The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1864-12-05
The Tombs Trnpcdv-

Tns manlac's third victim WILLIAM GEolax,
died on Saturday morning, and the inquest result.
81 10 the same verdict given In the other
casos. This Ia scarcely satisfactory " the public,
md an investigation Of O moro searching nature
should 10 made. In connection with this subject,
oonsider 1t duty W again remark upon the re-
prehonsblc manner in which prisoners are huddlcd
together IN these "bummers' rooms" a. they are
vice, Is placed in immediate contact with tho boy
o. sixte'n, who, perhaps has Committed some
trihing offence, for which he gets a few days TN
prisonment. The latter, fpu, in cell by himself,
might perhaps go out with horror ofconfincmenL
and q resolution N lead better life. But his
hoary compccr in crime becomes his instructor,
and he often goes away graduated candidate ior
Bsckwell's Island, the State Prison. and, perhaps,
the saoss. Again, the poor young girl who, for
the frst tune in her life, the inside Of
prison, being probably arrested, charged with q
r,Ains offence, o. which she may be entirely limo
cent, Ia placed beside the Infamous street walker,
and tho hopeless victims Of intemperanco. The
language she hears will not, Of course, tend 10 i'm
prove her morals, and 'he, by degrees, becomes 40
accustomed to 1t, that when her time is VI, she is
In many instances, ready for vce and infamy Of
every kind In her case, these lines Of the poet sre
TOO truly realized;
Vice is , monster Of such frightful mien,
That ~ be hated needs but n be seen
4 seen too oft-familiar with his iace,
We hrst endure then pity, then embrace.
| To guard against such Gases these, and also u
avoid repetition Of tho irghtiul scenes Of Friday
last, something should be done, and that at once,
70 have prisoners confined sepsraiey--not huddled
together Ike swine in pen. The young in years,
and the inexperienced in crne should not be
| placed In contact with those who haYe grown old
In vice and vllany-
The more recent aud, II possible, more horrible
murder Of female, in the Sixth Precinct Station
House, on Saturday night or Sunday morning sGords
another ilustration--thst could well be spared for
the credit Of our ciiyof the absolute necessity for
reform in this matter. In spite Of the warning Of
the Tombs catastrophe, a number Of infuriAiei,
wretchcd, drunken women, Of different races, were
thrust into a cell and a quarrel sprung up which
resulted in Q wild tumult Of sighting and blood
she'd the details Of which makes the heart sick A
wreiched Irish woman, lettering on the verge OF
the grave, had her brains stamped out by drunk
en- negres-, and the tumult went on until the
| body 81 the victim WAS actually cold hctore the
appearance q tho police, who must have been
quietly listening to tho shrieks and shouts Of the
crowd. 1t is almost inconccivsble that this scene
should have been permitted 70 occur, and ii de
mands tie closest scrutiny and the adoption o
measures that will forever preclude the possibility
Of similar horrors u would be better Thousand
times 10 leave these wretchcs In their dcns In III,
cutters than TO herd them tog,ther with the chauc,
u such terrible scenes within the very precincts
law and order The officers, perhaps are less Il
hlomc than the system, hut the former, II provet
rcmiss, should be aernly punished. As for the lat
ter II must 10 reformed sltpgcthcr