New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-20
SOURCES CF CRIME.
WORK OF THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE

hOkk VI lTE ANNE-Nbl+1 AfAI NIL iA-A@
STATEMENTS BY +. c. CAMPBELL AND JohN d.
TOwNsgSD--HOw LAWS ARE NEGLECTED OR
Vi0LArED-G0OD RESULT OF THE COMMITTEES
INvasuGArIOS-ILLEGAL PRsCuCEs EXPOSED
AND scGOEsr4ONs A. 10 THEIR SUPPRESSION
DEPARTMENTS HAMPEEED IS TIE CURE OF Evils
81 WAIST or MANS.
The Committee on Crime VIII complete ITS
WORK q nycst NJ tine sources Of and TIE means Tor
the .uppr, s-ou Of crime in this city and county on
Thursday Lc2L The Committee consisting Of Ass nbiy-
men Campbell, 3icGowal, DessI, Hustled aud Hess " Is
appointed under preamble and resolution adopted py
the Assembly May -. 1875, for Cine investigation II all
persons and officers. books and papers ia -a.d city aud
county that may IN any way IA. connected with The
prosecution, supUre sOn and punishment 81 crime by
additional preamble and resolution of ihe Assembly
adopted Mas - $50, tLe attention uf tIe Committee
was particularly directed 90 Ludlow street Jsi where
were confined many persons wL0 were committed on
civil rrace..s only TIE Committee hed a first session
Oh June 10 Is1l since which time, with The exception
of about one MONTH &c has held from three o. i"ur SCR
sion. every week Thomas Cooper Campbell the Char
man of the Committee, 90 IRH,NE reporter the
following story NJ the work OF the ComaIttee:
The Committee hss inye-tea me Police Depart
ment the Police Courts the Court Of Special Sessions
Tie hi sler criminal cour. the Office OF tie District
AttOrucy the Coroncrs office Office ~ the Board OF ~
else, and all e PRISONS ana pnal or rs'oshaio} hsliu
lions 90 which persons are committed rom tht 'l+ OF
Newly DIX. ffINIu- INC stare IIl-''l- A'ti't'i.- i
these We have taken considerable amount Of testimony
and have examined most OF tie heads Of tie depart
ments We have examined al he Police Commissioners,
e superintendent OF Police, Two Of tlc four Inspectors
q large number oil captains and minor officers, al me
Police Justices except Judge Whe lei the DIir-Atiof
ney aud his assistants, all the Exe ComGis
doners, clerks o. the Police Courts, the clerks OF
special and General Sessions, two OF the Coro4es. one
ex-Co.oner AZ the Commissioners OF Charities and Cor
rlciou and Tire heads of al tlcr departments which are
of penal character We have visited al the penal iat
uItoDs, and also TIE House Of Refuge. the Catholic
Pro.ectory. and The Juvenile Asylum, examining wit
noses and prisoners wnie holding sessions ia tnose Yai
1us places. the second resolution of the Assembly
introduced by Cen Hustled, occupied two entire days
~ the examination q In iow street JAIL and IN taxing
e Testimony Of the officers of the prison aud 81 some Of
The prisOners In addition to al these ocls we have
examined LARGE number Of outside Witnesses and al
the examinations have been open. We have put 10 Wit
ness upon tie stand unless knew there was some
reasonable ground for believing tie testimony given and
in this outside work there has been spent great deal OF
time and labor wA. does not appear upon the records
In almost every case broush; before tie Committee Aese
nave been conI.a s5oEs, tac ~ al officials implicated
there LAS been given The fullest opportunity to vndeao
themselves
"Wheu The Committee began its work, its members
feti 20 be portion Of their duty examine in person
tie condition OF the city and for that purpose made sew
era trips night gOn- into great many 0l tho "oist
the cifl l4e tuAtAtloA " t4t flts WI '+~
raseous Take. for instance. Gieenest Tie windows
Of the houses open and diei with women, pianos
were playing. and singing ana every conceivable Kind OF
uproar were going on Half OF these places are now
broken up and ihe women away from me WINDOWS
In the Fourth Ward, also, there has been
great reform. When We began operations there
were great many unlicensed liquor saloons
in orcration The Commissioners said they
would mil these places They did so. and have
put IN TIE HANDS or the ponce ii,i ol al III .
places with INSTRUCTIONS 20 pieth 'H up am ,o 49,,
ami rrrrcsi the proprie ofscn thc dsJ1tyed
tie law. AZ aris gambling houses, an lullcly ls
gong on. but 10 is behind bolts ana bars ard COILS
qucntly nearly all the Games are .opIc io.'e,i,I l
there ' 7. .lc, Si.'0 1T T 10 lie woIF Of n,
comwrtte Thc o ug that has done the most good and
has greatly aided ue Committee H ihe pAlely even 90
/ the In'e-ii-'.,-gA ~ 'vc L 90 go. tor
Iru rilg matters before ie Committee WAS ~ Ala H-
.I5rDiUf 70 rrin.iue ihen before tire whole public
At rent time. To have received complaints concern
/ ing various houses, and on tlc t.1plr oi'
.ut. Steers pull1 LOuse, the coAptilAt i-l.Ia.
! which was ma4e D{ nay zen; 80 H. ~. H. -
/ Macporad ami Van Du>en. ia. leui.i'tc ~ ti
uae three or f0u~ OF these night tn =, ana thee ie
| ir~t one tle eonH'tioh p IN. ~ ~ H., i,il1r
proved. Ine cslcert sagOi's @l.rA @,e s,i'"s ll'
without Dice u-e, are u0N -tet} lndf .oil D. '-.. go.
sikh the ysfell os when tic PRISONERS -I- & 7.
of tho C.lI- -iolers " thilt4c anu oii'i'h Hclt
@. we ,i ~ me Vim the f,rr-elr scc,ulnoda lions.
a, az a. L5aor -treet jail Wnelo tbey bar
rttsud.I lr "a convict. now SAID tidi ll, -aie oi
v0r has abolished, 1ut Tor the truth VI tc slaV-
| mCnt canuOt Fonc-'
join D. TOwNsEND's sTATEAFNr
rb, n ,,ersud counsel 20 the Commit gave the
souine additional story concerning the results Of the
| Committee Work;
FOR several years past the magistrates oil The ciiy OF
NcuYak have not complied n any wa with .Ae statute
in r+rauce 10 the examination Of ,uesscs, and were
apusgen ignorant OF the true ntcni OF the LeG-auie
IN ,reu fhe statutes rs they stand Tie present
statute aiges almost The Iovlf that given III France
Kcept ai the prisoners counsel Is permitted to a't nj
Al NJ the ma sraas hase eOsIiLed upon Their ai'e-
t b'irr Called tO It the great importance ga obey
| no ff, tpauiafr of tDe statute re'ihs lhat ~
| -I5cb ucrus criminals would d. noi "uif u"i,
i11v ~ bI held but would Dee more apt 9" "e pLisleu
-, t,ra, uiuu trial This rendCrs Do very tIucith-
ne ms h., which LuoctLt people may display titI NM
- I'D -.trr There D. also another matter ~ rtih -
IN, t1.e-trttes They nave been 10 ue taYit ~ l''l
In 0nce ANON tie mere application OI the bohiil
-. = Caf.tis. aud COM elton, without any uhaG't
heinz saed as q basis, on Without tAe Diatl
be.us informed ~ tine satrte pres RIDES ihe@ nts
No.. lr.muel a. conf D. strictly WITH the tialuT me
49, r,,r,t tue magistrates and the DlsirctAitoFuil
/ ,ro ab.ut currrrt they a. present ',ihu'
prisons need 10 Dee ait he4 anu
u,dHsd The only trouble WIN the former "a w. n 'i't
- re NOT carried out trials noe lad INDICTMENTS
80 nd ana uo action tsiSeb upon tAen pc s"u are
s,tssel nyeg a. a again and dtchtf@eh u"A pa,
80 nan means uuthing. And the very Tact tnAi lir9
g. t,,ieI and mo- ugnsInent inflicted upon tbrn sNfn
tr r,riefi freedom 10 act they please. Tie COM
r,if.cs think hat a few convictions " men enSaerh ~