The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-10-13


millions of dollars.
The grand jury has been trying to indict
somebody for the frauds, and now we are
met with the appalling fact that we have
no prison large enough to hold the crimi-
mails if we indict all the swindlers and
thieves in New York. To give you an idee
of how things are done, Or certainly were
done up to very little while ago, the Sher-
if far1ned out for a consideration various
departments under his control. Ludlow
street jail was one of the most valuable bo-
nanzas, and was laid out, in round num-
bers, for $685. 600 per year.
The next question was how to get this
money back. for of course it had to be
wrung out of the poor wretches who were
under control of the deputy sheriff in charge
Defaulters, swindlers awaiting trial, Grim
inals about to be extradited to foreign coun-
tries, were all remanded to this jail. The
keeper had q boarding house where board
could be obtained at from fifteen to fifty
| dollars per week. He also had a bar where
| tAll SOI Us VI ulluhS DO anu
strict watch was kept to see that no contra
band whiskey was admitted to jail. If a
prisoner wanted to pass the night outside
the prison walls he could do so, no matter
what his offence, for 500 to the keeper and
s25 to the deputy who accompanied him.
In this way a Bank of England forger, who
was awaiting extraGition, spent over $1,000.
Tweed spent a little fortune there, and
other well known criminals have spent
quite as much. 1t has been estimated that
| under favorable circumstances that Lud-
low street Jail was good for $1,000 per week,
leaving clean $4,000 profit for the lucky
holder of the berth. The question is how
to reform it. I can only think of two ways
Either sink the island Or blow it up. Either
way has certain difficulties which can not
at present overcome. If we sink it how
can we fill up the hole, and if we blow it up
! what can we do with the debris?
Brooklyn is a blaze of excitement again
this week over another scandal, which has
shaken it to its center. For many years
there has resided there physician VINO has
with his family enjoyed the highest social
consideration. He has children grown up
and daughters married, and wife who is
honored and respected by all who know
her. The doctor himself is a fne-looking
man on the shady side of fifty. He was
fond of music, and occasionally led in the
choir Ha fr,1 nd
Sankey's hymns, he could Hold the Fort
against battalion, and his "Ninety-and-
Nine " was almost equal to Sankey's. He
was heavy at exhortation, and had special
gift of prayer. But a shadow came over
his home, for his wife noticed that he was
taking al undue interest in a young saint,
who was also pillar of the chuch. He
went off with her to excursions and picnics,
and some months ago he went off OH a pic
mic with his little angel and he did not
come back. Last week the heart-broken
wife learned that he had married the girl in
Rochester, and was figuring there as
bright and shining member of the church
He has brought ruin and disgrace on him
self, on the girl, and on his family, but this
week and the affair will go to the courts
when we shall be regaled with the history
of another ruined home.
l could not help remarking the other
day, Notwithstanding the fact that the big
bridge ends in Chatham street, it is the
only street i'll New York in which there is
little Or no change, the buildings looking ex-
actly us they did fifty years ago. 1t is the
great artery which connects down town with
the tremendous human hives that crowd the |
east side. The street is narrow and dirty,
and the houses have a decayed sort of air
which tells of Il former age. The jew
clOthler, once so famous, has only a feeble |
hold there. lie has moved his stock to
other and pleasanter pastures. Even the
have lied. Simpson has moved
up town, having only a small office at his
nous, have abandoned the business. One
brother is dead, and the other owns stocks
and bonds estimated at millions; how many
nobody knows.
BY the way, there is quite romance
about the Harris, the inside history of which
has never been written. Right Ill the mid
die OF the block Oh the south side OF Chat
ham street Is a vacant lot belonging to the
f1arts. lie fence Is covered with posters
and the inside is covered with a pile OF
ruined moss-grown brick. over forty years
ago there stood on that lot Il clothing store
and above II was {. lodging house where
cheap lodgings were let 10 passing travel |
ers. One night 1t was bnrneu TO the ground,
and several OF the sleeping dodgers persisted
Ill the flames. mart got his insurance, but
from that day to this lie has never built upon
the lot. The property Is worth thousands
of dollars. Its value luany times over has
been paid in taxes, Yet there 1t lays year
after year, and the owner refuses to build
on 1t himself or lease to those vino would. |
Some say that at midnight, when it IS |
stormy, the ghosts or those who perlshed |
i'll the names, can be seen dancing among
the ruins. This may be SO, but l have never
seen them.
The recent decision of the Court of APP |
peals i'll the Western Union cases, allowing
them to Issue a stock dividend which has |
been before declared unlawful has created
some consternatlon, tor 1t now looks as If
Could had captured the courts as we'll as
the railroads and telegraphs.
The weather fortunately Is cool, almost
Wintry, SO that, although our mad Is up, We
do not actually explode. Business is BOOM
ing, the theatres are crammed nightly, and
the performances exceptionally good, stocks
still uncertain, and likely to continue so.
Truly yours, BROADBRIM.
From Eminent w. l.. Almon, President
Medical College, Halifax, N. S. Coiden's
Liquid Beef tonic Is Invaluable for fecer, IN
digestion and ereak,tess, and is unsurpassed Tor
female complaints" (Inke no otter.l VI drug
gIstS.
Mr.. ADram Martin was thrown from his
horse and instantly killed while out hunt
ing in Rapides parish.
Dr. G. N RoherSou Elm Grove n C. SAYS: