Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-06-01
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
special correspondence OF the NoRTHwEsT:
y NEW YORK, May 26.

NEW YORK, May 26.
WHAT Is THE USE OF 1T.
There is very little stirring in the city
except the rain that is falling and the
bright green leaves in the newly decked
trees and the noisy sparrows. Only four
murders since the last execution, Six
days ago, and three attempts, one OF
which may prove q success. So you
see the papers are dull--for what is a
daily paper now without its regular
plethora of horrors2 1t has long been a
subject of remark that immediately after
the hanging of an assassin the very air
seems to fill with the mysterious force
that impels the criminal classes to deeds
of atrocity; and that before the week is
closed the columns of the papers teenH
with new stories of bloodshed. The
question in the minds of great many
good men who use their brains to think
with. is whether the brutal strangling of
a murderer does or does not deter the
things from the bloody work that so
many of them have learned to look upon
as the crowning glory of their lives.
Horace Greely was won't to say that the
worst possible use to which you could
nut man was to hang him. His death
4 the result Of judicial murder, and
aided by the quick and graphic pen Of
the eyer.ready reporter, it serves not to
intimidate the vicious, but to encourage
them. Nine out of ten murderers 'die
game" and say it with no irreverent
feeling-nearly all, according to the sol
emn reservations of their spiritual ad-
visers, 20 right straight TO Heaven. But
what of their victims?
6V1nsN
There are two evils now operating in
this and other cities which are hardly
less powerful in their damning influence
over the young than rum in Its most
devilish form. / don't refer to the So
called boys and girls weeklies that scat
ter poison broadcast over the land; but
they are bad enough and their publishers
should all be doing the State some SER
vice in the stone breaking departments
of the prisons. I don't count even the
variety shows, which are pest holes, even
the best of them. What wish to point
out particularly are cheap cigarettes
and ..pool for drinks" Nearly every
bow beyond the watchful eye of his
mother smokes characteristic nastiest
apologies for cigars that were ever de-
yised-made Of refuse tobacco gathered
by italian lazzasoni in the cutters they
poison the breath and ruin the health
and excite the morbid appetite of many
q bright lad intended as an ornament
and an honor to his community. To
nnrchase them-s'two for cent"-many
: little fellow has become q thief. And
vet no effort is made to put stop to the
traffic.
.sPool for drinks is sign to be seen
on nearly every busy thoroughfare in
the city. In most places where the game
il PLAYED the chief customers are boys,
the majority of whom--it were folly to
mince matters-must steal the money
which the game costs them. The largest
Of these places is on the Bowery--open
day and night all the year round, it is
crowded constantly. Policemen pass by
the doors and hear the click of the balls
on the twelve or fifteen tables in the two
large rooms see boys going in and coming
out, often tipsey, yet never attempting
to close the places. The society for the
suppression Of crime is busy in a hundred
different directions, it's agents tempting
men to the commission of crime with a
view to their punishment. but I have
never heard of an effort on the part of
the Society or its agents to bring the
proprietor Oh this ''pool for drinks" place
to Justice. It is a den Of thieves. 1t is a
school for thieves. Every day and every
night it is opened in violation of the law.
Fights take place here every night, and
lighting man is kept here to look after
the interests of the house. Men have
their pockets picked here every night,
bows get drunk here day after day and
night after night; and yet the place is
never entered by an officer of the law
except when he comes to get his cock.
tail.
A few nights ago visited this place
for the purpose Of inducing one oi
its new customers, boy of seventeen. tc
90 home to his mother, an estimable
lady living in Saith street, who had moi
sees her son in three days. It was {
o'clock in the morning when I entered
The rooms were crowded and every table
was busy. On the seats at the sides 81
both rooms were about fifty loungers, 8
fair proportion of whom were asleep
The young man was looking for was
not in sight, so took seat and waited
knowing that sooner or later he wonlt
make his appearance. just opposite tx
me sscasual'' was slumbering peace
- -. r. - L 4