The New York herald., 1869-02-14
KINGS COUNTY JAZZ.

Crime In Br0oklyn-The Number Of Prisoners
In the Jaii-No very Desperate Characters
Confined.
The City OF Churches seems just now TO be enjoy
ing season Of comparative immunity from crime,
or at any rate from tnat class Of criminal offences
which unusual in their character and, therefore,
take special hold upon the minds OF the public. No
such desperate breaches OF the law and endish at
tacks upon life and property have recently been
recorded in this city have occurred Ia Brooklyn
within the past few months. The criminals confined
In the Kings County JAIL therefore, are Of the ordi-
nary class, that Is to say those who charged
with burglary. grand larceny, arson and crimes OF
that Ik.
The Brooklyn jail, which is situated at the inter-
section of Raymond and willoughby streets, has SO
often been described that 1t will be altogether
necessary speak OF its arrangements and appear
ance again. During the term OF ONCE of the present
sherin, Mr.. Patrick Campbell many important i'm
provements have been made In ana around the
building, and 1t is now one OF the ceanest and best
managed houses OF detention In the State. Among
the alterations made by this gentleman one OF the
most extensive is the clearing away OF q number OF
outhouses which covered the courtyard and
which mad the effect Of destroying the venta-
ton OF the building. These have all been
removed and where they stood, In the centre
Of the yard, there is now a very handsome
flower garden. The jail when quite filed Is said TO
be capable OF finding room for 400 prisoners. Just
now there are confined within its heavy walls about
$50, OF whom i35 are women and the remainder men
and boys. Almost all OF these, with the exception
OF those who are incarcerated for intoxlcation,
vagrancy and offences OF that class, awaiting
examination either before police justices or the
judges OF the various courts o! the city. or the las
men who remain within the jail In durance vile,
waiting their trials, but few are charged with what
are known as important crimes. The following
table viii show the offences for which they are I'M
prisoncd:-
burglary ............. "a Petit larceny. ...... Il
Arson. ................ lneDt. ...............
FcIonous ASSAULT. Q Other orences.. ...... II
The two men imprisoned for felonious assault are
ooth c0lofed. One IL tue man Horsey, who ~ held
70 await the result OF stabs inflicted by him on John
Hopkins on the morning OF the goth ult., during the
Eleventh ward riot. 1t will be remembered that q
party OF Irishnen on that day set upon coorcd
men at the corner OF Centre street aud Park avenue,
and chased them through TO Myrtle avenue. During
the chase Horscy turned upon Hopkins, one OF the
pursuers. and stabbed him In the shoulder, side aud
heart, as claimed In self-defence The man Hopkins
remains In the City Hospital and IL still reported
critical condition, and horsey IL confined await tile
result o. tns wounds inflicted BY him. The other
man charged with feonious assault Il James Mitchell,
VINO acted a. bootblack at ballroom In Williams
burg, ana VINO, becoming enragcd with the propre-
tor Ior ordering him out drew q knife and COM
I pletely cut or his nose. lhe men imprisoned on o
charge oI defraudng the government sailors and
raeiesen wn nnea !, frice, Boyce and two Drotners
gling and selling cigars without paying the revenue
cnarRes In tne class "0ther offences are Included
men serving out their sentences for ntoxcation and
also those awaiting hearing charges OF assault
and battery abandonment and violation OF ordi-
| nances.
OF the 1876 women who are confined almost the en-
tire number are mn for minor offences, only some
SIX or seven being chtrged with larceny. OF these
some are inveterate ''bummers,n whose faces are
quite familiar to the keepers OF the ial and who
seem TO be unable to Keep outside its iron doors.
Many OF the women have their children with them
in their ccs, and the merry laughter OF the innocent
little creatures sounds sadly out Of place In the cor
rtdOlg Of the dark prison house.
The burglars confined are almost all lads and
young hen, very few old hands being observed by
the visitor the inmates Of the jail are continually
changing, - after they are finally sentenced the
criminals arr removed TO some other place 70 serve
out their sentence6