The New York herald., 1870-03-01
CRIME In BROOKLYN.
A BLAST FROM THE GRAND JURY
Startling Results OF Their
Investigations.
A Story OF OfAcial Corruption and the
Abuse Of Our Political System.
The County Jail Disgrace to Civilization
Farcical Excise Law-Death by swill Milk
About Gambling Houses, Brothels, Go.

Tho Grand Jury empanneled In the Kings county
Court OF Sessions have been investigating number
Of matters Of great pubic interest and yesterday
made presenJment To tho court revealing to GER
tain extent the result Of their lab0m and stating
some truths which wero unknown to thousands OF
the citizens OF Brooklyn In opening the Grand Jury
alluded to the necessity OF citizens performing their
duty and urged the importance Of legislation hav.
ing the aims of the bill proposed BY Mayor Hail. Of
New York. which compels citizens to perform this
duty. penalties for failure too weighty to be
trned with and too certain and universal IN their
operation to be evad ded or escaped.
OFFICIAL CORRUPTION-HOw THE 'RTNG" rs EN-
RIOHED
The presentment makes the following alusion to
ofilcial cOrrupti0n:-
II would be far from the truth, as 1t would be far
from the purpose OF this jury to bring against all
public officers the ndscriminate charge OF personal
corruption. Ooncedng TO individual character and
auire it viii remain true that corruption In pubic
service Is burdenlng our citizens with enormous
and unnecessary taxation and fostering crime by
giving 1t the shield OF official c0llusiOn. The
property OF our citizens, especially that
which consists In real estate, Is diminished in
value and the growth OF the great city OF Brooklyn
retarded by the cunning devices by which, under
the guise OF the improvements OF our streets and the
extension Of our water system, sne army Oh con,
are enriched. Crime Is unpuntshed because police
men IN vain bring cuprits before magistrates,
whose chief zeal IS manifested In securing an early
escape for offenders.
The abuse Of our political system, in itself the
most bene1cent In the world, tends to the making
the worst classes important in politics, and the
public administration comes at length to represent
faithfully its sources, Its oppressive taxation ana
unpunisned crime How long these burdens are TO
be borne, how long the increase or crime lS
to 60 on questions to be settled only by the will
oS e tSe Se
the great mass to take the management Of our lnst
tutions into their own hands, and to determine that
no man shall hold public Offce for private ends. 1t
Is the duty OF this Grand Jury to reiterate warning
already perfectly understood, that present tenden
cies are to the accumulation OF pecunary burdens
which no community can bear, and to an immunity
OF crime at which all good citizens Will stand aghast
In this connection Il Is proper for this Grand Jury to
commend the fidelity and earnesness with which
the District Attorney and his assistants have aided
In the performance oil that part OF our duty which
relates to lnquests concerning crime. We commend
tins fidelity and earnestness because at this crisis
these qualities are so important and because at such
time not to sustain sucn public officers as attempt
to discharge their duties is practically 10 concert
with thieves, robbers and murderers
THE JAIL DISGRACE TO CIVILIZATION.
The Grand Jury visited the Raymond str ect jail
and found it to justify the language OF severe
apprehension. 1t may have been properly 10
cated when erected, but by the growth OF the
too small to allow proper classification OF prison.
ers and mixing up IN the same crowded cells
victed murderer with detained witness, and added
TO all this with no proper provision for
moral ana religious lnStructi0n. IL QsRraCcS
the city and its civilization, and demands the
natant attention Of the Supervisors and the commu
nIty The Sheriff seems to have given proper atten-
ton 10 washing and white washing, but no attempts
| at Cleanliness can remove lntoleraDe dampness, or
give the light wSl sssyea bsfoWs tS on even Dad "a
| pestllence bred IN the heart OF the city.
THE EXCISE LAW AND THE MAGISTRATES.
The Grand Jury also hnd:-
In violation OF the Excise law liquor vending
places are open Oh Sundays and other unawlu
hours; liquors are sold to minors and disorders and
prawls occur, while inferior magistrates promptly
set free the Offenders whom policemen bring to their
tribunals 1t becomes the duty OF the inhabitants OF
the county that nothing in the interest OF po
drunKenness whose latest ana most terrible triumph
was Sunday night homicide.
DEATH BY swlLL MILK.
The Swill milk question also received the attention
OF the Grand Jury, ana on tnis subject they say
The question OF the milk soid to our citizens which
has been brought to the consideration OF this Grand
Jury under circumstances which compel attention
It, Is question affecting the lives OF our children
aud the health Of oil our inhabitants. The death
alleged 10 be in excess Of tue ordinary proportion
finds no probable explanation except IN the milk
which is sold at our doors.
our city Is declared to be environed with Gordon
OF pest houses, from the midst OF whose disease and
fltn wagons haunting the lies of Orange countyn
and "Queens county, are bringing the poison which
unsuspectng mothers are administering pale and
dying Infants The Grand Jury subjoln to this pre-
Sy m ana aenr, a the u
that active friend Of poor brute animals, whose be-
nevOlent work all rightmin men VIII support,
sets forth the horrors Of Brooklyn stable and the
manner IN which his efforts to break IL up were
met. The concluding sentences contained an
admonitlon which should startle our citizens.
This is o question which comes home to every family
and to every individual 1t Is the equal interest or
rich and poor. Perhaps no remedy can be found
which shall save the community from this invasion
OF their households by poison as dangerous IN It's
character as 1t Is inhuman in its origin
GAMBLING HEILS, BROTHELS &C.
In conclusion, the preSentment warns the lphablt-
ants OF Brooklyn that their fanced security against
brothels, gambling houses and places OF brutal
amusements Is fancied only. No small share OF the
time OF the jurors has been occupied with the ex-
posure before them and the attempts of prosecuting
officers 10 break up these denS OF lnlqulty.
HR. BERGHs LErTER--wHAr HE SAW IN A swIIL
MILK DEN.
The letter sent by Mr.. Bergh, descriptive OF the
scenes witnessed by HIM at the swll milk stables
Of North Fifth and Eighteenth streets, was as
foll0ws:-
AMERICAN SOCIETY THE)
PREVENTION OF cnyEtrY y yo,T TO EsS ASIMAIs ~ Isio
c. H. CrrTIs Foreman OF the Grand jury Kings county
BEAM sn with your ,eaas hsSeTn fur
the Grand jury s this morning shs sassse Jce Buckley
Snd s % ON ss $ sn @ Of py h
visited % stable situated .. the corner Of Frs,
@ sA poas ws WIN or s4ea
hundred COW: crowded and confined In cruel and
sapportabls the dampness all but complete unl
were down and wsowng in .her own eSerenent Chained
secured by upright which afforded generally
not than SIX inches of the head aeray
COW was dripping mucous matter from the tail the
hoofs Of many were turned up after the fashion
of skates by OF their long confnsrn ent; I;
many were emAciated to extreme degree while
others were boated like drnkards with the dsery sush
which they fed One creature lay dead outside
door while the diseased and suffering expression of
body except the merciless wTeehes who them. No
drainage was there consequently At every step the foul
liquid squirted up from the rong floor Fodder there
none whis in front Of the animals wooden trough
the acrid and putrsscsnt stream which these
Offending dying prisoners doomed TO feed or
stsrve But no description can give more than
faint idea Of this and similar bloches civilization
They must which day be DONE for by the aid
'ymp.shssc justices and ues .hes: pes. house: are IN
among The people eveywAsrs Now, the foregoing state
ment be true, and declare that Ia, greater
deliberate cruelty BE- inflicted dumb animals,
monsrous wrong Be done the public than TO sell them the
foul stuR which 10 thus squeezed from rotng bodiosY
think NOT and believing. the 9th OF Fsbrnery made
complaint against parties offending Buckley
of Brooklyn who accordingly arrested and the 18th
appeared and demanded examnation which
for The 2st On that day again was present with all my
Witnesses when Justice Buckley inqung who appeared
for the people: arose and said that ad Being rsauested
the sanction Of the District Attorney that attorney
and counsel that was president OF society which was
CHARGED with protection