New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-08
OFFICIfL EXPERIENCES.
DEALING WITH CRIMINALS AND THE POOR.
Judge Duffy in The Epoch.


Judge Duffy in The Epoch.
From my experience a Judge in Police Courts,
should say that laZincss is the chief cause or crime
The young man who is Inherently lazy will steal rather
earn his bread by the sweat of his brow but In our
largo cities there are thousands OF who will do
neither manal nor manual work, and who prefer 10
get their living by pTeying upon the community In
some form or other.
Young criminals arc born bad. You cannot ex-
pcci that TIL sors or daughters of thief or burglar
viii he naturally good Their whole SURROUNDINGS
bad. arly every influence that is exeIted upon
them from childhood up tends 10 make them as bad as
their pTOgenors Even girls ari boys inclircd 10 be
good may, by cOntagiOn become bad We have many
institutions In this city for the reformation OF crml-
rais OF both sexes. but think that very few Of the
vicious are reformed in such places Ny experience
with law breakers iustiics the truth OF the saying:
once thief always thief once let boy get con-
taninated with the poison OF crime and he will live
and die an outlaw OF society. In the courtroom
tell at glance children that have been brought up
In rcformatorIes-their manner Is decettu and they
have hangd0g crouchng expression Of countcnance.
In my official career have met great many crmi.
mails, and l must confess thar among them | have
never known OF genuine case Of reform. Quite
long time may sometimes elapSe between their terms
In tho penertary or states prison. bur they
later, more hardened than ever '"'"'' sooner or
,0oncc in a great. while man who has conc wrong
win cnc"nraccmeYt Min rclai a c assn i, 80 ,o no.
One day; while sitting in the "Tombs,' an officer
an adzc in his hand. | said to the officer: What
charge do YOU make against this man > The Officer
replied: lIo is an cscarel convict from the Peui.
Tertiary le got threc-ycars sentence, served two,
and owes another year 10 the stare, | asked tho
officer where he found him. He said he found him
in a coopcrage What was he dong!' :" lie was
making barrels as he dressed as he Is nowl'
Nes.' Well said. II he escaped from pliSoa
It the fault of the state officials He served
years for his offence When you arrested him he was
moi in the act of committing any crime, he trying
to earn an honest living I'm his trade aud be a better
man. II may be technically wrong for me 10 dis
charge him. but think The public will sustain mo
when say, You are discharged gu back your
shop and work at your trade, and do not break tho
laws again. "
But that Is an eyccntionaI case Durclars VIII An
6nrgars: pickpo9kets cannot be reformed and con
Using their bcsuling methods than earn five dollars
true that them stolen fruit is always the sweetest
Crime, however, r. Ho moro prevalent In New-lork
fan It is in any country village IN proportion TO tho
city in the United States. and mos,
of the large cities OF Europe. have made inquiries
In regard 10 crlmo and have come TO the conclusion
that New York, notw hStanding that II : rndezvouS
for criminals from all parts of the world compar
ativcly FREQ from any city in the universe
Free reading rooms lectures, etc. diminish crime
to certain extent bnt the tencent lodging houses
more than countcrbalance the GOOD done by all tho
former such lodgIng-hou have caused moro des
uton, more beggary and crime than any other agency
| know Of Mechanics and laborers were better of
years ego when they had 70 pay from - 30 20 %
week for their board in regular boarding houses. IN
those days, men worked and liked TO work Nowadays
sorry to say, with his stomach full q
scG or rho weNHy VIII be satisfied IL; & c cSn
FOR a nights lodging When was a young man.
mechanics end abocrs received less wages than they
they do to-day. You might then meet on tithays, I
mechanic ana the owner OF a mansion. ana u wond y
hard to distinguish from the other. Mcdaniel
nowadays seem to have got into Bohemian habits they
are like gypsies they shiftlcSS and love 10 wanf
from place to place content II they can supply the sso
| lue needs OF the passing moment ! think that mo
cheap lodging houses ought 10 BE- abolished by the
Board of Health.
/ wonld like TO more public parks than their
are, but strange 10 say the poor who dwell nearel
! 10 tho parks seldom resort 10 them. Residents Il
lorkvillo and Harlem will visit the Battery. Will
people who dwell within stones throw OF do nt
SEQ Il once a year Tenement dwellcrs living neal
| central Park seldom walk In that magnificent breath
Ing place. On week days Il is patronZei by STRANGERS
on sundays. to their credit be IL said. by Germans ana
their families IL IL the with libraries they as
lot paironized by tho poor who would receive u"
! most benefit from them.
What arc the causcs OF incompetence? Sometimf
| mans success Will lead him 20 drink and drnhlJ
| WI lead him TO poverty. Thcn again. II man 81
very poor he VIII try 10 drown his sorrow ia GtihA
he wants TO become ohlivious Of bis sufronnlinSss
rat must remember that IN this country ihctc
occasion for poverty because there Is really N"'
enough for all. The aged and the dccrcgit must
course be taken of by the public. 49,.
l believe however, that prOmscuous aims Nlhs
wrong. The public would bc showing more charity a.!
humanity by giving nothing 10 street bcggars, ecesui
II tramp can make a dollar or two day by pcssi~
:. 10 VIII not WOE 49,