New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-20
Local Intelligence.

TuosE WHO ARE CuosES.-A1 who are
familiar with the varied life as seen IN the
no,;ce stationhouses and Recorders courts,
n,ust have taken notice, if observant, OF the
different characters among the prisoners.
Most of the lower grades of men and
women are represented, though the WICK
eldest may be attired in fashionable SUITS
while the better class will, perhaps, be IN
tatters. All manner Of facial expressions
are visible, and the most devoted physios-
nomist would find his talents OF no avail;
his scientific gucsses would probably shoot
far from the mark. He would be lost. con-
founded. After the Recorders have finished
their examinations, filming some and dis
charging others, there remain in the docks
the more unfortunate Of both sexes.
Poverty, or it may be stubbornness de-
tains few, while the viIest sinners are
thinned down to three or four, held until
the Black Maria shall call carry them to
the Workhouse or Parish Prison. In almost
every instance these few wear the most
woeful cOuntenances and seedy clothing.
and it is not far wrong to suppose them real
criminals. When the public carriages are
ready for prisoners, passing citizens halt to
see them embark. A few, whose consciences
have not entirely evaporated, wear sheepish
looks, while the hardened sinner assumes
an air quite brazen, and if by chance he
sees an old acquaintance in the street,
hippantly utters a remark, intending to
convey the idea that he is unconcerned, but
nevertheless hurries inside, as if about to go
on pleasure trip down the shell road.
Following, is degraded woman, who has
not quite forgotten better days, still esti-
mating her character as fair; with an air OF
injured innocence she filings ont curt SEN
tence to one of her kind, requesting that her
room may be locked and trunk taken care
Of until she returns.
Then comes one branded a. habitual
drunkard and peace disturber. He is OBJ
Evious, seeing nothing, but feeling dry
pains from a nights total abstinence.
Every feature in his face begs for one, only
one, dose of whisky to relieve that aching
void within. He is intent only on what his
sufferings viii be during confinement, water
being his only beverage for days to come.
imprisonment has no terrors; the want of a
stimulant is his anxiety, and his bleared
eyes say so. Then comes a sneak thief,
tolerably we'll dressed, and appears rather
likely, ii not respectable. He has had free
rides before, but still makes a transparent
effort to hide the fact that he is rascal, for
police eyes are photographing his physiog-
nomy, and he knows it.
A thieving servant girl, with hanging
head and screened face, enters hurriedly
to avoid peering eyes, for she is now fully
aware of her terrible position. From this
day out she drops lower and lower in the
scale of life, until finally a paupers grave
covers her wasted bones. 1t may be that a
registering fellow, in for indulging in too
free time, goes down, simply because he
has spent all his money and is too proud to
send for friends, dreading an exposure. He
prefers visit to the Parish Prison, but hall
an hours loss of freedom there changes his
confused mind, and he promises a messen
ger five or ten dollars if he will take note
somewhere for him. The fine is soon paid
and his taste of prison life is entirely salts
fed, 80 forcible that it ever after re-
mains green in his memory. And so on to
the end.