New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-19
THE CRIMINAL GLASSES or .luEEICAi
Laurence, Kan, May ., 1883.

NOTES OF AN ENGLISH vIsITOR-PoINTs OF DIFFER
ExcE BETWEEN LONDON AND NEw-YoRK.
To me razor or Tte Tribune.
SIR: There is a tendency among New
Workers considerably the excellence OF t6c
criminal That great deal OF crime Is achieved
IN the United States OF II showing high order OF
Intelligence it would be absurd TO deny. But careful
Investigation OF the and statistics has convinced
me that the habit widely prevalent In the Old World
of immediately and az matter OF course assigning All
American origin 10 any breach Of the law OF conspicuous
audacty is iliOunded unless indeed. Americans Keep
all their best work In this line for expectation.
For my part / must confess TO being dis
appointed with the crimlnality oil new
York 1t fails short OF my expectations In many
respects and one point which appears TO Inc pecu
arly inadequate In the matter % burglary The sys-
TEN OF burgng in New. York strikes stranger as curl
ousIy rough aud incomplee-an imperfccton whiea
seems the more surprising there Is much that Is
valuable lying about 10 be stolen. There are
now and then doubles, occasional master
mecca IA the way Of house. breaking and
sneakthievng as artistic In their way that
"unnnished dc sign" (which DE Quincy mentions) for
numbering "a with pair OF duinbbeif,' and
bespeaking great natural aptitude rs well az careful
training in their authors. Half dozen hrstcass
marksmen, however do not make efficient rife corps
and, whole the burglary service here Is unfinished
and shows n lack OF organization which has been
4
| TO illustrate my meaning II Ia only few
weeks since the morning papers announced that
OF jewclry had left the sidewalk In Broadway
all night upgusrded, and had been broken into.
Now this would be permitted In London, for
ample, any more than the Of carts, which line
some Of the streets OF this city every night, would be
allowed TO remain there in London without every part
Of them which could be taken 10 pieces being taken
pieces and stolen before morning. Even II they were
comparatively worthless and only good for nrewood,
the less would they be stolen The force IL too
we'll organized to suffer itself be dscreded by over
looking even the least profitable article OF plumber
There Is, however, one point which am assured
America is far In advance OF the Old World but here
again New York is said TO be behind some OF the other
large cities In the United States / refer
TO the cooperation OF the police with the
criminals The golden rule Of "setting thief
thief" H. am given to understand. widely obserye
here whereas in England the authorities give the pref
to men OF high moral character for vacancies In
the police force. IT, however, this good feeling and
solidarity do exist between the burglars and the con
stables, IL 10 u sign of great promise and would
seem TO indicate that when the States
have grown older and have been able tt
devote the necessary time to perfccting this aont
with their other yet nch0ate ORGANIZATIONS the GRIN
nal classes Of America ought 70 take very Mgh rani
among Of tho world The union OF these TWO
affords q wider and frmer basis 70 work upon when
ought to give you an immense advantage ever othei