The New York herald., 1871-10-29
LUDLOW STREET JAIL.
Have We Still ssDebtOr's JaiI''
in our MidSt2
A Much Needed Investigation Commenced
Gistant District Attorney Sullivan Bent
ON Ascertaining the Truth-Ludlow
Street Prison To BE Unroosed.

pursued their peregrnatlons through England in
quest or knowledge OF men and things It may seem
somewhat surprising that the very counterpart Of
the famous London prison In which that gentleman
found himself at last immured, exists IN our own
city and contains an equally hapess population
with that so graphically portrayed 0y Dickens.
Yet such IS the fact ana the admirers of the
great novelist in their simple innocence OF the
world, congratulate themselves on the suppression
OF the evils depicted his pages they should pause
and ask themselves whether the barbarous practice
OF treating the unfortunate debtor as criminal has
not become obsolete and a thing OF the past.
They may not be aware that there exists In our
own city an institution which, though free from the
grosser and repusivc characteristics OF the old
English prison and conducted under midcr aus
pices and governed by more humane managers, yet
serves a receptacle for many o lriendless wretch
whom personal mallgnity through the medium Of
legal technicality has
DOOMED TO A LIVING DEATH.
The increasing number of the inmates OF the
County Jail in Ludlow street arrested the attention
OF our worthy sherlr, Mr.. Matthew I. Brennan, and
feeling that the provisions Of the law autn0-
rtzing arrests In certain civil cases were
being abused by parties to the lurtherance OF their
own personal schemes OF malice and revenge. he
resolved to call the attention Of the Courts to the
NATTER in order that remedy, II any existed, might
be applied to prevent
THIS PERvERSION OF JUSTICE
and the spirit OF our laws. He conferred with
Judges Cariozo and Barnard In the matter. They
mined to penetrate TO the root OF the evil at once
n1ge Barnard IN pursuance o. thus ead
has already appeared in the HERALD. Though
rather sweeping IN its terms, and seemingly calcu
lated to nuliily the provisions OF the code Itself.
CnOSe VINO are acquainted with the
RASCALLY SHIFTS AND RESORTS
OF many OF the pettllogging practitioners VINO IN.
fest our courts Of ludlcaIure WIN recognize
the pr0prlety and timel ness OF lis Issuance.
of procedure authorizes ana empowers our
Judges TO issue orders Of arrest IN an
cases where Q debt has been franduently
a trust violated. Furthermore, all DEFENDANTS
charged In civil action lor assault and battery,
nDe SANDER, breach OF PROMISE false lmpriS0n-
ment &c, are also equally liable to arrest IN such
suit
party charged but too well merits the severest
punishment ana the aggrieved complainant Is wen
entitled to the most stringent and effect We rcm0
dies the law can afford nim, yet there are many
cases where an innocent person can be easily drawn
TOLLS OF THE LEGAL NETWORK
OF a sklful ana INSCRIPTIONS practitioner, and sub
jeced 10 the utmost rly0rs OF an unustlrable con-
Barnard invoked the aid District Attorney Alger
non s. Sullivan and connded to him the work
those now IN actual contlnemenL the justice
and legality OF tnelr detention, and tho
extension OF the proper dra rss MT n; sullivan ,
vlgor and earnestness. Tne provisions OF the law
under which he is empowered TO act 1t Is NOT
necessary TO cite here but they may be found IN the
5th edition, vol. s. Revised statues PIP. 1,042-6l-66,
ana also In certain more recent enactments Laws
1869 and 1870. MIR. Suivan's ideas at first was to
make purely personal inquiry, with q view to Sc
ect those prisoners whose cases seemed to involve
spersok some and pernaps lay ne nmsei
open to charges Of undue Partially and improper
| In actual confinement In Ludlow Street Jan In the
process he designed having issued in order that
opportunity Of having their claims to speedy de-
hverance duly heard and passed upon
In tins way just and full determination will 10
arrived at, the poor and trlendess debtor allowed
/ to plead for himself and the
VICTIMS or MRRcLEss sHARPERs
and mercenary LAWYERS a chance To state their
grievance, and perhaps obtain some measure OF re
Dress for the wrongs they have suffered. on the
other hand, those VINO are simply paying the just
penalty OF their offences against society, in over
reaching and defrauding the
HONEST AND CONFlDING TRADESMAN
win not be suffered to escape their deserts while
the community at large Will rest and happier
in the thought that the deserving though friendess
the mater mater rest sanrI here but a. WIN extend
sons, houses OF detention, asylums ana
all other places OF incarceration, public anu semi
son whose rights Of personal freedom have been
unjustly curtaied or abridged shall be further held
and detained. Tncre lS evuentiy TOO mucn reason
to believe that the law has in many cases na-
grany perverted and applied TO the basest purposes
and IL Is nigh time the evil was arrested BY the
kindness OF Mr. Warden Tracy, whose humanity to
the unfOrtunales In his care cannOt be toe
highly commended, we were furnished with
the following list OF prisoners with dates OF COM
mitment aud amounts IN which they are respect
lively held all OF whom Will be produced In Court
Monday, pursuant to the subjOlned order. We Omis
the caption, but give the substantial portion:-
Ordered that the Sheriff Of the city and county OF New
bring before this Court Monday, the 3oh in s4
cInrkA M. eiu and
detained County JAIL vizThe names will be found
with the process by which they are held IN
custody being for the OF ascertaining
whether they be further legally detained.
HENRY vANDERvOoRT Clerk.
1870.
Jan. 5-Samuel Oppenheim LOO o.
Anril 20 -Berrian Gay $500 q
NAV 94-WHliam Hoffman. n................. 73,6UO 60
May 3l-.eremiah ODonohoe.. aU