The New York herald., 1878-10-13
NIGHT POLICE SCENES.
Types of Character that May Be Studied
in a Station House.
DARK PHASES OF CITY LIFE.
Number and Location OF Metro
pOlitan Police Precincts.

familiar rallied enclosure OF police station house gees
u great many phases Of life aud character IN the
round OF the year. This is especially so where the
station house is situated In q pepulous tenement
house district, where wrangles between neghbers
constantly going ana landlords and tenants
perpetual hot water with each other the difere
always happening between these sets Of people
make prominent feature in tho CON plant business
Of the station house. The sergeant most OF
the sad, wretchsd and unwhoiesome side OF exist
ence and very little OF It's brighter and more
encouraging aspect II he be mau OF kindly SYM
pathetic nature he must be greatly moved at times:
but his Official position and the effect long lamil-
iarity with cases OF distress ana wretchcdness give
an apparent calousness TO his manner and address.
Ho comes to acl his part with an even mechanical
method is the all classes aud conditions
OF people. who considers himself grievously
wronged Will enter staton house and pour out 10
the sergeant with earnest proiusion The story OF
his woes 10 DO met only by few cold
laconic responses tnat chill him 10 the marrow and
make HIM wonder II police officer has any heart
whatever An OLD officer who has sat ~ the desk Tor
the course OF few years, and who has q sarewd and
observant turn OF mind, can quickly measure the i'm
portance Of any complaint made before him. Some
serg.ans become experts In this line. and are the
moral barometors Of tneir PRECINCTS Thoy can iur-
nish accurate q diagnosis Of the moral health OF
thor disrics by reference to their entry books,
a doctor can the phys,eai condition Of patient by
IeeIing his pulse.
PROMINENT POLICE PRECINCTS.
There are thirty i've poiice precincts within the
city limits. each presided by captain. aided In
most by from threc 10 four sergeants. Tney
not all equal interest and Importance. In fact,
those OF note number less than One OF these
the Twcnty precinct under command OF Cap
tain Williams ana SergcAnis Kcatinx. Wesisrvslt,
Wallace and Tins Tho station house Is on West
Thireth street, near Seventh avenue in the midst OF
u iensely populated nslgnDorhood In this precinct
are embraced q number OF .arislocratc" dis
orderly houses, and the station house has
GU many occasions considerable business 10
DO with their inmates The thirteenth pre-.
cinct Captain Thomas S. Copeland, on the
east SIDE with Division street running through It, IL
u lively place. aud contributes good many
the police cours. The Sixteenth precinct, Captain
Allare. takes IN from Seventh avenue west to tne
RIVER, below Twenty seventh street, and includes
large tenement house population. The Eighteenth
precinct, Captain William Clincny, runs from
Fourteenth 10 Twenty-sevsnth street on the east
far river, and Is about as stirring ter
rtory any IN the city. The Twentieth precinct,
Captain Washburn, extending from Forty-sscond TO
Twenty y-seventh street, and from Egntn the
Norlh Rivor Is pretty iui OF lie and commouSn The
Twenty ty-urst, Captain N. J. Murphy, lying between
Forty second and Fiy ninth Streets snd SIKH ave-
nue. and the NorIn River. Is not SO pogulous The
last mentioned put there is y large acreage Of ieus-
ments, the station house Is not dun place on
SATURDAY niyn., particularly IN summer ine
from east side of Broadway to Aous-
ton street. Is a notable locality. and inSiuass
The sunguinary quarter called "Murderers' Row"
The Seventeenth precinct, Captain Jonn h. McCul.
iagh taxes the tnicky peopied porton of the city,
tecn;h. the Fourth precinct, Captain Pctty, with
station house III Oak street, has turbulent element OF
pretty much all the time. The Ninth, Cap
tain Kennedy: Though 9 closely built, mas 49,,
dominating. Tue Eleventh procluc., Captain
Thomas cherry, Is on the east sdo called
'Datcn town." Dut though II swarms with lenements
has IA posceaDie character. Tue EIghtb, Captain
McDonnsii, ant the lcntb, Captain y. Webb, have
occasional STIR: but as rule aro quot. In the
remote downtown aud uptown precincts the station
bouses nieess most OF the year r.un1; but they
are necessary Institutions all the same
EvkSixG IN STATION HOUSE,
To get an iaca OF wuat Witnessed such places
alter Gark HERALD reporter spent several evenings
~ the more prominent station houses ana
asreeaDy Impressed with the courtesy and intelii-
sence oi the bolicc officers II was past ten O'Clock
uptown station house. aud Inc acting ser
geaul the reporter sILing in uudsturped
versaIion ior AN hour Not single case had Ocen
brought IN, nor had any prison called III al. this
lrc box on corner The sergeant
saying That great many people came iu through
Tue day solely ior Intorn rnaliou, to know II such aud
such person ivod Ia the neignoorhood; now far ana
what direction such street or avenue was;
whether II according 10 law Tor landlord to turn
out tenant after paying u part oi his rent, aud
whether tenant naa right 10 Keep MS rooms from
tue landlord when he VAS tnree months Ia arrears Of
rent, About this lims the door open ed aud
q In faded back Dress, battered Dounet, q
turned up and dirty lace, approached tue rail-
lug 10 front o. the sergeant's dcsk and inquired:
scan 1 nave nights loogiGg, spy' The sergeant
mais NO reply tor moneaI, but looked ut The
woman with curious interest and asked, when did
you wash your Taco last pa
a washed It In Bridgeport" she answered, ..an'
come from there to-day, aud haven't seen taste o.
.Gvo her lodging" said the sergeant, nodding to
onicer standDg W, "but SEQ here" he continued,
ealing The woman BACK, "what aru you DONG down
"Ani il's lobg story, SIR" she began, at was q
man that was The ot ~ and, bad luck 10 him.
he ieit after deceivin' mt, am come hero to New
York TO nnd nIm."
"How aid Gs deceive your"
"Ohi the way they always do. He got the best OF
me because innocent AM ho prom sed 10 marry
wnen no was tired oi me he landed out aud
never saw MIN sincc.h
s.where 10 you expect TO aud himS'
.Hvrc IN this ci,y. Ia know MS skin on bush,
"W.il, you hsd better take a rest' said the SER
Rcant, sna the woman uot.ed of actively TO nsr
roosL
CASE OF DRuSKKSSKss
Soon after a Tang At tue door tod pla My that a
case of arunk In the negboorhood. Presently
there came tumbiing ia man Win skirts OF us
pulled over his head, ME gone, blood running
from nose, and MS legs weaving tho hgurs
nJor. An oficer ncd him ia vice.iIke grIp aud
hauled HIM forward 70 the raihng He was pitia-
bic looking spectacle, out hne specimen Tor warn
cred witn blood and beer; his eyes ircnzied
boodsnot and altogether ne looked the typical drueK
aud disorueriy character. lie blurred out his name
snd address ana was presently nodded oil to cell
down stairs.
WOMAN oy DIFFERENT TYPES
The door aga opened aud lady, dressed 10 mourn
Ing ana win pale, sad iace appro, cbed the raining
iimldiy and inquired 10 low tone where 10
the neig Uornood che could oUtaIb Accommodation
ivr the night al moderate pfico Tbs necessary IN
formation was gwen her aud he won, her way.
Then scon alter the door swung hastily inward aud
two ias biobabiy astired young women, with
painted iaces ana ,iabvratcly liked hair plas-
tered circles and thor
pies, busted UP TO the scrgcanrs desh.
Botu Oi them nad cviuentiy been drinking
wine or something stronger auo both talked together
Win great vo,uuiity ana freedom oil EXPRESSION.
Tpey sad tney wouidu't stand IL any longer; mat
'-Madam SO aud SO owel them money, aud tusy were
bounu 20 nave u or tney'd raise -. Tho sergeant
here mildly interposcd, and said lie hoped ming OF
the sort would be raised IA that station house.
"How much does snc owe you, ne inquired.