The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-21

THE DREADFUL STATE OF AFFAIRS THERE.


From the New York Sun, 9.h.l
We are surrounded, enveloped. nay, immersed
in crime, and in the dark, mysterious agencies of
crime. In the cryptic places, and dungeon holes
of the thieves quarters in New York the lowest
and most degraded wretcbes who are lost to con-
science, to hope, and to mercy assemble nightly
TO concoct crimes against person and estate.
Murders are a daily crop. Dear friends, well in
the morning, go out TO business, and are brought
home mutilated corpses. Old men so ont to
sweep the sidewalk, and be cut 20 pieces with
knives. Gentlemen sitting quietly in their own
rooms awaiting company. are seized, bound,
gagged, robbed, and threatened with bullet if
they resist Robberies are committed In the pub
lie streets as sort Of makeup farce TO the heavy
tragedy of the murders. 6lungshots, the desdlest
of murder weapons, are used with deadly fire.
cueD' and freedom. Said a venerable, well in
forL4Sl stranger to a citizen the other day, No
man is safe, nor woman, either; for by your de-
fective detective arrangements you seem to say
so.n Nay more, we have every reason to believe
that some recIeant members of the police rganza-
ton itself in league with the thieves, murder
ers, assassiDs and breakers. There was
Skidmore, who, when arrested year ago, turned
out TO have been the chief villain of q gang OF
such for long time, Who, before his discharge
from the service, took advantage Of bis position
to screen himself and his associates. His house
was full Of burglars tools abd implements of vio-
lence. BE was a cunning, 4erciless wretch, who
took delight in murder as So amusement, and in
robbery as & neans Of livink and dissipation. He
used the most cowardly of Iall the weapons ever
invented for the perpetrstioh Of crime-the sneak
ing white -ivered air gun that does its business
without noise, and takes life in open day, in the
midst Of crowded streets.
We regard the Introduction of this new weapon
of secret murder as the most dreadful omen of
public danger. IL has filed the cir with terrors
and uncomfortable breads. IT Is as If O conspiracy
of The most deadly and determined character had
an ~ entered into. by teoret and mysterious
gang vi ubiquitous fends in human shape,
for the destruction of the b tnan race. Vigilance
Committees are being formf1 In town and coun.
try and it is this alarming rot of crime that has
driven good citizens TO this Past resort OF despera-
ton. The Vigilance Committee of Westchester
is understood to have been formed TO support an
extraordinary secret police force, in addition TO
the ordinary force, and to AFT In conjunction with
the uniformed policemen th4t are TO be seen in the
streets; but the secret force is to be so managed
es TO defy the most searching scrutiny of the
thieves. We may add that the Westminster side
of the Harlem river is soon to be made very IN
safe place for thieves.
The organization of the New York Vigilance
Committee Is progressing, but We have already
made known as much a. our reporters know Of
its plans, and nothing further need be said at this
time.
Newark, Orange, Hudson City and other towns
on the western banks of the Hudson, and the
people of Staten Island, are seriously talking of
Vigilance Committees on the Westchester plan.
We do not understand that in any case it has
been proposed 20 resort TO the San Francisco
Vigilance Committees extremities; but il will not
astonish us If number Of Burglars are shot within
the next fortnight, nor needithe community think
il remarkable that coroners jures justify the Wig
lants that do the shooting.
About o'clock yesterday morning Augustus
Eeshere was found on the sidewalk on Division
street with his head severely cut, seemingly by q
bullet. He could give no account of the occur
renee, further than that he felt sudden blow at
the back of his head, and he then became uncon-
scious. he was taken to the Madison street po-
lice station.