The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-14
THE POLICE BUILDING.
Its Further Occupation Almost Reck'
lessness.'' ga,
RECORDER BECKER TO TEE MAYOR

The insecure condition Of the police buildin,
on the corner of Lafayette and st. Charlie
streets, to which sllusion was made in our edI
ton Of yesterday, is subject which appears II
demand urgently the immediate attention of th,
authorities with view to the prevention Of pos
sible disaster, which would inevitably result in th
loss Of many lives. The building, which is thre,
stories high and of brick, was built over thrt,
years ago, and at the present time is devoted b
the purposes Of q police station and lookup aut
police headquarters ON the first floor rscorderI
Office, (frst precinct.) police hst-room, capta:nl
Office and affidavit clerks office on the second
while the third story % divided into two spacious
halls IN INC roar one Of which b held tue record
ers court for the First Districts in the front one
the sessions of the Board Of Police Comm issioners
II will thus be seen that, at any time during
business hours, the building necessarily swarmi
with humanity. In fact, II IL probable that be.
tween the hours of 8 A. NJ. and p. NJ. there are
never less than one hundred persons In and about
the building, while the number may sometimes
be three times as great, and the prisoners and
lodgers IN the lookup at night make the building
always more or lees tenanted.
Now TO whisper that a building so much in use
is apt to fail msy be imprudent unless that whis-
per have some actual foundation in fact. But
when the fact becomes stated in oficia, form,
when, as we informed the public yesterday, the
police board no longer considers it safe to hold its
meetings there; when the recorder, with very
pardonable interest, considering that he is in the
building at least twelve hours out of the twenty.
four, addresses to the mayor the communication
given below; when. in short, 1t Is announced that
within the past fortnight the wsrpiDg of the walls
and settling Of the raters inward, have been such
ss even TO make their effect apparent to the naked
eye and to occasion serious alarm, then we think
it nothing more than common duty to spprise
the public of the fact and caution them accord.
ingly, so that they may shun the danger whatever
it may be. Should any disaster occur from these
causes, and may Heaven forbid 1t, it will not at
least be predcable as entirely unforeseen or scc.
dental. The following is Judge Becker's letter to
the mayor:
RECORDERS Court, FIRST DISTRICT,
New Orleans, Feb. IS, 1869.
10 the Bon John R. Conway. Mayor of the City of New
Sri would respectfully call your attention to
the unsafe and dangerous condition of the baild-
ing now occupied as the First District station, the
court room Of the First District recorder, and
other city Offices. The rear portion of the build.
ing, in which is situated the court room, is espe-
cially threatening. the walls being cracked iu
many places from the settling, and the exceed
ingly warped and shsky condition of tie whole
building renders further occupation almost an
act of recklessness. The building has already
been condemned several times by the Grand
Jury, and the necessity of providing new
quarters for the aforementioned Offices
laid before your predecessors,
who, for some unacco1ntsble inactivity, have
made no efforts to remedy the evil or avert i'm
pending danger. Your honor, the representative
of the city, is responsible for any detriment or
liability that might result from any accident Of
the nature of the one apprehended, not to say
anything of the fearful consequences that might
ersue to many valuable lives. / therefore re-
spectfuily request your earnest and prompt ac-
ton jn this matter, as IL has become subject OF
remark and comment in the community. Were
you yourself directly to lay the matter before
the council, and urge the immediate necessity of
another building, they would, no doubt, take
every necessary measure in the premises.
Very respectfully, JOHN P. BECKER,
Recorder First District.