The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-11-15

CRIME IN New YoRK-YourHrUL RowDYEA.-
The conviction of Rodgers, for the murder of
Mr.. Swanston, 10 fortunate vindication Of our
| outraged laws against the imputatons to which
the escape of other and more daring criminals
had subjected them When we sec crimes of
the deepest magnitude avoiding the penalties
attaching to them through the moral obliquity
OF cowardice of juries, or the weakness Of
magistrates, we have reason TO rejoice that
in one instance, at least, justice has been done.
The example is the more important from the
fact that the criminal belongs to class of
offenders who are daily becoming more auda-
cious and reckless, and whose deeds. If I'M
checked, will soon find a crowd of imitators
The unfortunate young man who will shortly
have to pay the penalty Of bis life for the OK
cesses of drunken frolc is but the type of the
fast youths of this fast metropolitan city of
ours Brought up without due regard to the
principles on which education should be con-
Quoted, emancipated from the paternal control
at an age when the boys Of other
countries are still in leading strings,
and abandoned to the instincts of their own I'M
governabie passions, IL is no wonder that the
youths of our city should prominently distin-
guish themselves in the walks of vice. 1t is not
| ovcrstating the fact to say that large proper
| tion-say two-thirds-of the offences brought
| within the cognizance Of our tribunals are COM
mit,ed by persons under age. Could the statis-
tics of the bar rooms, grog shops and houses OF
ill-fame be arrived ut with anything like &C
curacy, we believe il would be found that their
81. ,,l; a1xa
| at maturity. II is youth like these that throng
the drinking saloons during the dayfthat furnish
the chief objects of employment to the police
during the night, and that are the chief con-
iributors TO the formidable catalogue of crimes
and outrsges which have daily to be disposed
of by our criminal tribunals The rowdy-
ism and blackguardism which render our
streets almost impossible for respectable
females have been mainly supplied from
this source. In view of these facts
the community has reason to congratulate itself
that the Law has for once been triumphant
Any feeling Of commiscration that might have
been excited by the youth Of the prisoner will
be- ncutralizcd by the recollection that although
young In years he Is old in vice, and that II Ii
better that bis career should De at once cut
short than that he should be allowed TO inaict
further mischief upon the community.
The facts disclosed on the trial. In reference to
the capture Of the culSit, add another to the
many proofs already before us Of the miserable
deficiency Of the new police. Here was
ncigbborhood VIGOROUSLY infested by rowdles
left entirely unprotected and abandoned to the
operations Of midnight assassins and thieves
A respectable and unoilending citizen IL de-
prived Of life without there being policeman at
hand 10 arrest the murderer. Even after the in
formation Of the event is conveyed to the nearest
station house, 70 little excrtion Is made to
follow up his track that he is allowed to re-
turn quietly 20 his home, to- pass the night
undirturbed there, and TO go next morning to
New Jersey where he was ultimately appre-
hended. Had be been 20 disposed, ample time
was left him to make his escape; and II Is only
10 bis own apathy, and not to the activity OF
the police, that his trial and conviction are
owing IN no other city that we know OF could
such gross negligence and Indifference on the
part OF the police, in the case OF 30 wanton
murder, have occurred II IL well for the re-
surity Of the city that in the present energetic