The New York herald., 1879-09-15
MISERY'S SHRINE

|
WHERE THE AFFLICTED POOR GO ron AID AND
| CoMFoRr-srRANGE PHASES OF LIFE IN THE
| GREAT METROPOLIS : STORIES OF THE POOR.
The police courts have ever been regarded as the
places where complete view of the neither side of
metropolitan life could be obtained. where misery
| in its multiform phases found daily expression.
The bewldering mixture OF pathos. viciousness,
nance and stern fact daily presented before the
police bar truly Characteristic the life of the
great city that there is phase of existence in Now
York utterly free from any association with crime
that it manfests itself in the police courts but
detection sinks into the obscure by-ways and only
comes forth when driven by dire hunger or disease
The clientele of the police court is rich compared
with the meek and humble elemen. OF the popula-
ton of this crowded Babel Frequenters Of police
courts the poorest of them have either had the
means or opportunity of drinking to excess, but
the class who seek public charity at Eleventh
street and Third do so for the
reason that they denied even enough to
eat and drink. The wassailers who with
bleared eyes and crimson cheeks confront
the magistrates class separate and
apart from those who for mouths and
months practise abnegaton and finally succumb to
dire hunger and make themselves known to the
authorities. That all the abjectly poor arc brazen
and mendacious is q theory popularly held but
very erroneous, and il wishes to come to true
appreciation of the poor who have fallen from q
better estate let him 60 the Office OF Mr.. Blake at
Eleventh street and Third avenue and sit for IN
hour behind the desk listening to the stories
full of told by weak women and half starved
men, Women who have waged fierce fight against
temptation and men Of broken pride, who after long
and fruitless struggle, have broken down and now
proclaim their abjectness. Truly. the Police Court
its romance. but that of the Office Of the outdoor
poor quite thr riiling. 1t the wrecks of
thousands Of houses which has alighted and
Matched out hellish brood OF misories. Whole
families stricken with the calamity OF sickness and
poverty at one stroke seek the shelter OF its egs.
and that had their inception in foreign
lands hid in the charitable shades of its many
sttutions. Children OF love and sin. women
wronsed and neglected. and men OF broken hope.
Obtain aid. 1t has often happened ths. iss
| women, full of sorrow, have come to this place,
told their woes and gone to the river to end thom
A few lines in the daily prints subseq uently an
| nounce the finding OF q cadaver i'll the river and
no more is heard of her. sometimes. when years
! roll away inquiry IL made from abroad for a per-
| son answering the description of these unfortu-
nates but they hrve entered the institutions
| no record OF them Is to be obtained. reference
to the horrible Photographic collection at tho
Morgue on the river at Twenty sixth street
often marks the end OF the search. Not
long ago German gentleman. Iinguist and accom-
plished chemist, ut his own request sent to one
of the charitable homes on the Island, and shortly
| afterward he walked out into the river and went
down with its tide. by his effects his identity
revealed and the German consul was informed that
| a count OF the Empire had committed suicide. His
| body recovered, and to this day the cause
of his suicide remains unknown. lie had money
when he left Europe and was never known to drink
| TO excess or to gamble.
ear THE DESK"
Such are OF course, rare, and their strong
| romantic features impress them on the mind but
little is thought OF that great troop of unfortunates
| who fall from the comforts Of the middle ranks of
life to utter poverty. They people OF the work
day world, whose lives nave had no tinge Of
nance. With modest effort they have worked in
ntA1s ,1,Ara
down the hill. 10 hear of the struggle OF
these poor people Is indeed saddening Most
and day ont for better times. alternating their
visits abroad between the pawnbroker, the butcher
and the baker, Until, berft OF every stick they
owned they found themselves on the street without
shelter. Tne gradual way III which they decline to
| They have occurrence to mark the time which
they stepped across the line which divides beggary
from suiciency; not even the excitement
| of dispossession, for they have left moth
| ing which the landlord put upon
| the street. Unconsciousy. while feeding ON
| hope, they have fallen to want and hunger There
| is nothing lett but to go to Eleventh street and
! Third avenue. and there they 60. Their pinched
sturdy bcggars who have accepted the hospitality OF
| almshouse and hospital for years. aud they
| Superintendent. Their cases examined into and
the report of the inspectors they paid small
sum per week. and. If needs be- the children
cared for. The stories told by these worthy objects
OF charity arc in tenor much the same; but the
scroeds invented by the professional paupers
|
| of narrowing human sympathy with which these
| folk not familiar.
| FEW SPECIMEN CASES.
The following is an extract from note book used
during Two hours visit to Mr.. Blake. the Super
| intendant, yesterday.
| Eater a secdy looking man. easily identified as a
member OF the great tomato can tribe. who take
away all the beer dress lest they turn sour aud
vitiaie the atmosphere. to whom AIR Blake sald:-
| swell. what can do for you, my man?'
| "I want to brace up"
| 900 ahc ID. brace away"
Snow. Mr.. Blake. don't kid me: want to brace
wcll, then, you had better 20 to the police court
| and get one OF the judges to commit you to tho
| Island.
| in the Kidneys want to 80 to the hospital ON
| Wards Island"
Don't drink so much beer and you'll be all right.
| Now 20 aud let that little girl step up" (Lxt
| seedy man. whisting blitheyD
Pale little girl with shawl over her hcad)--
"Pcase. sir, Will you give me some cholera drops?
The baoys got the cramps" EXIT little girl with
bottle OF cholera nxtirc.)
Enter shop girl. with clean crisp linen collar and
jaunty hat Please. sir Will you give Inc bottle
OF cough mixture? have very bad cold" After
getting the mixture and telling Of some of tho pc
culiarities of her pulmonary difficulty. she in
quires :-"Wiil you please give me pass to go TO
the hospital on the Island. Ellen Gafney. who used
| to work in the shop with me, is there. and she's
going to die. wait to give her new handkerchief
| the girls bought for her yesterday" Armed with
| the pass she goes her way rejoicing.
thin, nervous woman with sunken eyes and
hollow cheeks, next appears. She begins, I'm the
woman who was here yesterday. You told Inc to
| come again."
| ''we.l have you seen your husband sinceT
| "No, sir; he doesn't come homo often and I'm
! hungry. My father won't let me into the house any
more and my mother is afraid to give any
vituas cause he told her not to- My father told
| to go 10 my husband and got my livin'."
| ''when did your husband last give you any
| money!
.'on Tuesday last he gave mo twelve cents. II he
| wasn't workin' wouldn't mind"
| "Ohl he has a left bower has hep
ono. sir; it's beer. He don't care nothin' for
women"
'weli. here is some money (handing her sevontv-
| fve cents): come around tomorrow and we will do
something more for you. on she goes jingling her
three quarter dollars musically.
| woman with fever and ague, who says that when
/ she is not shaking she iron shirts "buly;"
man who wants some salve for his eyes; woman
| who wants an ambulance sent for her "old man."
| who has the "snakcs In his boots;" little girl
| whose mamma IL sick and wants the "frce" doctor
| mau. who is willing to explain twelve amazing
| tricks of pros,digitation, for position on Wards
Island. and end OF other curious people, appear