The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-01-02

The Third Lectures New York After
Dark. THE third lecture of the course was
delivered in the Odd Fellows Hall, in Elk
ton, on Wednesday night, by VIM. Writ
Sykes Subject" York After Dark"
Notwithstanding the evening was an unf,-
vorable one, the audience present was very
creditable-far exceeding that i'll attend
ance at either Of the previous lectures.
The lecturer said that to see the vaga-
bond life of New York after dark it was
necessary to choose one of two plans: to
go i'll company with policeman, with a
pistol in your pocket, or to disguise your
self in the garb usually worn by the class
among whom you may desire to visit. The
latter being the best, from the fact that the
presence of an officer puts the characters
ON their guard, the lecturer took it. He
gave an amusing description of the suit he
donned: pair of corduroy pants tucked
in the tops of pair of hob-nail brogans, a
red flannel shirt open in front, the collar
turned up and a large kerchief round the
neck, over the whole drawn a coat large
enough for two such men and so battered
and torn that it was miracle how it held
together, watch-house kinked hat, with
his hair in that abandoned manner unsep-
arabic from the true loafer, completed his
attire.
Having thus arrayed himself, he took his
audience through the various haunts of
vice and crime in the " Five Points " and
other localities. Previous to starting on
this journey he said some people were ter
ribly shocked at the mention of scenes of
crime and poverty. But he said this was a
mistake; for crime could not stand the
midday sun that light was death to it
and that all the friends of evil want is to
be let alone"
He said he was induced to thus unvcil the
scene in order that he might show to the
young that a life of vice and crime was not
the one of gayety and satisfaction which
was pictured in the "yaller kivers of the
Jack Sheppard and Dick Turpin style. On
the contrary it was one of constant war
with the law, a frequent race with a police
man, and an occasional visit to the peniten-
tiary.
We cannot here follow him in his ex-
plorations, further than to say that the pic
lures he drew of the votaries of vice and
crime were truly appalling. And if any
one in that audience has doubt of their
truthfulness, let him in disguise see Elkton
after dark, and then remember the differ
ence in the two places.
In the way of reform, the lecturer con-
tended that prevention is better than cure.
And cited in contrast the John Allen case,
and the institution for street boys in New
York, -boot-blacks, newsboys, &c. The
former, which has cost near ten thousand
dollars, is comparatively a failure, while
the latter has, during the year just closed
forwarded over seven hundred boys to good
homes in the west. And this is what is
rapidly getting fairly before the minds of
those who have the good of the race in
view. Parents, in many cases, are terri
bly, blind to their duty. Children kept from
the streets after night, and sent to the Sab
bath school, will do a thousand times more
to increase virtue and industry than all the
efforts that can be made to reform drunk
ards and reclaim outcasts. Not that the
efforts in the latter direction should be de-
creased at present, but the former should
be more urgently impressed on the people.
The lecturer said there are about 10000
girls in New York city who get living by
the needle-or attempt to get 1T. He gave
some sad pictures of the hardships of the
poor girls but said there is an institution
which is doing large amount of work for
| their amelioration.
The lecture was interesting, and gave
general satisfaction.