The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-12-17
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.

OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
A Short Review of the City of Churches
The Startling Effect of Good Preaching
Where the Thieves Hide their Swag-A
Queer Sexton-Cheap Music for the Mil
lion by Patti-Only Five Dollars Head.
New YORK, December 10, 1881.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Brooklyn is called the City of Churches,
not because there are not plenty Of them
in other cities, and a plentiful abundance
of lions children scattered around pro-
miscuously, but because it is supposed,
at least by Brooklynites, that there is
more average piety to the square mile
than can be found in any other city in
the Union. A great many outside OF this
goodly city do not believe it; but with
the Tabernacle, Plymouth Church, and
the Church of the Pilgrims, all within
rife-shot of each other, with st. AIMS
and Holy Trinity sandwiched between,
it is nothing astonishing that the people
consider themselves more than ordinarily
good The virtuous atmosphere perme-
atcs the entire island, and the effects are
certainly remarkable. Right in the very
heart of the city stands q missionary
chapel, into which is gathered the debris
of one of the worst localities of the town.
A couple of years ago series Of robber-
les Of the most aggravated character
startled the entire city. Houses were
entered in the night, watches were taken
from under the heads of the slumberinS
inmates, clothes were carried off, silver
ware never escaped, and on one occasion
| Tire, thisves vent down in the dining
room, ransacked the closets, found cold
| ham, chicken and Limburger cheese; a
bottle Of champagne washed down the
sayory meal, and card left OH the table
expressed their thanks for the treat
Brooklyn was thunderstruck at the i'm
pudence of the robbers, who, in theil
retreat, carried off every silveS spoon il
the house, SO that the family next morn
ing had to borrow of their neighbort
before they could eat their breakfast
The Chief of Police had fit Of the gout
and the Mayor and Board of Aldermen
were almost thrown into fever. o
what use were Henry Ward Beecher ant
Brother Talnage il Brooklyn was NJ
better than other ungodly cilies' Tn
hunt commenced, and after search Q
three weeks, which involved the whole
police force Of the city, they found tha
the daring burglar who had kept th'
policemen awake for six months for fea
he might steal their clubs and shields
was the sexton Of the little missionar.
church, and that part Of his plunder wa
concealed under the altar. l am partic
ularly reminded of this by the captur
of jeff Knight on Monday, and his sen
tence to the Kings County penitentiary
Ten years ago this graceless scamp wa
the terror of Long Island. Belonging t
one of the oldest and most respectabl
families, he had the entry Of the bes
society, and for years he mingled pleas
antly and socially with the people b
robbed at night. He organized fol
midable band of thieves, which for thre
years made its headquarters in the roc
of the old Episcopal Church at Littl
, Neck, aud when the band was tinall
J captured, thousands and thousands {
dollars worth Of goods were found ther'
and among them several large silver bal
which were cast from the siiverwar
. plundered from the houses they ha
b robbed. Many time while the congr'
CATION below were repeating the Apostle
Creed and the responses to the Litan,
the thieves above their heads were coun
y ing over the plunder Of the previo1
: night. But jeff Knight realized at la
d what many other fine fellows have dol
before, that The pitcher which go
often to the we'll gets broken at last
He stole horse from his neighbor, De
con Hendrickson, and this brought hi
g to grief. The robbery was traced to hi
! beyond the shadow Of a doubt, and
9 long term in states prison relieved Il
a community from his presence. 1t "
r rather novel idea using the church as
i storehouse for their plumber, but i'll j
/ Knights case it served his turn for thr
years.