The New York herald., 1873-12-14


by the Sergeant behind the desk.
Remembering the somewhat antiquated advice,
gwen 10 one Mr.. Brown, that u would not do 70
give II up 50, went up In front OF the desk and
persisted IN his hearing me. told him II he would
send an officer with me TO police headquarters |
could llenuiy myself at once.
"rake HIM down. take him down ~ was the re-
sponse, and. to give tue mandate more impressive
ness, he pointed giving TO his arm and extende
torefnger truly imperial curve, to the stairway
Leading below. Not satlsded with this, he called
ou an M. r y1a memDers men on o. a tne
take your place among the press gang IL was
simply that shakespearian passage vivihed--
"kobert Shallow, ESQ, saith he is rig IT, with ad-
ditional intensity given 80 that other passage
And spit upon him whilst say he lies,
The jeers that followed from the crowd pleased
him. no doubt, wonderfully. ! saw was in Tor 1t.
There was no reasoning with man so utterly un-
reasonable. l was taken down-metaphorica
and literally-put OF what followed anon.
THOSE WHO WERE LET OFF
While this extreme OF harshness was visited
513, man whose corporal dimensions would
hardly admit OF his escaping observation, was
alleged proprietors. There may be a mystery in all
this which is beyond the capacity OF the ordinary
human mind to solve. Who knows but that in the
ear OF certain ones there may have been whispered
am bound for
Therefore make present satisfaction,
And many OF smaller fry we're let go. l simply
mention the fact as curious one.
The cells in the Eighth precinct station house
are in the basement OF the building.
In dark AMI danksh vault
They are ranged IN two rows, with narrow pas
sage way between. Opportunity To count them
was not given me- but from the length Of the pas
sage way, there must be % or 80. was thrust
into cell No. Is, and SIX Others were placed
in the same cell THIS cell some ten feet in
length by eight feet wide and not over seven feet
IN Height There was no window, no means Of
ventilation no opening except hlough the
closev barred door. coat of whlewash
somewhat relieved the coarseness OF the
rough walls On one side was board platform
raised about loot from the bottom ana in one
corner water closet arrangement, minus ali tae
refining accessories IN the way OF modern improve
ments. TO put seven prisoners into suca Cal
cutta hole.
The unclean,y sayours o: a slaughter house,
Is simply an outrage but yet 1t was done on this
night, ana, no doubt. often done on other nights
The ad AGENT cells were equally packed. How shall
describe that night 1t Is like the night pictured
by Hubert in Macbeth
Black fearless comfortless and horrible
The foul air Is 1etid with tobacco smoke jeers
curses, the yest utterances and riDad songs
mingle in the widest confusion. Men and women
furious with drink, are at intervals brought in,
wilder ferceness to the pandemonium scene.
The sounds that tell what hour it's
! Show minutes, times and hours.
But there were some Jolly songs. There was a
glow OF inspiring com ort in hearing the gusto with
| which nearly every one apparently Joined IN the
|. Up in balloon, boys;
Up IN a balloon;
Sailing round the noon
Among the livelfest or the songs was the ..Song
OF the Gay Gambolier,n with winch all seemed to
be familiar Seeing what the night was to be- I
attempted to get the night watchman to have
note conveyed for me outsde but no pecunlary
inducement even could move HIN. He was as
doggediy obstinate as his captain Others lmpor-
tuned him to get cigars Tor them; but
he had a soul apove human sympathy-the eoldly
naf inpg
seQuently learned at the HERALD Office, that very
soon after had been consigned TO my cell two
other HERALD reporters visited the station house
and that both the Captain ana the sergeant
avoded-and studiously, as 1t must have been
any reference 10 ri, my case u naroarity could
there andH eaven help him. The turnkey
only comes in once in two or three hours and no
amount OF groans or opportunities would bring
him at any other time From those dark and ietld
cells from that foul air, from that Bedam oil confu-
SION piercing the brain ike red hot STEEL more
than one precious human soul has gone to its last
account; and the verdict has been, Died OF
drunkenness 1t Is a stain upon civilization to
treat human beings in this way. am making my
story too long, but, as recall the horrors or that
describe them, words OF imprecallon forcible
enough TO 'ncite 20 the needed reform
Was such refinement OF cruelty? Refusing
to near all explanations refusing all possibility OF
Identification OF ones real character and mission,
refusing to send a communication to parties out
side who would have accomplished my release.
These were not the worst features in the case.
The acme of cruelty was being debarred from
sending any message TO my family, apprIzing them
oI my Whereabouts. Not alone upon myself was the
penalty visited. The blow Tell alike upon absent
wife and children, the iormer suffering long
night OF inexpressibie agony and apprehension
and the latter distracted with grief and the most
painful orebodings of evil. There is not nus
band or father or vile or child In this great city
but Will characterize such conduct and cruelty on
the part of a police captain as something more
tnan inhuman-as an exem ,ilifcatIon oi .'man's
inhumanlty To man'--that should speak trumpet
tongneu to the higher officials conierrng place
ana power on men so utterly souless AMI dead, not
alone to the paineSt dictates OF justice. bur the
commonest emotions of kindly and generous sym
patny.
IN THE PRISON PEN.
At a quarter.past SIX O'Clock ln the morning the
prisoners were taken the jefferson Market Police
Court. The officer who kindly acted rs my escort
was not kind enough to allow me to get anything
70 eat, and presume the others were treated in
the same way. Wen, all were put in the "prlson
rs fitting name All the bummers, thieves,
prostitutes and ragamufns arrested in TINS
police district during the night were thrust into
this pen And sucn group For an approximate
description OF them must again summon Shake
speare TO my aid.
Fun Of unpleasant blots and sightlcss stains,
Lame, FOOLISH crooked, swart prodigies,
Patch'd with foul moles and eye offendi marks.
To make the torture Of such company and such
surroundings more exquisite were kept there
till ten O'Clock waiting, 1t was said, the arrival in
the first place Of the Police Magistrate, and then OF
the returns from Police Headquarters.
TAKEN INTO COURT.
The victims OF the gambling raid were all brought
into court together. Judge SHERWOOD occupied the
bencn, and he certainly deported himself with the
cooness and dignity OF veteran judge. A few
had counsel, but the most had not. The results or
the days hearing has eady been published In
the HERALD. and need not be recaptulated
.'Thls man claims to be a HERALD reporter" cx-
claimed Captain Williams, sarcastcally to the
Judge when my case was called
"And | know the claim to be well founded,''
promptly answered Mr.. Rockwell, the Clerk
The look OF surprise that came over the Captain
upon this announcement was something star ting:
something most agreeably, not to say intensely re.
1reshlng. A like look of bewilderment CLEANED
also from the dull optics of the sergeant
When the Judge heard my explanation he
promptly ordered my discharge with "a reference
TO the dog Tray-a reference l am bound to say
that was hardly necessary, as was already thor
oughy familiar with both the prose and poetic his
tory oil this celebrated canine Ii he had said keep
out OF the clutches OF fools clothed with little
brief authority 1t would have been pertinent, ana
would have taken 1t kindly.