Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-11-15


The lieutenant at this station kindly threw
open the doors of the lodging rooms, and OF
the cells for prisoners taken up during the
night In one of these rooms we counted
fourteen women-homeess and friendless crea-
lures, who had there sought shelter. Some
were asleep, and those who walked drew their
shawls over their bare heads to avoid the
gaze of the visitors. One held IN her arms a
child, about two years old, whose little pale
face and attenuated limbs indicated that the
sands of its life were fast running out, and
that Providence intended to rescue it from the
fate of the poor wretches around it,
Outside of this small and close cell, on
benches, were stretched other women Not
few of their countenanceS showed past beauty
of no ordinary character The black, glossy
hair of one, her white teeth, and her finely.
chiseed features were evidence that, Young
as she was, she had Haunted her brief day as
queen among her class. But she too, was
not long for this life.
At the end of the corridor was a room some.
what larger, occupied by the men lodgers-
Here the degradation was more apparent. The
bruised and bloated faces, the shoeless feet
the filth, and the noisome smell that exhaled
| from their bodies, created a sensation of in
uCSCiIDdOiC IduSCd IHC1 NtIC DdCheu III like
herring, all, without exception, the victims of
drink and its attendant vices aud crimes
Down stairs were the cells in which the
prisoners Of the night were cOnfned-sentenced
on various charges some for drunkenness and
others for theft and burglary. On one of the
hard pallets a woman was reposng She
reused up at our approach and began to weep
and moan in the most heart-rendng manner.
Next door to her was a mother with :. child
in her arms One cell contained three men.
Ny attention was called to one of these, an
aged man, who came forward and protested
that his companion was killing him. He
has beaten me, said the man, " for the last
two hours | am here for nothing | have
committed no crime have seen better DAYS.
For the sake of humanity take me out of this
| place His appeal was sustained by the au-
pearance Of his tormentor-a young and stall
wart IrShman, with hideous face, who pour
ed out torrent Of profane vituperation upon
the old man. Tne officer kindly released the
latter, amid the most earnest expressions of
gratitude.
The station houses seem to be superior to
those of Philadelphia. The accommodations
for the officers are neat and convenient the
hall itself large and well ordered : and the
whole economy of the place admirable. Most
of the lieuteuauts are men of education and
character, and the discipline of the rank and
file of the police seems to be exact and severe
y record is kept of all those who are lodged
aud confined their ages, sex, occupation and
residence. The majority of the guilty and the
poor seemed to be males, but the proportion
of females was irightfully large
The adventures Of these unfortunates wouId
furnish a startling commentary upon the scar
city Of female employment and the mad eGuacv
of female wages. Attracted to New York.
they run brief career after as brief a resis-
tance to the allurements of vice. and die an
early death
The history OF young girl from an ada
cent village was told TO us. She was extreme
ly lovely but, fond OF dress and admiration.
was induced on one occasion to pay visit TO
New York, by man who represented him
self as a merchant, and proved to be gam
bier. She never returned to her happy home,
but became an inmate of one of the Mercer
street houses, where she remained for some
two years. At the end of this time she had |
contrived to save some fifteen hundred dollars. |
and then resolved to change her course in life |
and to live upon her little fortune. At this |
moment the tempter again appeared, in the |
person of her SeduCer. She loved him ardent |
y, and, with womans confidence surrender |
ed to his keeping her money, on the promise
that it should be repaid FIVE fold She never !
saw him more, and now," said the officer,
" she is almost nightly occupant of one of
our cells"
Those who have read the works of Dickens |
will remember how he delineates the mystery
of theving in all its varieties the skill and /
deXterity Of the London burg lars the utter !
degradation, even of children of both sexes
reared amid evil associations, and the Difficult |
ty of defeating the really guilty New York |
cannot, Of course, equal London in this res, !
pect, bat it has many representatives worthy !
the pen of the illustrouS Boz. Anecdotes are |
related of boys of ten years, who make the
circuit of the city, day and night, with violin
and tamborne, and return with considerable |
harvest taken from the pockets Of their au-
dences, all of which, in turn, is counted over
to their leader, who exercises brutal tyranny
over his youthful followers
The natiOnaliteS of the habitues of the part |
of New York that we visited are American |
German and Irish. OF course, American
rowdyism is there represented in its worst pha.
seS, but the foudness for liquor seemed to show |
itself less among the Germans. Those who
resort to the German denS prefer lager beer,
while in other quarters we noticed that gin |
whisky, and other poisonous decoctions were
the favorite beverages.
Our next aud last visit was to the negro
headquarters. Down stairs stable, the sec
ond floor a coffin warehouse, the third ball
room and bar The contrast was entirely
in favor of the coored ladies and gentlemen.
The room was cleaner, the females better dress
ed and better hehaHed and the man lnnkinn