The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-02-19

Su1eranco grow strong. There Is no uouDt OF cruei
injustice, OF long and weary Imprisonment upon I'M
jusdable ground, Of relentless persecution OF the
honest but helpless debtor at the hands OF the
stronger and INSCRIPTIONS creditor OF great bodily
suffering in consequence, OF keener anguish OF mind
channg under constraint of liberty. and OF terrible
torture and positive suffering innlctea upon the
families OF the unfortunate victims Of the debtors
law OF course many OF the inmates nave been
guilty OF gross Frauds and for their clear and posi-
lively proven attempts to swindle their honest cred
itors. deserve the punishment indicted on them.
1t Is not our present purpose however, to
60 into an inquisition as to the propriety
Of the law by which assumed fraudulent debtors
are thus cast into prison and deprived OF their
liberty or to show or the stirring passions Of ro
nance and tragedy engendered and fostered under
the influence Of this special prison life but simply
to record the treatment the prisoners receive. In
general terms the treatment we are happy to state.
is not OF such terribly heinous character as has
occasionally been reported, ana by many Is believed
While there are some things to con denim there are
many things worthy OF commentator. we propose
to write OF 1t wholly in the jiIstit0 nat STYLE IN
other words to write the facts they are and leave
the public TO draw their own inierences.
LOCALITY OF LUDLOW STREET JAZZ.
Thousands live In New York who know nothing
whatever Of Ludl2w street jan i would puzzle ,s
know where TO find 1t, and the most Of them would
be unable to give tntelllgbe idea OF the classes
and character OF the inmates. For the preliminary
enlightenment OF unkn0wng ones we will state that
the Jail Is located IN the street after which It takes
Its name. Formerly y was known as the Eldridge
street. Seven years ago. the old buildtng having be-
come too dllapdated from age and long use TO he
further employed rs q JAIL and also being too
small for the rapid increase in the number OF in
mates, was abandoned and the present structure
Us be s.s m and
directly in OF the Essex Market Police Court II
Is rather stately four story brick structure, with
nothing special In its exterior to indicate the
pose which 1t erected and Is used except the
heavy network Of iron beers, arranged In diamond
pattern, fronting Its large windows The let Is
fifty feet on Ludlow street, with depth OF 100
feet. 1t s well and substantially built and contains
all the modern improvements o. our most approved
made secure by MASSIVE iron doors and bolts, and
height o. wall none bat Romeo, frenzied with the
classes civil and criminal, the first comprising al
legged fraudulent debtors and the second those
charged with passing counterfeit money and crimes
on the high seas. The former class are known as
county prisoners and the latter ~ United states
prisoners.
PLEASANT PRELIMINARY PROSPECT
An intimatl0n shat II q HERALD reporter ventured
to 0btrude his bodily presence within the precincts
of this jail he would see evidenced sudden rise in
leather was not peculiarly pleasing preliminary
prospect as yesterday with orders to visit the JAIL
we proceeded TO comply With the order. Certain re-
OF the institution appearing in the HERALD, had led
to this animation. This pleasing preliminary init
uldtiOu VIC dIc udppy W StA, GuWctCly Wds uOt CbI-
ried ou, rather, we should state, not attempt
ed, for truth cOmpeis us to assert that with our
heaviest shoes on we stood ready II circumstances
On the contrary, We were received with special, II
not marked pol.teness.
~ have comes | remarked to trfe Official answer
ing the door bell 'irom the HERALpto look through
the jail, II there is no objection"
you reporter" continued this Official in
terrogatively.
Eyes, sir.''
..Ol the HERALD, understood you to saw
hnuR n
'weIl sir did say that would kick che first CO.
porter that showed himself here, but
.Its the editors that do the lying after all ana nos
the reporters, aid they do lie fearlully;' and he
In which Sheriff 0'Brien was declared 10 say one
thing In one line Of letter he wrote, anI 10 say
acty the reverse in the next Line. lie added that
special deputy shelif1s had no charge or prisoners
until received IN prison after conviction.
.Bnt that is neither here nor tnere," interrupted.
"Can look through the Jail ~
Certainly ne answered, "there is nothing here
to conceal You can talk with any the inmates
you please. and write your own account from what
you see and hear.r
FIRST CLASS BoAHDERs.
Castles do not exist In HIndostan more p0inredy
than in Ludlow street Jail. There are inmates Of
nigh and low degree--those OF substantial paying
abilities and those OF conspicuous lmpecuni05lty.
caste, or otherwise known a. a $50 week boarder.
lie showed us his room, an apartment ten feet
square and with ceiling sixteen eighteen feet high
We looked at the snuifboX OF room and the meagre
fdrniiure--an iron bedstead, with two straw mat
tresses, two straw pillows and two coarse army
blankets for bedding: small pine table with faded
cotton cover, aged and stained carpet, two
chairs stationary clothes closet and small looking
glass
room ~ we remarked alter mental Inventory, and
which we have written out above.
..Nes, with boardr he answered.
sand you think 1t reasonabe?
s'But must have AIR." he replied. 'sThls window
you see looks into the street. and can control the
ventilation to suit myself"
Z 'sDo you have the room to yourseIfg- we further
incurred.
otherwise
..Any difference IN charges IL you have a room.
rnateW
..Not Bit"
.'Bolh occupy that bedr' "a two-thirJ sized bed
certainty. We don't have all the Injuries Of a
first class hotel here.n
Pursuing the conversation found that there are
two otper rooms ike his intended for the same class
or boardefs, in one OF wnIch Mr. Bowcs OF the
Springfield ReptOticdn had the honor Of passing a
night not long since, The SPECIAL advantages OF
these rooms over others were that they arc not
under lock and Key and that the inmates, paying
more money for their accommodations, are entitled
sEcosD CLASS BoARpERs.
This class Us maze up 81 the 1f5een dollar n week
bcardcrs. They slt at the same table with those pay
ing twice this amount, but enjoy less acconmoda-
sl0ns The way of room and furniture. the rooms
are little larger, being twelve feet square, but with
but the ventilation II not so satisfactory to those
having cultivated notions on the subject OF oxy-
gen Excepting DeiSJcads ana Dedding, CON-
posed OF the articles stated above, they have TO
furnish their rooms. Inc inmates have 10 take
care OF their own rooms or pay some one
for doing t. All these boarders az well as those OF
the first class have free OF bath room. There
IL also library 10 which they have free TDey
are allowed 10 receive visitors Ia their own apart
inents which IL d consideration not to be overlooked
In tact they enjoy very extended freedom barring
the deprivation OF their liberty and for the latter
matter any one can go out almost any time he
pieases IL he will accept the escort Of q deputy
sherin, and pay the latter for going with hun.
There Ia q billiard table for playing billiards.
and tables for cards and chess aud chcquer
PLAYING. Altogether the appliances for passing
away the time pleasantly are quite abundant, taken
In connection with the freedom OF friends 10 bring
them cigars and liquors and such like luxures.
Thcy arc strong IN their dcnuncia0n OF the debtors
law under winch they imprisoned. but induIges
In po remuneration OF the 0ficas In charge hui. on
the contrary, speak highly OF their polteness and
Humanity.
THg TABLE BOARD.
There Is but one table act. The bOarders consiaf-