The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-14

VI
esting. At present it is fearfully dull, and,
after all, nobody cares where the witnesses go
to church, or how often, while the whole
country would read with interest Mr.. Evarts'
confession OF faith and his account of how he
usually spends the Sabbath.
"John Doe"
The inquest in the case OF the late Jacob B.
Stockvis shows at every step of its progress
that peculiar danger menaces the citizen OF
New York in any emergency where physical
and mental misfortune ought to invoke for
him the protection of the police. The story
of Mr. Stcckvis is a singularly pathetic one.
Leaving his home in the morning against the
wishes OF his family he was suddenly stricken
by disease and rendered speechless. His
mind also was affected. In this condition
Officer Falon found him, and he was taken to
the station house, where he was locked up
over night as 'John Doe" upon charge of
intoxication. He was brought to the police
court in the morning, still speeches. and de-
ranged, looking, according to Mr. Justice Flam-
mer, as if he had been on a long debauch.
Here most remarkable scene was enacted.
Not only did the Judge accept the charge
of intoxication without inquiry, but OF his
own motion and without any apparent reason
he added to it an accusation of collecting a
crowd and fighting And so the prisoner
was sent to the Island for six months, where
he was locked up with two harmless luna
tics and no further attention paid to him. In
the meantime his friends made unavalling
search for him, and though soliciting the aid
of the police obtained no assistance from that
quarter. His discovery in a cell at the Work
not only that he had had no medical atten-
ton from the time of his arrest, but that he
was dying. There is something SO astound-
ing in the bare recital of this story that had
the facts been the basis Of a romance they
would have been regarded not only as i'm
probable but impossible.
The experience of Jacob Stockvis may be
the fate of any citizen of New York. This is
a view of the case to alarm and shock the
entire community. If it could befall this
man it may happen to any one of US, and
will continue to threaten so long as the 'John
Doe" theory is acted upon. Even the expla-
nations of the police and the Workhouse off,
Gals only intensity the alarm, while they
show that the danger cannot be exaggerated.
Because a man happens to be intoxicated is
no reason why he should be tossed about from
one officer to another in utter disregard of his
rights as q citizen. The testimony in the
Stockvis case shows that his treatment was
oft bo
dental series of abuses. Officer Fallon and
the sergeant to whom he turned over his pris-
oner are not necessarily bad men at heart
because they carelessly mistook paralysis for
intoxcaiion. Justice Hammer, though he was
wrong and reckless was not Intentionally
cruel and unjust. Tie officers and physicians
of the Workhouse-even the young doctor
who works for "board and washing'-had no
intention to ALLOW fellow man to die from
sheer neglect and inattention Yet the results
could not have been more deplorable if their
motives had been as base as their acts were
unjustifable The wrong is in the sy stem,
which has been allowed to deteriorate until
there is no longer any feeling of responsibility
or sense of duty in the public service. There
is no reverence tor the law or for its forms
among those charged with its enforcement.
Justice or what ought to be justice, is loosely
administered; but this carelessness is not con-
fined to policemen and police judges and hos
pital wardens and physicians. 1t pervades
every department and even society itself.
1t caused the ST. Andrews church
disaster. 1t enabled Superintendent Wal
ling to satisfy his conscience in set
ting aside the law by complying with its
purpose and spirit 1t was the late Mayor
Personal derelictions spring from the rotten
ness of the system, and until the system is
reformed and the law obeyed in all its exac-
tons we may expect accidents and outrages
to befall US in the future as they have betallen
US in the past.
The subject is one not to be lightly treated
or forgotten in an hour. We have complete
and thorough reform in every department of
the city government The Board of Alder
men have done we'll in profting by the les
sons of the St. Andrews disaster and moving
for greater security in public buildings
Reform must not stop with the Department of
Buildings, but reach every bureau in every
department, so that the citizen may no longer
be football to be kicked by every official in
whose path he may chance to fall.
The Fourth Avenue Improvement.
This great public work, which will be re-
menbered with the old Roman roads that
now excite the admiration of travellers is
coming to an end. 1t is a work that has at
From Rome, Florence Naples and Genoa,
from Paris Berlin and Brussels, from Dublin,
oooford and Mu1lipyor opnlica ttonc ba