The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-26

Forty Years Ago and Now.
We have volume in which are bound to-
gether the annual reports Of the Chief OF
Police OF New York from the year 1s45 to the
year 1856. inclusive. It Ia collection OF
official documents we'll worth the careful
study Of the critics OF the present police
aud general administration OF the city.
These reports show in the first place. that
the organization OF tho police force was
rude and crude forty or fifty years ago. 1t
betokened a very provincial condition OF
things In the chief city OF the Union. From
first to last. too. they mako manifest the
fact that. ut that period. the police were in
adequate for the mastery OF crime and dis
order. They show that the saloon evil"
as it is called. was far worse then than 1t Is
now. the number Of drinking places. licensed
and unlicensed. being twice as numerous
proportionately as they are to-day. In u
badly lighted town thieves and other dan
gerous characters were able to elude tho
police to an extent now unheard OF. and
life and property were far less secure.
Tho social evil. as it Is known spo-
cihcally. was TAINTED then. whereas
now it is concealed. and it's resorts
spcuous. 1t was vastly more provocative
aud It's intleoencv vas left unrestra!ned to q
degree which would have been shocking to
any eyes accustomed to the police regula-
ton which prevails at present. Yet those
were the good old days OF Now York. &C.
cording to our present Mugwumps. for
these reports describe tho condition Of tho
town at the period whom the first great
Irish immigration was occurring. and
before tho great majority Of the new
corners had become voters and In any way
responsible for its government.
In 1915 Mayor WILLIAM F. HAvEMEYEB
submits the police report to the Common
Council with various complaints. He thinks
it hard that the police have to light the
lamps and ring the alarm bells in addition
to their other duties. He objects to "the
fncility with which great offenders are ad-
mtted to ball." and he urges that prison.
ors should DO searched before entering
he Jail. He thinks it serious evil
that apprentices who are committed
merely for refusing to serve their masters"
should BIO locked up with reckless and aban-
doncd characters. He complains "of the
impunity with which corporation ordinances
are continually violated" and the careless
ness with which Migrants are discharged.
Finally. he gives the number Of dlsorderly
houses reported by the Chief OF Police Us
3O2, and yet records the arrest OF only OF
their Keepers.
The same story Is repeated with little
variation from year to year. Though there
is steudy and even rapid increase in tho
number Of vle resorts and OF their inmates.
pf nflipa IIc boc fob
lshments and characters are presented.
They could not have occurred. 80 few
are the arrests recorded. In those days
tho authorities were lenlent to tho evil
about which PARKHUHsT showed SO much
prurient curiosity. Amid a population
so large as that Of New York city. now
rapidly approxlmating to half a Million"
says Mayor A. II. MtcKLE In transmitting
| tho police report In ls47. moro or less crime
will ever prevail" Proportionately it
prevailed much moro extensively than
it does now. Tho dlsorderIy houses
increased from 500 in 1915 to 994
in ls47 In 1s49, when the population WAS
hardly more than ono-quartcr OF what 1t is
to-day. the Chief OF Police reported 1857
drinking places. 7oo OF which were not H.
censed. while at 1878 liquor was sold on
Sunday. Proportionatoly there were twice
as many saloons thon as now.
In 1859 GEORGE W. MArsELL. Chief OF
Police. reports to Mayor CALEB 8. Woop-
HULL that the number OF Migrants, idle
and vicious children OF both sexes" Is
almost incredible" aud that the degrad-
ing and disgusting practices OF these
almost infants IN the school OF vice, prostl-
tuition. and rowdylsm are beyond be-
lief" In eleven police districts sit appears
that the enormous number OF 1855 chill
drcn arc engaged as above described. and
OF these two-thirds are females between
eight and sixteen years Of age" Yet "this
estimate" he adds. ~ believe to DO far
short OF the number actually thus engaged"
He also reports that child thieves arc ap-
pallingly numerous. especially about the
wharves. Yet the magistrates refuse to
assist tho police In bringing them to pun
ishuent. Tho social evil was at its worst
In those days. "6oenes Of almost nightly
occurrence might. II necessary. be related.
which. for vilsness and deep dspravtty,
would absolutely stagser bslisf" PARK
HURST could have satisti,d his vulgar curl
oslty in 1850 far more fully than now
Chief MARRLL also complains that 1.-The
efforts OF the police are found inadequate"
10 suppress the depredahons OF juvenile
thieves and rowdies. AS the years 90 on
these evils incrsase; the number OF disor-
derby houses and drpSipg places multipues.