New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-05
A BURLESQUE SHERIFF.

4 BURIESQtE SHEhffT.
7, wos Independcncc Day with a vengeance
., 1u1,ow Street JAIL II there was a maker or
.om,c onoros anywhere seeking for incidents OF
,,rco-comedv character, he missed the Oppor-
tunity of n lifetime In not being on mana ~ VIII
ncss the burlrsque in real life when was pre-
scnted under the management of Sheriff hansen
IN celebration Of the day. Here was the pio''
Act Three desperate criminals wnom the
United States authorities have been makih2
strenuous efforts 10 capture are placed III his
charge They are put In Jail presided over 10y
a y,od natureI Teuton and corps OF ASSISTANTS
uh, ,bcrr Is reason to believe. would he excel
Ion, nersons IN attendance ut a Staten lslanu
ho.r Garden Al the iail there IL n barber-;n
excellent comedy character well adapted for the
,rtr,duction Of stage business" Being De
uovcr I'm strict prison discipline, which. as every
h,dv knows. prcscrbes the removal OF all SUI
nor0uous hair from convicts. he SLAVES ana clps
Tho Shcrlr's charges fits them ont In uniform
- hlue over,lls. and SO thoroughly DISCUSSES
,hcm that when they are taken TO court In Act
II not 4 detective can pick out his man. Ih"n
they are sent back to Jail with warning to the
officers 10 guard them with great care ana give
them no chance TO plot an escape.
Act III is laid at the Jail. The thieves try 70
hrbe their keepers and are repulsed Win scorh'
They laugh and threaten TO get out anyway 30
they are put in separate cages staining sue ny
side SD that while they cannot unite forces 70
break down their bars. they may NOT, whie
awaiting trial BE- deprived " social intercourse
10 mako extra sure that they shall no; escape
th,y are not allowed 10 take exercise with their
fellow prisoners. but alone by themselves the
thrc. take their exercise In the yari. on 'ne
morning Of The Fourth come TWO rotuhu anu
benevolent Falstaffs termed Keepers 10 take
them for their daily walk. one be'hlnKs MIN
self that he viii 90 and change his clothes III
honor Of the Fourth. and says TO the other 1io'n
,he keys iii come back and me three d's-
r.rntc villains stand awaiting his pleasure. mat
t. 4 moment u dramatic power. All about them
ore tho sounds OF celebration and songs IN praise
., freedom. They alone have forfeited their I'D
.r,v and ,-,w.r Their. an object lesson OF IN"
wages of sin. while in the woighty person OF III"
,,n,r swinging his keys in calm security. Is
seen the lnexornble and unrrlillrd majesty OF
law Their. Is the paihos which turks III ever!
l,ugh Then comes In. burst ~ fun again
Thr,e pistols CLEAN In the hands Of the robbers
vl.r d,l ,h.v come from? Ask the supe who
searched the cells with great pomp ana 0rcuh-
stance no longer ago than last week fr'd'!'
Herr schneer throws up his hands. A massive
door with u halfnch plate ~ glass Is yet 10 p'
overcome but the prisoners are desperate anu
daring one puts his fist through II anu HIS
,hc latch shouts ~ "Bcrlice. "Berlice. ar"
heard from the adjoining chambers. ''rr
s,,.n rus,.s I'm with his clothes on wrongsld"
ou, after the hes, traditions n hurlcsqu".
cr,,,d g,,hor. from the wings. The thieves I'M
lock m. remaining doors. laugh out Ian. IAN
Herllcr, Come gvick"' as they stroll ava!
through the crowd into space, ana WIFI '''S
grand tahlcau the curtain falls.
Who wants better opera? Would FRANCES
Wilson ever have dared 10 ask fun-iovlng peo
,,,c 10 witness "Erminc" had h. known OF TAM
sons clever thieves AMI wondrous jailers| VIII
Rrvyy and Cnddy hold up their heads IN lace OF
Lf,or,n Allen and RUSSELL II i wonderfully
,r,uv Tnmscn rs a Snowman Is an undoub'"d
success But. unfortunately. Tamscn Is not EN-
,l,vc1 :, IN, Snowman in chief 10 In" county OF
x.w.york He Is employed to be jailerin CHIEF.
., Guard nrlsoncrs. and 10 guard them safely.
I, may seem hard to impose conditions on
humoris,. but republics are proverbially migrate
rl and appreciate not the picturesque when II
/ I'm ',rf.rs< Win Dra'tVHl HHhhHs - "'''''''''
,nl,ht tolerate burlcsIue iailers for the run
thor. IL I'm them. but II Dogbrrry. however ridlc-
u-os and entertaining. is moi In favor with Civ'l
Service examiners. Irosaic people have pe'h
.,vinv that Hansen was failure. The KIND
b.,r,eln,ss Of his subordinate In the Mcihugh
lin cas-. recently brought upon him IN" stern re-
huko ~ the Court Now he will have to answer
., h,nl Judges for his stewardship OF prisoners
rl,r,d In his charge one Of his predecessors
once went 10 Jail for letting prisoner escape
and the same fate threatens him. This VIII
uiev. those who love humor. however much
| ,hosr Of a NOR, serious view of the response
bil,ics of public officer may assert he deserves
tn 90 10 prison :or his incompctcncy. TaInscn
has been much exercised Of late over the evil
| ,yrnught By "A too strict enforcement or the TX
cisc laws II he had paid less attention TO OK
cess Of police vigilance and more 10 the def
cheney IN the SherIGs Vigilance. We might have
hol Il less amusing Fourth, but he would he less
deserving ~ severe punishment. and his snbor
dpai.s would be- less open 10 suspicion Tor per
uniting the escape with Incredible ease OF men
who had tried 10 bride them and boosted that
they would get free In the end