New-York tribune., 1869-01-08

Very many OF these houses have Histories that wonld
yolaoe ssh novel Every day that passes Ii wiiin I,
them would supply comedy ana sedy; one Que "i Inv ti,e
women looking SO pure their faces would alinst eon,
diet facts, yet part @; their lives II revealed wo9i
their dearest friends Those women mie h1 h,"1l ecL aud
understand the terms. Tier fauits wonj; ; t annTn
aIr g m yrIGSs 20 sa WI w sad s %n c4es Ss' 1901 "' ~
Nh 90, We cncduuier tho Avenue have the angel end
lyfI coinmis in their hCing They neither 50
family nor sofaulleSs rs is believed They a,o haif dl
vine, yet wholly human. They represent tho World
Circumstance drives, Temperament binds them.
Fi,h Ayenno has It's saus and Olles, anl eyils Bnt
60 ihrro or elsewhere, and wen We nave Ionae req
Is enough We shall that Charity ends what syElatBy
begins.
As a companion piece to this picture we may give
the somber sketch of a seeno from the opposite OK
tremity Of the social scale.
TIE ToMBs
Everybody IN the Metropolis has the Tombs
s tine Cty Prison Is always called here, but few have
been inside OF is gloomy walls nor would they HE 10
he If they knew what wretehes ana Wretchednsss IL con-
Tie Toubs occupies one square, block, bounded on
the east aud west by Centre ana Elni ana n0Iih an
sduth 10y Leonard and Frankn-sts IL was built about
thirty years Of gray granite IN the Egypan siye
Of architecture, at cost OF S2J01O aud It s sdle 10 SOY
10 such gnOunt OF money ever expended for noe
dO!OrOus purpose. It's gloomy senibiluoe CeVe INC
it stl bears, aud VIII bear ~hHe one block OF lhe
dingv stone stands upon another
Wien tho priscn was bult u was considered re-
n Was the architectural wonder % the east side Of tho
town Tie vicinity Of the Tunbs has little 10 boast or
80 in tho way either OF cesuuees or beauty but at the
nrreahout au the prison might well be considered
tomb Of purity order peace, and law: 40. =, ,...,..
through tic streets is merely the walls Of tho prlsou in
e!osing quadrangle full Of narrow, ilvenaled, dis,
NAL crils. arranged IN one above another, aud
reached by iron ,ops and alecs There three differ
ent departments III the Tombstone for boy', anoet Tor
men, and third for women; aud the three GLASSES arc
kent catefuly apaF They are a a.t.raD,e enough
Heaven knows and no s!lnra'heuc person VINO goes
there withhold his pity froa tAem however hard. Cr
The iombs if prison of detention for tho most part
persons being confined there for trial. aud sentenced
| to Blackwcl's Island or sing Sing when convicted
The prisoners are locked un In their cells during the
| night and much OF the day, but are permitted 20
fresh air." IN the galleries at certain honrs "Frcsh
S a. f S G IS e 4 i0MSi aTsn Is pdoa "a siS
and enough 10 breed pestleuce Tho Hoard II Health
Il think It Should sSsS 'i US such IL the Voice
usIce and reform s seldom obeycd in largo cities where
| sehshness is the end aud corruption is the rule
Tho inmates vary IN number with the season and the
trade sagnant there are moro than during the warm
months and periods Of activity showing t!at crime Is
Tonbs has about 400 inmates, thiecqnarers of whom
are men. Moat Of them are hardened and degraded
creatures who have been there at the Iand, and ~
the Documentary, ana again. They have lost oil
OF shane for they feel they axe outcasts; that
They come into cont9ct only with thelrown fallen kind
and with policemen who are as cal0us IN their way
| tho prisoners ere IN theirs
II we could but look INTO tie heart, Of criminals eould
fathom the mysteries Of wee would we not find tlat the
divorce OF the erring from human charity, their despair
OF human forgiveness and love- was the cause Of most OF
Not Few Of the prisoners arc slight offenders novcos
in yice-inen who have become intoxicated perhaps for
tho fist tine and Who awake from mad dcruui
modification and bor repentance IL the shasi cells Of
Men OF influence, and wealth. and position have been
there than particularly strangers who
10 the city TO sec It's schts and after drinking ana dis
spatug, have beeA borne down by the fiery drauehts
they had swallowed. ITutcrs and reporters am sorry
| 10 say, occasionally found at tho Tonbs ending
spree thcre most gloony, when they set out Or night
| VI gaycy aud pleasure.
1Ic Tonbs has history, and a very sad one It
has seen Tragedies whose horrors thrilled through the
land, aud were repeated with pale lips for many
Men have spent lcirlhlc diYs ana nights there with
death l0r which they were wholly TnprcpaIod. staring
visions u murdered victims have troOped through those
| cells What agony aud terror have wrung their souls
wais and eternal fareweiis have been taken from
friends, and wives, ana mtresscs who loved none the
less Tor the great crimes that had exngushcd the sym
col Monroe Edward the famous forger-scarcely re.
menhcci ly this generation, ono OF The cells
| Caneem, The assassin Mrs Bndell-Cnnningham; !;
Colt who slew Adams the printer, aud afterward stabbed
very morning named to his cxccnton The story Of the
mysterious nurder-the sending OF the box containing
! rest, tic Cxcng tral. Tho effort of influential
friends 10 save iim the romantic attachment Of bis
nsless. ard then tho nnal cheating OF the gall0ws
escape y the substitution of another body for his and
his living ~ prosperity IN Europe
Ioabs and to-day they would be almost lrosh when
they first startled the City and the country at large
The galiOws has stood Of times within the walls
o he ICnbs ana TIE timbcs Of which IL IL composed
carefully laid by, 10 be rut up whenever tho sAudderinV
spectacle OF judicial murder shall again be presented
| Who, that has heard the hollow echoes OF galows-
making, some sopulclral morning before sunrise viii
ever rIoIsot nIe aWiuI sound what morbid curiosity
| Is alwtye fell 10y the depravcd 10 witness executions
have been blachencd. and win he biacIeucd once
more when some trembling wretch Is swung of eer
niiy
The courts held in the Tonbs the policecour pre-
sided over by Justice Dowlng, officer worthy OF the
revotng pace; and the Special Sessi0Bs where petty
oenSes IN the eycs 0t the law tried, and humanity
| held up 10 merciess judgment.
Of otol
and that OF inc Iobs unusually so feel contaminated
whenever onter Dowlings tribunal. Everything seems
hard, 70 vulgar. 50 pess, that long for the sun.
sne of Broadway tho fresh breeze Of the parks az II
lad btn deprived OF them for months The pocc strike
unpleasaly the criminals for familiarity mas
male them callo and they laugh and jeer degrada
ion which IL revolDg aud at misery winch is too deep
Tho tragedies Of the wretchcd creatures that have fail
INTO their hands are broad farces to them The dge
sentences tho euprits he would call of list articles
AT an auction The officers Of the law give evidence under
oath they relate coarse story at headauarters Crime
matter OF punishment an inevitable duty.
All McKcdness and inamy belong 20 tho daily routine,
ana are neither TO De censured nor deplored.
On te pam and shame OF ie police court 1t Is tri-
plnu without dignity, and sseIencc without sympathy
10 seems TO rob jusice Of an beauty by It's and
TO strike humanity irto the dust with brutal hand IL
has s uses suppose but they the o adversely
deprived Of aspiration, and cut of from the hope OF m
prOyement
have gone into the Tombs talked With the prison
ers, and have known others DO So II you are gentle
and sympathec, they respect you ni once and no Won
dI Tor they have no reason 70 look FOR Rudues from
the past experience But even they will show the bet
Ter Side that every mortal has IL you viii poseyere aud
prove oem yoaare their friend Charity not only GOV.
ers multitude Of SINS IL trnt them back TO the source
OF good Intentions and enables Judge as we would
be judged. -" W ~
The men are not 40 ptiabe the boys and women for
these might be reformed by proper treatment But IN
the atmosphere OF the Tombs reformation seems poss
ble lhe grin. hard stone Of the building appears TO
mock every ehOrt TO change It's dreary echoes to laugh
ateyery Sigh, or moan, prayer
The rombs! II is we'll named Who 40 cbristened a.
was wiser and bitterer than he knew In IL arc swa
lowed up the best purposes and resolves and It's ponder
Gus architecture crushes any remaining TO good
When pass II under the lighness OF EOoD, feel a
shadow ia NY way: and even the purity Of the moon