previous to her death, that she was
dangerously ill. He is now in town, but as
there is such determination to keep the mat
ter private, it Is doubtful if he will throw any
light on this mystery. Nobody knows who she
is or where she came from, further than that
her name is Smith, and that she came from
Washington. She is supposed to be an Eastern
girl"
The mode Of practice adopted by this
Crock er, seems to have been the same as that
followed by the infamous Madame Restelle.
Patients come from all parts of the Union, and
put up at hotels in New York, or private
boarding houses in Brooklyn, Jersey City, or
Hoboken. Rooms are engaged for a lady in
delicate health, and a female friend visits
them. The abortion is accomplished by this
female friend, and not even those who are in
mates Of the house have the faintcst idea of
what is Transporting within. 1t is estimated
that there are at least hundred regular pro-
fessOrs of abortion in New York, and how
of h. - l. g. NJ u
practice it, it is hard to say.
This affair first came out through the wife
of the proprietor Of "a boot and shoe store ne 1t
door to Mrs. CrOcker's, who, in the course of a
call, ascertained that ayOung woman was lying
dead in the house. This, together with some
conversation with johnson, (the partner Of
Mrs CrOckerD aroused her suspicious and
she communicated the circumstances to the
police. Capt. Turnbull, Of the police, being
aware of the nature of the establishments as
coon as he was appIised that a female lay
dead at the house, detailed two men to watch
the premises while he went inside to know
how matters stood. Mrs Croker stated tn at
the girl came from Washington about two
weeks ago, that her name was Smith, and that
she had been sick abed since she came to the
house. johnson stated that the decea sed came
from Boston; and this discrepancy in the state
ments Of johnson and Mrs. Croker confirmed
his suspicious, and he fastened down town
and notified the Coroner.
johnson, in his testimony before the CorO-
ners jury, stated that be advised Mrs Croker
to telegraph to the friends of the deceased,
previous to her death, and that he took the
message to the Metropolitan Hotel telegraph
Office.
Eben Hassel, deputy coroner, being sworn,
says that he went to the telegraph room, Me-
dispatch forwarded to W Washington it was ad.
dressed to Mr.. James NJ Nelson, care of John
w. Wheeler, and signed by Mrs Croker; it
reads thus 9 Come to New York Tomorrow
fcthoHt fail must see you. Answer by
telegraph"
The DR.. Cleveland who gave a certificate
that the deceased die! Of Congestion # the
lungs, has saved his bacon by sailing for
Nicaragua, where he will doubtless find con-
genial company.
In this city, it is astonishing how many
people know just the parties implicated, and
what is most curious is the fact that each
neighborhood claims the honor Of being the
exact locality which sent forth the mysterious
Miss Smith and Mr. Nelson" Many gos-
slipping old lady will tell you " she suspected
as much all along" she "always thought
Miss - was no better than she should be,
and when she left so suddenly ''tO visit her
friends in New York she knew there was some
thing wrong and as for .'that gOOd-for-n moth
ing Mr.. - he ought to be hung up without
judge or Jury" Many quidnunc can tell
you who are the parents of the young lady,
and what emotion they exhibited on first see-
ing the announcement Of her terrible end in
the papers Mrs A gives you all the details,
with the information that the locality is in the
First Ward : the elder Miss b informs you
with a mysterious shake of the head, that the
affair has been a matter OF public talk on the
Navy Yard ''fcr some months" Mr.. puts
in the claims Of the Northern Liberties for
the honor of furnishing the prominent actors
in the tragedy, which Mr. d rebuts by sup
plying the street, square, and number Of the
house on the Island from which young and
beautiful girl has been missing lately under
very peculiar circumstances. Mrs. says
she knew it from tho start the idea of keep
ing such an affair concealed on Capitol Hill
was prepOsterous, and she always thought it
very imprudent in Mrs. - to allow Ann
Elizabeth to go out buggy riding alone with
young D..
The amount of it is, there must be Miss
Smith" and "Mr. Nelson" in avery square
IN the city, if We credit public rumOr but we
will chsritably hope that great many people
are mistaken in their suspicious, and that the
world is not so bad as ii sometimes seems.
DEPLoRABLE INCREASE OF JUVENILE CRIME.
We not long ago mentioned the arrest of a
large party of boys, some of them almost in
fants for breaking open stall in Centre Mar
ket and stealing lot of fancy goods, and now
we have TO record the arrest Of another party
Of boys for similar offence. The grocery
store Of Mr.. Anthony Holmead, was broken
open on Sunday last, and cigars, raisins, to
bscco. some money, and a draft for FIVE hun
dred dollars taken away Yesterday officer
Wollard arrested five or six boys for the Of
fence. and they were bound over for appear
ence at Court by Captain Birch. About
Christmas time the same store was broken
open, and money to the amount Of about thirty
dollars stolen away; by the arrest cf these
boys clue has been obtained to the former
robbery, and which will secure the develop.
ment Of the whole affair. Cases Of Juvenile
crime are thiekening upon Us with sickcning.
raPidity and it should be a serious question
with our philsnthropists, who are doing so
much for " outside baTbarians - whether there
Is not scope for their utmost exertions among
the erring within our very midst Especially
should these youths, who are just commencing,
but are hardly launched upon their career Of
vice, have portion Of that RELIGIOUS care and