The New York herald., 1871-09-05
THE DOCTORS" DEN M AMIrY PLACE
what the Nsighbors Say ot|it-rhs Cigar Man
a. an Ally Of Asoher7Ziis Mysterious Dis
sppearancs-sailssor Europe the Day
Of the Trank Discovery.

pcutA ur washington square, and stretching
Nown 70 Canal street, new and broad artery has
been pened OF late, formerly known as Laurens
street and lssely baptxea as South Fifth avenue.
The widening OF this artery, which Is calculated
Soreiieve the fever,sh pulse OF trafic on distant
Broadway, has left heaps OF rubbish piled in the
mid,iie of Laurens street. or Amty place, Is the
upper end OF the street has been known.
THIS street has q most peculiar history. Laurens
street, named after Henry Lauren, signer OF the
Declaration OF independence. and who was also an
Envoy Extraordinary OF the Continental Congress.
has had little IN its past memories TO recall the
savor OF that gOodly man after whom 1t was named.
neither cou&0 II be recommended for It's chastity or
tts cleanliness.
AS the pedestrian progressed southwark on the
west side OF Laurens street, before the shells of
houses had been pierced and the half OF their 'front.'
SRe taken on he might have met with strange sghts
q ana encountered stranger incidents.
Out of dark ana noisonle aileyways. TO bask In
the hot san and TO gaze with heavy eyes, came
l0Ashsome and tuotnIess negro women, their gar
ments saturated thicky with grease ana nth and
their faces indicating the type to which they be-
louged-the lowest In the social world OF this bee
hive OF city,
Big.pelled bluebottle les basked In the cutters
and were splashed under the feet Of dirty-legged
cnllren after they had fed plentifuliy the loose
garbage thrown away from The doorways Of
wre,ched grocery shops and cheap butcher stores, In
which skunk veal and carrlon beef were sold to the
struggling purchasers Of tho neighborhood. The
picture presented was one OF
PHYSICAL DECAY,
pcstt,cnt,al vegetable matter IN heaps, and worse
than all was the moral rottenness which abounded
and permcated the vicinity.
Close to the carr1on beef shops might be seen hall
score Of those well known three story brick
w ers MT frn IN
the hall doors and curious and irregular raised
brass plates. These houses were once occupied BY
the steady going, thrifty and economical as well as
comfortable middle class OF New York ctizens--a
class which has almost passed away and Is now
almost entirely replaced by moro offensive, loud
and extravagant mass, without any individuality
that Is 0dious TO the reflective person.
Prom the windows OF their house, built for ana
occupied By the sturdy young people referred to,
thirty forty years ago-we had year or two
since, until the street widened, and to tell the
<vuth we may witness a ike spectacle To- day-num-
bers OF half dressed women, nude sometimes to the
waist who sought to establish friendly relations
with all the members OF the male sex who passed
their windows; while they had only for the we'll
dressed and modest woman who chanced their way
OF iniamy shout Of derision or a scream Of mali
caOus exultation from their wicked throats.
This was ntIing neiQhDorhoOd for some OF The
I.s FOUL NIGHT HAWKS
who came to brood ana seeK for prey, and Of all
0ffAose impure plrds OF night the very worst was
ing, bullet-headed and bue-eyed man with cruel
mouth, who came 10 reside at No. Amiiy place,
near the corner of Fourth street.
The house Is a platn but very substantial one of
brick, with brown stone trimmings. 1t was here
ahat '.Hynan Ascher.n alias "JacoD ROsenzwetg,
IN the early part OF last May came to hire rooms
ms q cancer doctor from Mrs Archer" the pro.
prietress OF the house. he brought little no iur-
ntiure, but quite selection VI medical apparatus
and instruments. ''Hyman Ascher," among other
shipgs, brought
.s- SMALL TRUNK,
not over eighteen inches long, by about ten inches
N width. This small trunk hello his medical instru.
ments, and Is evidently designed for that purpose
On the inside OF the corner Of this small trunk IS
The name Oi the maker or person from whom the
irunB vas purchased, as follows