The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-12-15

cambli. e. Other American societies OF
kindred sort are the New England Society
for the Suppression Of Vice, established four
years ago, with It's headquarters In Boston;
and the Western Society for the Suppression
Of Vice, which has It's headquarters In Gin
clnnati, with branches In Cleveland, Detroit,
Louisville, Chicago, St. Louis, Peoria, Rock
Island, K~okuk, and Toledo.
At the head and front Of the movement IS
an effective worker, I" a terror to evil -doers,"
Is Anthony Comstock. He was born at New
Canaan, Conn, March 7, 1874, the sen Of
Thomas A. Comstock. HIS mother died
when he was ten years Of age. After re-
criving the rudiments of eduration he Was
placed at the high school, New Britain,
Conn, but was removed afler one years at
tendance under the pressure Of financial ne-
cessity. HIS first position In business was rs
clerk In grocery store at Winnipauk. Conn,
which he entered upon in 1861. He re.
manned there two years, and then enlisted in
tho Seventeenth Regiment Of Connecticut
Infantry. Two years soldier, he WAS MUS
tered out with his regiment, and again took
Q position as grocer's clerk. AfIrr sh"h
time, he wen, TO Lookout Mountain I" assist
In experimenting the repair Of the buldints
Of the Lookout Mountain Educational L.
stitute. Illness compelled his rr.uin ~" Con-
necticut. Upon his recovery he made his
way TO New York city with = borrowed esp
ital Of five dollars. There he fnmn' employ
ment as porter In y commission h'usr, and
while holding the second IL two other sub
ordinate positions hegan his s"k !" the
Suppression "f l,r.Btious literature, al hfsi
without aid and with very limited means uf
carryiug on his work. His tiIst arrests ~-ie
made In March, 1872. Mr. Morris X. Jrssup
came TO his aid with q contribution of six
hundred dollars toward the woIk, by the
help of which he was enabled TO seize fort.
thousand dollars worth Of obscene plates
and books. The Young Mems Christian A.
ssciation then came ts his assistance, and the
society Of which be 10 now secretary was or.
ganized and incorporated. Mr.. Comstock l.
. plucky and vigorous man, and the most
serious result Of several brutal attacks upon
him SO far, has been the laying open his
cheek with q bowie knife. He has beei
threatened with death many times, but pur
sues his useful course with remarkable cour
age and persisteDcy. One secret Of biz
strength 10 suggested In the gratitude he hs'
expressed for the gift Of q sixteen-shootrr
Winchester repeating rifle, presented 10 hin
In March, 1852, by Mr.. Convers, president Of
the Winchester Repeating Arms Company
Mr.. ComstecK asd the society he represents
are the victims OF frequent slanders. On-
Of the most damaging statements made
against him has been that be opens letters In
transit in the postotice. Speaking on this
matter at the last annual meeting Of thr
New York Society, the Hon. Thomas l.
James, ex Postmaster General, said: al An,
informed there 10 q wide spread belief tha
Mr.. Comstock opens tiers IN transit In the
postofics. The idea 10 simply absurd. No
letter 10 tempered with In the postoffics, and
IL 10 due Mr.. Comstock To say that be never
attempted to tamper with letter."
The income Of the New York Society IL
not much above eight thousand dollars .
year, and the wonder IL that 1t sccomplishes
90 much good work. Eighty-seve persons
were arrested BY Its means from January LEI
to August LIST Of this year, Is offenders
against the laws for the suppression Of Oh
scene matter, policy gambling, lotteries, ETC.
In the las: report we fnd that total Of five
hundred aud eighty two persons had been
arrested up TO the time ri its preparation
| The books and sheet stock alsne which had
been seized weighed 27,5s4 pounds, Al
many rs 2O3, 32S Obscene pictures and photo.
graphs had been seized; 7.4O0 microscopic
pictures Of indecent character; l,700 mega
tive plates tor obscene photographs 64,8St
articles for immoral use; 6,i22 semi.trans
parent playing cards, and ], SIT, $50 indecen,
circulars, songs, poems. etc. The weight
seized Of the stereotyps plates for PRINTING
licentious books had been 14,495 pounds. A
total Of more than twenty-five tons weigh
Of contraband matter had been seized. Mr.
Comslock had Travelled, outside Of New
York city, l73,oo2 miles in the prosecution
of bis work.
One Of his most notable accomplishment
dates only few weeks back. On the 9th o
October he and about twenty assistants, VIII
had oil been made deputy sherias BY Jadg'
Gilbert, Of the Supreme Court Of New Tori
State, then holding court In Long lslan'
City, made . raid on the pool rooms .
Hunters Point, seized aboat twenty-nv'
thousand dollars worth ofgsmbiers artic'es
and arrested three ct twenty two person
against whom warrants had been Issued. TIL
proceedings had been undertaken BY NJ
Comstock 1t the request Of the Law and Or
der Society Of Lang Island City. SO clsverl!
had arrangements been lssde that the nscss
ssry evidences. warrants, aud search warrant
bad been procured, Mr.. Comstock and hi
men sworn In - deputy shsrl6s, and tbArqi'
actually begun before the ofIsndeis ee4ins
ths Law realized what was being done. u II
getting 70 one pool roo3s NJ. Uonsscl
passed through The saloon kept By > loca
coroner, VIM protested against wbst hscsllst
| I tyxopoes and vaiuiy tsiod 70 prevent hln