New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-17
UJfE.BEATERS WITH POLITICIL LAFAU-

ENtI.
The case Of Thomas Crcgan. now i'll the
BIackwrlls Island Work house. Is worth 1T
tlc re- 1rciiOn. 1t has some features winch DO
NOT tend to give decent men high opinion
of thc criminal system OF the city. This fell
low Is utterly vicious, dcgradcd and brutal.
A month ago he was sent to the
Workhouso for three months for out
ragcpusy beating his wife. In few
DAYS he was st liberty. THIS week the
wretched woman, whom he had sworn to low =
and cherish, appeared again in Court, with
her face battered almost into Il shameless mass.
The brute whom she called husband had
knocked her down and kicked her
in tie face again and again. The
sentence this time was ore year in the Work
house. The ruflian was moi in the least dis
concerted, and muttcrrd as Ice was led away
that he would be ont in a week. He relied
on political influence. 1t bad served him wei
before, and ne felt confident that 1t would
save him again from even the lghi penalty
which was imposed for his atrOClcuS cruelty.
Even such infamous wrctclcS as tins can vote,
and il may be supposed can influence the
votes Of two or three others as vile a. them
selves. And when they give the rein 10 their
brutal PASSIONS and bruisc aud torture weak
women, some interruptions wand politician il
rarely wanting to exert himself 10 save them
from punishment.
Police Justice Murray sentenced C.cgan on
both occasions. He says that three DAYS after
the prisoner had been s;nt to the Island the
fi,s: time bonds were offered for his good be-
havior and he had to accept them, as, under
the law, Il Police NJ risratc is bound 10 accept
bonds in WOrl.houSc eases. So Crrgan cot his
liberty. How he used 1t his wifc's wounds aud
bruises now show. by his second crime the
bonds given for his good conduct were for
tcitcd. Is any one simple enough 20 believe
that the city will get the money due on those
bonds Such a crcduou6 person would prove
himself strangely unfamiliar with the battling,
hobbling machinery of our police courts, which
serve in too many cases to protect crime
rather than TO punish if. Perhaps some
one might be found innocent enough to cv-
Meet that Crcgan will be made to strive out
his full term Of imprisonment. Such
man does not know the crooked
WAYS Of ward politics On Blackwclrs Island
and elsewhere Justice Murray's reputation
is not of the most sp0tlc3s. II is trUc that hc
tells n straight story III the Crcgan clSc, an Il
SAYS that he sent the prisoner directly 10 the
Warehouse, because III that way heavier
nenaly could be secured than by holding him
for the Court of Special Sessions. But on the
Island the officials say that the Justice fire.
ouenuy releases prisoners after a few days Of
detention. This he denies. aud claims that he
ONLY releases men when he gets satisfactory
assurances of good behavior and reform. But
the "good behavior and reform in the case
Of too many releases by Police Justices con-
eist in promises to work for some manipula-
tor of primaries.
There are some unsavOry scandals about
the confirmation Of Mr.. Murray. Stories OF
the use of his Office for political ends have
been frequent. No one is exacting enough
at this day 10 expect a Police Justice
to resemble Caesars wife. Yet if lie cannot
be altogether above suspicion he can GER
tainly so conduct himself that the low-minded
will not wink when his name is mentioned,
and that charges of corruption against him
will not be readily accepted. As TO Cregan,
if ruffians guilty Of the most abOmnable
cruelty are to escape SO lightly, public sent
ment will demand the restoration of the whip
ping-post. Forty lashes well laid on would
be likely to keep wfe-beater peaceable for
a time. Political influence, however. might
operate TO lessen the power Of tie official arm
and soften the strokes. After all, the only