The New York herald., 1879-08-03
Little Encouragement for Citizens
to Aid the Law.
HOW WITNESSES ARE CONFINED
Defendants at Large and Complainant
in the Lookup.
A SUBJECT FOR LEGISLATION.

mour brings into prominence once more the evils
attached to the present system of OBTAINING wit
nesses who unable to give bail for their appear
ance at trial. People living in the neighborhood
of the cemetery where the shooting took place gave
the police but little assistance in their search When
the detectives asked the ncghbors for Information
they either knew nothing at all about it said they
did not Their reticence was not due to any unwilling
ness to aid the police. On the other hand. they
proved their anxiety to have the properly sifted
by writing to the newspapers or telling things OF
more or less value to the reporters Whether they
talked wrote there was always this reservation:
'"Don't give my name or address,"
Their reason simple At No. 203 Null
berry street. next the Fourteenth precinct station
house and similarly designed and constructed. is q
building known as the House for the Detention OF
Witnesses. Here confined from day to day. wait
ing upon the law s.delay and the pleasure of judges.
such observers of crime unable to answer for
their appearance when wanted by bail bond of from
5000 to $1,000. Many persons who could perhaps
have thrown ray of light upon the mysterious fate
of John T. Seymour refused come forward for fear
of being compelled to spend weeks months in this
institution. Whatever they might have told would
have been for the benefit of society and in return
society would shut them up and keep them from the
support OF their families.
AN EVIL LoNG STANDING.
The Seymour case Is merely instanced because it
is recent but the fruit it bears is only similar to
that borne by every great crime done in New York
city. The abuses of the sysem, of which the House
for Detention is simply MEANS have for years been
complained of. They were talked Of during the
Hull murder excitement; they have been talked Of
ever since the system began. The laws mean to in
vite all good citizens to aid in maintaining the
peace irrespective Of the amount of bail bonds they
inli vidu nall Of Yet he
laws infict in many instances severer treatment
upon the witness of crime than upon
the perpetrator. Even the House for De-
tention is all improvement on the plan
that existed before 1857. This Is fact
that officials fond of citing when asked about the
injustces of to-day Formerly the witness, ofttimes
the complainant, thrown into the Tombs, and
there received about the treatment accorded to
the person accused. For long while the injustice
was compainingly endured, but eventually there
was such outburst against the practice that in
1857 the Albany legislators instituted the House for
Detention. For four years it stood in White street
and then removed to its present location in Null
berry street. The Mulberry street building
originally frame and far less comfortable than the
brick structure erected ve years ago and In full
tide of service. There less than dozen board-
ers" i'll the house at the present time. 1t is gen.
orally about this time Of the year. when the judges
are anticipating their summer vacations and clear
the dockets of their courts for that reason
THROUGH THE BUILDING.
When Sergeant Combs, who was given charge Of
the house by the Police Commissioners. showed the
HERALD reporter over the promises the witnesses
were found in the basement eating their MONDAY
meal The food they receive is good. and the dining
room like every other part Of the place. is clean. but
very plain There two fvo story buildings, rear
and 'front.' with the smallest bit of yard between
them. The lot which they occupy has q frontage of
eighty feet and depth of thirty On the first
floor of the front building, over the basement or
culinary department. is the Office and reception
room. In the latter is of over five hundred
books. which Miss Lena Gilbert has made
cessble to the inmates. The floors above are
used by the female inmates, and are apportioned
largely according 20 the social scale. Ladies, who
quarters here are given apartments by themselves
the second or third hoor There are no carpets
either upon the staircases or floors. but the wood
work is carefully scrubbed and the sheeting and
the little iron beds white as the most scrupu
lous lady in the land could wish for. The sitting
room the top floor. large and airy while door
leads from it into the general sleeping room that is
built the roof OF the Fourteenth precinct sta
tains nine ten beds. The apartments on the floors
below have fve beds in each OF them.
The basement of the rear building. occupied by
male witnesses. is used for furnace and wash
There is u bath tub in one corner which Sergeant
Combs remarked was used for "extreme cases." The
beds in each and the top floor is wholly used u
sitting and smoking room. There were two tables.
on which lay some broken and much used packs of
cards. u book, an unsavory pipe and some sewing
implements The male and female witnesses not
allowed TO minsle except at meals. but are allowed
the full liberty Of their separate buildings.
TWO DRAWBACKS.
The Sergeant called the reporters attention to the
fact that there was no sufficient place for exercise
"If We somewhere on the upper end of the
island aud had vacant lot at our disposal the in-
mates would be much better contensed. As il is,
they take vii rat
and the sitting rooms" The ''boarders have three
meals day--at sevcn twelve and haltpast five
o'clock Tie city pays the stewar,less twenty five
cents for each meal furnished to an individual. so
there is really no reason why they should not be
well fed apparently they are. There are no COM
plants against the management of tine house. unless
1t be in the matter OF washing linen.
Il don't any laundry about here " the reporter
remarked to the Sergeant.
..There is none; the boardcrs have to attend to
that themselves. Most OF them we friends who
supply them with changes of linen.
''suppose they have no friends and are put In here
with no other linen than what they have on .heir
"Weil" said the Sergeant. with . shrug. eve fer
nish them with soap aud water. That's the best we
can do"
..You mean to say that of them have to 20
into that wash room and scrub and dry their
linonY'
on the about which implied that some OF them
preferred going without the clean linen to getting it
ut such expense. No doubt they were blamablc but
IL did to the reporter that persons whose tes
mony was expected to be of some service to the city
deserved at least 10 nave their washing done Tor
thom while they deprived of their liberty.
WHERE 1HE WRONG LIES.
Perhaps the house would be considered i'm
provcmcnt in many respects ON the homes he
longing majority of the boardcrs; for, after ALL
nearly any reputable man is able to procure bail in
the amount of few hundred dollars, and those who
tail for the most part people without re-
sources for earning living. 1t is the few but i'm
porant exceptions that manifest the injustice of tho
system Very respectable persons are frequently
unable to procure bail even in trihing AMOUNT.
and with the more fortunate there is some
tt,taa uu n nal her
to spend night or two in the house. Comfortable
as the quarters may be there still remain those dis
uuieting of all the windows and other
assurances that the place s prison. The rules
sarding outside communication with the boarders
are necessarily Of the strctest kind. To OF
them the visitor requires permit from either tho
committing magistrate, be he Coroner or Judge. tho
District Attorney, Police Com issioner, the Super
intendent OF Police police surgeon. This Is as
the law reads; but. Ms IL is practised only the
hitting magistrate and the District Attorney are in
the habit OF granting permits. Interviews must