New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-31
DR. CROSBY AND THE RECORDER.
LETTER FROM THE JEALOUS DIVINE"
NOT TIE APOLOGY WHICH THE RECORDER WANTED,
But SOME SENSIBLE ADVICE WIIHAL

LETTER FROM THE JEALOUS DIVINE"
NOT HE APOLOGY WHICH THE RECORDER WANTED
But SOME SENSIBLE ADVICE wITHAL
TO the Ed.ior Of me tribune.
SIR: Recorder Hacllett has called on me for an
apology | wish / could crafty him. | am always
ready to apologize when find have wronsed any
one. | have not wronged the Recorder, aud cannot,
therefore, make him an apology.
Ipnblicly read two weeks ago. statement of his
treatment of three notorious cases OF Illegal rum
selling brought ZIP for second offences, to which the
Recorder had promised the extremity OF the law.
This treatment instead Of prompt and severe SEN
tence consisted of a succession of delays m sentence,
extending over several weeks, ostensby that the
culprits might find grounds for mitigation of punish
ment when they were daily continuing their Illegal
sales Having read this statement | said that tins
strange delay needed an explanation. The Recorder
then explained that it was owing to his inability
through sickness to examine the afiidayt- for mti-
cation Of punishment. 4 the Recorder was mean
while attending to his other official duties this ex-
cuse did not carry much weight and SO said.
No,s. cannot see where the apology is to come
in. Ii / should write anything, it would be to add
to my former statement, that the Recorder had
broken his promise bv refusing 10 give to the cu-
prs thccxtrcmity of the law and has sentenced one
of the eases to only one. and another to only two
months imprisonment, giving no imprisonment at
all to others. No. only has he broken bis promise
but lac has given the wretchcd argument in plea
that no yiolators 81 the Excise Law had been I'M
prisoned before. Pray, whose fault is that, Il not
the Recorlcr'5i Because he had not dealt strongly
with this style Of notorious law-brcakcrs before,
therefore hc would not do it now.
The Recorder has further stated that In sentencing
he would not take INTO consideration what the cul-
prits had done since CONVECTION to WITT that they had
kept on selling Illegally. This, if an excuse, is
failacv The Recorder would be very right in not
CONSIDERING before conviction. matter occurring
after Indictment; bat it is quite a different thing
TO consider after conviction, matter occurring be-
fore sentence For example if be had thief before
him for sentence and learned that after conviction
the thief had been very riotous, abusive ana threat
enlng. he would, Of course, use his discretionary
mower for a seycrcr sentence. SO the Recorders
logic +, "a unsatisfactorya as his explanations.
The people Of New-Y0rk are aroused and are thor
onghly in earnest. They Will not have any laxlty in
the administration of Justice and the enforcement OF
the laws. The officials should understand this ut
once and heartily second the peoples viii, or else
give place TO more resolutc men, VIII the Recorder
accept the advice OF Jealous divine y who Is also
a born New-York citizen rs the nearest thing TO an
apology he can honestly offer rs tor an apology u
the District Attorney shall treat hun as one gen
tleman should another, when he speaks for himself
Yours very respectfully. HOWARD CROSBY.
Netr- York, Dec. % 1877.