Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-08

ever man met nis uchiu Wy Nloichc'
the deadly instrument was promptly con
fiscated by the thrifty monks and named
a demand given TO God. The term wal
literally applied and in time came tC
cover all the implements OF felony, anc
in some instances nearly all OF the per
sonal property OF the criminal or Of
fender. In Italy and Southern France
where crimes of violence were OF fire.
quent occurrence. the income fol
the demands was so large as to ex.
cite the jealousy and cupidity OF the
feudal lords. In the course of years the
Crown took this right away from the
Church. and found it in many cases o
source OF revenue. The custom prevail
ed in this country until the Revolution
and then died out In most Of the cities
and counties of the land the courts treat
ed and still treat the property of the &C.
cused "a his own and deliver II to any as
signee upon his written order. In Brook
lyn the instruments of crime have fol
very many years been conhscated by the
authorities and put up5n exhibition IN
the county court house. The collection is
open to the public at all reasonable
hours, and is found in the inner room OF
the District Attorneys office. 1t is con-
tanned in a handsome glass and walnut
cabinet that reaches from floor to ceiling
and covers an entire side of the apart
ment. The collection is very well
arranged and enables the spectator to
run down the history OF crime in Kings
county (of which Brooklyn is the capt.
tab without trouble or delay. Over d
thousand objects are exhibited and make
an interesting hut ghastly display.
The eye first falls upon a series OF
knives, rusty and blood-stained, well il
Illustrating the cosmopolitan character OF
our great cities. The English dirk, the
American bowie, the French poniard, the
negros razor, the Italian stiletto. and
most ominous of all, the Oriental creese,
with its serpentine shape and cold, gray
color, are expressions of the intermiDablt
race-mixture which makes up our popu'
lation.
CHEMICALS
In the centre Of the cabinet are series
of strange-looking glass Walls and tubes,
porcelain discs and watch crystals. Some
are clean and some covered with white
coating. Others stand out prominently
through bright spots Of metal on theli
surface. These are the appliances used
by the chemists in the great DR.. IRISH
and Groblewski poisoning cases. In the
latter case they enabled the authorities
who were trying the Polish pOisOner ioI
numbering his second wife to prove him
guilty of not only that crime but also OF
the making way Of bis first by similar
means GroblewsH was found guilty,
but as there were grave doubts Of his
sanity, he was sent to the State LunatiC
Asylum
On the floor of the cabinet are piles
of burglars tools. Besides the mask,
gag, and dark lantern Of the yellow
covered novel, are powder-blowers,
diamond drills, safe-openers, "patent
levers" sectional jimmies, and all the
latest implements of scientific burglary.
Many of these tools are Of the highest
workmanship, and show to what terrible
uses human ingenuity can be perverted.
In one corner are some ugly blood
covered knives which played deadly
rate IN a horrible murder. In January
1856, Andreas Fuchs killed William Sim
mons and dismembered his body with
these knives Both were mechanics, and
the motive was jealousy. Fuchs was
sentenced to be hanged, but became In
sane and was sent to the asylum. An
innocent-looking object IS heavy cart
wrung which on close scrutiny turns out
to be split and broken in three places.
With it Henry Rogers, the leader of the
Battle-Row Gang. desperate Of great
strength and reckless courage, killed
Officer John Donohue in July, 1872.
The ruiiian's strength and the ferocity OF
his attack can be easily inferred when II
is recalled that the one or two blows
given to the luckless policeman fractured
the massive piece of wood as if it bad
been a walking-stick. Rogers was hung
for the crime the same year.
Far different in appearance is light
steel hammer, below which is suspended
piece of human skull. With this
hammer John NJ. Wright, a noted rnf-
fan, killed a well-to-do junkmsn. Ber-
nard Feron, who had incurred Wright's
wrath 10y refusing to treat to glass Of
whiskey.
Murderers use all sorts of implements
in producing death. Besides the cart
wrung and the hammer there are other
odd, lothal weapons. One of these is
the kerosene lamp which Patrick Ken
ney threw at his wife, who died from
the combined effects Of the blow and the
blazing OIL Another is long bedslat
With this James Flaherty while drunk
killed his drunken wife. A third is
vicious cowhide, with which Thomas
Burke whipped his wife to death.
Although many of the crimes whose
silent witnesses are displayed in the col
lection were inspired by drunken rage,
vet, strange to say, drunkenness appears
to have been very insignificant cause in
the commission OF the violations Of the
Law.
Joseph BaRnarello, the curator of the
deodan6s, said 1.-The crimes which are
recorded here are in most cases the ac-
tons of intelligent men who have de-
hberateIy taken up lswbreAking as pro-
fession. Most Of the deadly weapons
come from people of this class, and all
the tools do, OF course. The rest come
from insane people, drunken men, and
from people who commit crimes III the
heat Of passion"