New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-22
vITRIOL-THROWTNG.
THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL u.s.
TICE IN NEw-YORK-

TICE IN NEw-YORK- tf
n ~ Eds~ ef Tzs NJ r. rrssss
SIN: Does there exist another city thsa o6ers such
mpunity for the commission OF vilainiee a. tnn i<s
me cite an example. One evening last Winser -
companied lady home from the opera IN Fouiteensn
street. whose dress on the way was destroyed oy W.
mol thrown upon il. On another evening, accompe-
MED another lady whose clothes in like manner were
burned to rags. About the same period the dresses
of forty or ffty others were destroyed There ives
such alarm that many ceased to visit the thsascu A.
opera. In all cases the victims selected by the vts
throwep were those most extensively attred In sstna
laces, fur, and embroideres About 5000 wossh u
wearing apparel was destroyed. In company v1A
ottsrs induced the Chief Of Police 10 take vxilane
measures 10 discover the miscreants. believe scv-
era hundred policemen in plain clothes were o.
the watch around all the places of smusemeat
for some days, If not weeks. The Chief Of h-
lice told me there had nothing occurred during M
official tenn that haA entirely bafed his efforts -
the discovery Of the vtriohrowers At last IN ahes
detective of the Chiefs Office, named Read.
with that instinct which belongs to detectives deter
mined in his own mind that man whom he saw neef
the Metropolitan 1bester was the offenders; and wise-
out waiting for proof, at once pounced on nm. ihe
mans name was Gray, and he was by trade printer.
When arrested, be had an ovecoat with false skm&
20 made that while bis hands were apparetly IN hD
pockets they only under these skirts whence oy
means Of ingeniously constructed syringe, and
without visible motion, they could eject streams q
of yitriol distance Of twenty feet The contrs~
vances most complete aud fashioned with Gun
ming to defy detection But for the lucky guess OF the
officer and the hap-hazard arrest, the fellow might
have continued bis internal work for an indefinite
period. Being thus caught, Gray owned up, ana
stated that without accomplces he had done al sne
mischief At his house ives discovered gallon OK
vitiiol-quite a wholesale provision for future use.
The Grand Jury found true bills of indictment againe
him, and under his confessions there was proof
enough keep him in safe custody tor ten to twenty
wears But when the time OF trial came round he
Distriet-Attomey entered nous prosequ' on ths
ground Of Grav's insanity. Having seen and con
versed with the criminal shortly after hrs arrest, am
well convinced that total deprayity and desire 70 90
mischief WAS all the insanity under which ne
labored The learned Official doubt, reasoned tass
man who could commit such acts must be insane and
so if am correctly informed, hs was turned loose
again. Now mark the result. The impunity accorded
10 this rascal has either set him to word afresh, or In
duced Others to follow his example. The newspapcss
for week past have recorded new instances OF vitfios
thrown upon the dresses Of ladies coming from the
opera and theates. saw last evening lady whe
told me she Of party Of four ladies ana Eve
gentlemen, all of whom, in coming from the opera ON
Monday evening last had their dresses thus desroyc4
or greatly injured. Their not ameng those puo-
lisied and there are doubtless others. Now II the
&" insane man Gray is again at his work, 1t proves
moet lamenable lack of vigilance on the part OF nc
Police who ought to be well acquainted with bis per-
son and know his movements; and II some osncr
wretch, initiating his precautions, has taken up Ne
business it proves that If such be madness there
too much method in it." In the Of nine Alder
men, and other such officials indicted icr bribery aa4
like crimes mol pros. was entered the other Gay.
The DisrctAttorney did not let them loose as nsano
but because he OF opinion that Jures are too oor-
rupt TO convict All the indicted gamblers will In Ike
manner slip through the fingers Of justice, as recen&
proceedings plainly indicate. When shall we have re-
form hLs