The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-29
The Centre Of Fashion and Flights
Crime and Crinolino In Broadway.

The report of the recent riot and shoot
ing ARRAY in Broadway, at the corner of
Canal street, is suggestive of an extraor-
binary revolution which is taking place in
two of our great streets. Our principal
and most fashionable thoroughfare, Broadway,
is gradually changing its character, and, from
being the most orderly, peaceful street in the
city, is becoming rather unsettled and rowdy
in its reputation; while the Bowery, whose repu-
tation for rows and riots, murders and violence
of every kind was once so notorious has un-
dergone change for the better, and is now,
perhaps, one of the safest of all our streets for
men or women after dark.
In tho day time, in fine weather, Broadway
presents the gayest appearance of any
street in any city on this continent.
The display of crinoline in the windows of
the dry goods stores is dazzling; but more
brilliant still are the bright clouds of moving
crinoline on the sidewalk, like numerous feet
of splendid yachts in full sail. In the midst of
all this gayety and fashion, crime and disorder,
emboldened by impunity, rear their hideous
heads almost in the broad light Of day, so that
person walking quietly through this grand
thoroughfare does not know the moment
that pistol bullet, fired at another person,
may pass through his head. Still more
dangerous is it at night The appearance
of the street. as it is lighted up, is very grand;
to stranger from the country it is almost en-
chanting. But the fostering vice and crime
which lurk beneath the glitter like serpent
beneath bed of flowers ready to sting you to
death, destroy the charm, and induce the eau
tious pedestrian, at late hours especially, to
seek some other route to his home.
The following are few of the cases of homi-
eide in Broadway in recent years, to say no.
thing of the numerous disturbances for which
the street has become famous
Dr. Lutener, shot dead in his Office about ten
o'clock in the morning, and no conviction for
the crime. A porter named Burke, killed at
night in the store Of Joyce, corner of White
street. William 7. Tompkins, beaten to death
in the Art Union Saloon, Broadway, in 1859.
Joseph H. Wagstaff Qawyer,) shot dead by
Theodore S. Minis, in saloon 4S0 Broadway, in
1857. Young Ballard was nearly killed
ON the Astor House steps by Amelia Nor
man. John McLindon, corner of Thirty -ninth
street, stabbed with pitchfork. A shoemaker,
killed in daylight in basement under the
Howard House. A negro woman's throat cut
by her husband in the open day. A negro
named James Roberts, stabbed at the corner
of Ann street Corlies, shot by woman at
the Carleton House. Virginia Stewart, shot by
Macdonald, in the present year, at the Bran
dreth House. Colonel Loring, shot by DR..
Graham at the st. Nicholas Hotel Adams,
murdered by Colt at the corner of Chambers
street. William Poole, shot in an ARRAY at
Stanwix Hall.
Casey, alias Wilson, was shot on Saturday
morning at the corner of Canal street, by
mistake for another person, as stated by
the wounded man himself, but, according to
the statement Of others, as one of a gang of
rowdies who had assaulted party of ynnng
men when passing quietly through the street.
What is the cause of this great accumulation
of crime and disorder in Broadway? It arises
from the fact that the street has become the
centre Of fashion, theatres, billiard saloons,
bowling alleys, music halls, hotels, ice cream
saloons, drinking palaces and gambling resorts
where the fashionable gentlemen of the modern
type congregate, and are ever ready for mis-
chief, while the inefiiciency Of our police gives
impunity and license for outrage. The at
tractive places, fitted up in the most costly and
gorgeous style, extend from Fulton street to
Union square. They draw the curious and the
idle from all parts of the city and country In
the midst Of the crowds that congregate there
such scenes as were exhibited at Syracuse and
Stanwix Hall, in our present loose police sys-
TEN, may be expected
To such an extent, however, has the evil
grown, and such is the lawlessness that prevails
under the eyes of the we'll paid guardians of the
peace, that great numbers go armed with dag
gers and revolvers to protect themselves and
infict that summary punishment which the law
as administered fails to dispense. Violent dis
eases are only cured by violent remedies;
hence coroners' juries and other juries are slow
to give verdicts for any kind Of offence against
those who kill rowdies, such persons being
regarded by the better part Of the community
as so many noxious wolves who ought to be
| exterminated
The verdict rendered in the ante-mortem
examination in the case of Casey, shot in
the ARRAY on Saturday morning, is an in
stance of this. The strong probabilities seemed
to be that one Of the assaulted party Of young
men shot the wounded man as one of the assail-
ing rowdies; but the sympathy of the jury was
sostrongly with the side of order, and their feel
ings SO excited against the rowdyism which
threatens to turn liberty into anarchy, that
they gave the accused the benefit of the
slight shadow of doubt that he did
not fire the shot which wounded Wilson,
perhaps MORALLY, and they rendered the strange
verdict that James Wilson came to his wound
inc hr q nistnl shot fired NV some nnrsnn or