The New York herald., 1870-09-18
An Attack ON Crime.

more reckless of human life. Every rough
carries a knife or a pistol. and is always
ready to resort to the use of deadly weapons,
regardless Of consequences. The same con-
dition Of society Is prevalent in England. In
that country, as well as in our own, the
authorities find themselves opposed to large
class who have adopted crime as profession,
who, indeed, regard murder as . fine art, and
the use of the slungshot and knife as an
agreeable diversion. This class is constantly
| growing, and of late it has become more violent
and more brutal in it's operations. The long
and hot summer which we have just passed
through has been unusually prolific of deeds
of appalling violence. The papers have been
| full of murders and murderous assaults, which
only failed in touching the higher crime on
account of the vitality of the victim or the
clumsiness of the would-be assassin. Those
who occupy the dignified ranks of the profess
sion, such as bank and bond robbers, check
alterers and counterfeiters, do not seem to
have been very largely increased. This class
have adopted callings which require great
ingenuity and mechanical skill, besides GER
tain amount Of capital. Men possessing these
qualities and who are willing to run the neces-
| sary risk are, fortunately, rare; for, setting
| aside the moral elevation which education
gives, it also gives reasoning power which
balances the chances and advantages to
be obtained by course of crime. And
these classes of criminal industry demand a
certain amount of education, more, probably,
than most people imagine. The higher
branches of the calling depend upon secrecy,
careful and patient work, and prompt and de-
| termined effort when the decisive moment
comes. Violence, however, does not form
part of their scheme and is very seldom
resorted to, never, in fact, unless the need is
| most desperate one; so that these men, dan
gerous as they undoubtedly are to property,
very rarely and only in exceptional cases,
take life. The lower walks Of the profession,
the river thieves, ignorant, brutal burglars,
| the corner loafers who are always ION the
lay" as they call it, are the ones which are
the most reckless of human life. These men
form the great bulk of the class which spend
the greater part of the time in our prisons. 1t
| is this dangerous and reckless class that is
constantly receiving recruits from the lowest
! and most degraded ranks of our population.
Philanthropy stands helpless and alarmed
when brought face to face with the brutal ruff
fans who, armed with slungshots or pistols,
are always fighting and robbing; it can do
nothing here; swift, relentless and severe
punishment is the only remedy. And the best
way in which this can be done is by the hearty
aid of all good citizens in sustaining the courts
and officials who are trying to stem the tide
which threatens to overwhelm us. Now no
| one will deny this, but let US see how they aid
justice in her efforts to preserve the peace. A
citizen is knocked down and robbed, brutally
beaten, let US say, in addition to the
loss of his property. Indignant and furious
he rushes to the nearest police court and has
the man arrested and committed. Very well
go far he has acted the part of good citizen
and the authorities have done their duty. A
week elapses before the case can be put before
the Grand Jury. In the meantime the victim
suffers his wrath to cool. The prisoners
badly restored his property or the value
thereof. When the only witness upon
whom the State depends for a convic-
ton is summoned to appear before the
Grand Jury he does not come; he has to
be sent for again and again, aud finally is
brought down by threats of an attachment
The man is indicted at last in the meantime
some ward politician besieges the District At
torney with appeals for mercy, as, unfortu-
nately, these ruffians almost all have some
ocal political influence. And so 1t goes on !;
the Court and prosecuting officers are met at
every turn by the apathy and Indifference of
our citizens
| And now word to the politicians who
endeavor to screen these fellows. Mr.. Sym
pathizer, what good is this fellow to
you, for whose sake you are willing to belitt tie
yourself and your position? None whatever !;
but some friends of his have been to see me-
and out of good nature ! have come down, not
caring much whether succeed or not. Now
good nature is out of place with these
fellows; public security demands some
thing else; quick and sure punishment is
what they need and must have.
Judge Bedford and Recorder Hackett 60
hand in hand with the District Attorney in
trying to check these rufians; but they need
and demand the help of our citizens Shall
they not have it AS an earnest of what they
are doing let the severe sentences they have
imposed show our people the kind Of work
they are at On Thursday Judge Bedford
sentenced a notorious ruffian, and in doing so
made use of the following language -
"Before passing sentence in this case, which
is of most aggravated character, shall
take this opportunity of stating that the
Recorder and myself have determined to do
our utmost to check burglars and robbers in
their desperate course, and in this determi-
nation have resolved, with the appreciation of