The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-10-20

quAte return The sums that we eEpsnd on this
body ought, In all conscience, 10 be sufa ,leut to
guarantee our persons sgSinA assassination, and
our property against the depredstioOs Of or
gaDjzed bands Of hievsa And yet our citizens
are daily made the victims Of both, the law being
rendered poweriess for the want OF an efficient
executive force. The only use Of policeman at
PIT sent SCENE TO be TO give form and legal couu-
tnance to the efforts made by our cit zens
,or their own defence. In other words, the
police only make their appearance when the work
q pISyertion or of capture is done b. otters and
whtn al that renaiis fer them to perform is the
glory Of Leading prisoner in procession to the
station boase
The drt adfol occurrence which took place in
the Tn Avenue the otter Eight is rut an oroi-
rary ezeEpl.lcston Of tie correctness of tboso
stateEents. A reputable citizen VITO happened
TO be passing through the streets with his vie
vas Suddenly sssaled by a gang Of deuuken
rcwd.ee. ozd stabbed 10 death by one Of taew
ter SIMPLY demonstrating sga'nst their Fudoness
SO little vas the coudsss Of these ruiians ua6er
TIC check or supervision of the police that i.
drew his knife On harmless boy; and it Was lot
Until information was conveyed to the nearest
station house tAat the assistance OF policemen
could be obtained to give chase to tue marderers
OF course, o1ler such circumstances, the latter
had no difficulty in edecting their escape.
That crime does not flourish amongst as to
still greater extent is evidently not due TO the
promptness aud vigilance Of the police We
hsye TO thank the determination manifested by
our citizens TO protect themselves, aud the eaer-
gy displayed ly the magistrate who esides over
the Court Ct s, seons, for opposing some limits 10
it, It is naicl, indeed, to tie decision and
incorrupaUlity Of this officer that We owe tie
fact Of our thorough'sres not being reduced TO
the COZ dition Of Calabtian highway. He de-
serves the mere credit for the impartial discharge
Of his duty, in view of the obloquy aud abuse TO
which ii exposes him, The sentence which be
passed q few weeks since on fellow named II IN
nighan for highway robbery, dew down uponhim
storm of yitupe:ation fiom persons politically
opposed to him. 1t is only necessary to examine
the facts of the case to show how grouudiess
were these ceneures. Hernighan. it appears,
belonged to IN organized band " some forty or
fifty experienced thieves and burglars III the
same district in which Mr.. Saecson has just lost
h. life. The prosecutor, Mr. Harris, was return
ing home late al night with his wife, when he
WIS attacked by this fellow, aided by two or three
Of hi associates. They knocked him down and
robbed him Of Eve dollar oil the money which
lac Happened to have about him. Mr.. Harris, on
recovering hinaself, Immediately gave chase aud
being powerfully built man, succeeded in over
taking and arrestipg HenrighaD. Then, ana
then cpIy, did Tie police make their appearance
in tine, of cou,ee, TO take credit for assisting in
the capture. II was not in view Of the actual
amount Of the money taken, or OF the violence
offered 10 Harris that Judge Russell passed upon
Ienmgban's offence the severert penalty that the
law allowed hin. to inilict. IL was in consldera-
ton Of the fact that he belonged to gang OF or
gapized dcsperadocs which had become terror
TO the community, and which the police had
shown no disposition to break up. Judge Russell
felt, and felt nightly, that it was incumbent upon
hin TO make such I'm example as would striac
dead into the hearts OF these mrauders and so
PIT an end TO their operations If the duty OF
both prevention and punishment ARE imposed
upon him by the ineiiciency Of the police, he u
entitled to thanks, and not TO blame Tor 70 Coz
rect an understanding OF his responsibilities The
iourder or Mr. Swenson is evidence sufficient OF
the necessity Of straining the law TO its utmos.
limits In order to relieve our city from the terror
isJn OF these midnight assassins and thieves.