New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-12-13
THE poWNFALL OF COW Bar

To-ia
,,s,v ssuartiug. Many and widely differing are the
.o,;op. hst rise within the spectator a., uner tne
go blows Of the orkmen, the villsnous baisaiag'
-. % heir fall This Internal Desa of crime, the
A,.st;a Of New.York now thst IL i passing away, |
NAV be worth brief description. AbIttng on the |
r,s triangular p OF of groond in the POints- which,
nuder Missionary Pease was nicely covered with grass
od ,bpbs and neatly pcketed roand, very oasis Of
a,s IN a desert of dirtiuess srtil some tune ago the
Democratic rnfens tore mp fence for eleetion bon
fires when il relapsed into is former desosa''on-
a. houOh IL were a continuation Of Little Water street
4; l de sac perhape 30 feet wide al the mouth, mar
rowing with crooked, uneven lines back 70 point
100 feet from the entrance.
Cav Raw a. the place r. called IN ts normal condi'
ton is knee deep in fifth, and penDed 10 on each
side by tall tOt,erng buildings Of wood and BRICK
large, gaunt, wmdowlesa dooriess dirty dens, where
thieves and nurderers be high revel Yesterday the
moirion began and by nighfaIl goodly progress hsd
been made IN the work 10 was god-send 10 the
POINTERS who awaited themselves Of the opportunity
% Law IN liberal stock Of re-wood regardless Of dan
ger from falling walls and crashing unbers. A few
DAYS and this haunt Of crime and misery VIII have
cessed 70 be.
We're there ever any pleasant associations connsesed
with Cow Bay Ever go humble, there are recohec-
tons that cluster around rhe homes Of youth and
eause us to excuse the decay degeperacy of later
DAYS. Can any one recall such emotions connected
with Cow Bay II those old beams oonId speak,
would they tell a tale Of joyous childhood and happy
honest Did 4 cheerful 6reside erer Ilume these
now dreary dirty, reeking halls and chambers DID
they ever ring with the shouts, Of virtuous, happy
lads and Iaaidensl VIII some one tell US such tale
If only 70 serve as light to the dark picture Of latter
dsys7 Coso Bay the will carry dreary sensa-
ton to the heart of the gentleman up town. AS be sips
HE coffee and reads his paper the dong mother will
look upon her darling child, and az she ooks viii feel
at does not concern me-By child would never
reach 70 desoate spot in the downward path toward
the Potter's field and everlasting perdhOn.'
Well there are stranger stories than this might be,
connected with those falling houses, into which those
workmen are letting the light for the hrs time in many
syear. For many years we have been familiar with
Ills terrible place and heard Of and witnessed deeds
60 dark and fearful that accurate description Of them
would be deemed incredible The floors and walls Of
almost every house and have been dyed with the
blood Of some poor murdered wretch, whose agonE.
ing shrek of Helpl help Murder murder" has
been drowned by the louder voices and bacchaaslan
shouts of the miserable and hardened wretches around
him. There. just by the corner, Stookey stabbed a
negro and a Of wre ches gathered, cursng and
laughing while his LIES blood ebbing fast away.
Down there, once lived drunken Phil, desperado.
Scarce a day passed that some poor, dead dying
wretch was not taken from bis vile den Finally in a
drunken rage he stabbed bis brother TO the heart,
and is now raying maniac Blaekwens Island. In
sight now, as they tear away the partitions Is the
Toom--now tenanted by negro who claims two
white wives and one black-where tpeHty beings
| haau Tn dfafhp her
children grandchildren-all drunkards, thieves, and
| begears From that room their souls, after life
| of drunkenness and debauehery, went up 10 God
vino made them, and their bodies To Potters Field.
Into that room, at least young woman has entered
who started in life with fair and hauering prospects,
bu, in the fatal hour Of trial listened too condngy TO
the seductons of the tempter and came here seeking
and finding refuge in which 10 hide her shame from
those who ought to pity and raise her up. Here she
suffered nc none but those tenderly and respectfully
| reared can suffer Here her deep repentance was
written in the wasting away of health and life and at
last while her sedueer walked UNPUBLISHED among the
honest this poor creature paid the terrible penalty of
their crime against society, breathing out her penent
SOUL and went to reoin her infant, where sorrow and
sip never 20. You may imagine numbered incidents,
reader such as these and still you would not exceed
the reality.
( How did the poor wretches live in this Pandemoni
um ? Up in that room, which repeated blows have
Just destroyed, few days since wesaw in one corner,
nesting in tie straw siek man, about 70 realize the
! end ef the life of drunkard. On each side of him
snored a woman Ali three together had not clothing
enough 20 cover one. little way of, crouching like
bali OF rags sat another before the fireplace.
There Was fire there, and had been none for long
4 tine before The woman slept. Close by her, with
her head resting in the cupboard beside the fireplace,
was stretched along the floor another woman, sleep
ing My companion started back, pale with fear aud
horror There was little cause for fear but much ior
/ thought.
city, up and down which the religion and wealth, the
wisdom and prudence of the land pass and repass
here, on the very forehead of America, this great
psgue-spot this losthsoDe cancer has been al
: lowed remsin, TO grow and spread It's
| contamination almost unnotced and unelred for. To
this prolific hot bed may be traced large portion Of
the crime and denomination of the working class
least Of young men in New-York. But the place tells
it, own story Thanks a liberal public spirited gen.
uenRn smother great step toward the regeneration of
the Five Points has been TAKEN n the destru ,ton Of
the glory Of Cow Bay. Years since, the Old Brewery
with its terrible realities disappeared and house of
charity and religious training In its place. Then
the benevolent cried amen Soon ai.er Frlow Court,
with its dens and underground passages demol-
sbed and s site erected the House of Industry.
Now, another place full of terror and losihng falls
and well may those interested in its downfall DO filed
with cougrstuation. If readers would ike to
the remnants of the glory of the Five Points they
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