The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-26

ton. for Many Crimes-Scenes o.
Lawle-sness Finally Controlled by
sheridan's Troops.
From the chicago Chronicle.
The worst specimens OF human nature
are seen "a, ihcir wickedest In cities just
after some terrible calamity has befaiien
as in Galveston last week. Iunoceu, peo-
pie involved in the calamity. but who
still live. are for the time no, Themselves
and some so mad or are made helpless
In their despair. Criminal people are a
much affected in their minds. bpi iusteal
OF themselves being overcome and rene
dered inactive by terror. they arc then
more active ana desperate than before
they become in very fact, PROBABLY, in
! sane criminals. At Galveston this peculiar
| Indulgence IN criminnlity. ga the presence
OF the awful was marked as IL never WIS
before Ia this country, and many cittzeu~
nrc reminded by 90 Of criminal occurrences
here while the city Wa IN smoking ruins
in 1871
| Criminals here iabored IN one way. un-
der a disadvantage for the reason thor
| the track OF The great hrc was too hot
| for them. They could not possibly begin
their work OF pluudcr Immediately oftcr
| the fire had passed, but after the ruins
had taken a few days for partial cooling
those bent on highway robbery possessed
every advantage. The burned streets were
mostly impossible 20 teams and foot
passengers did not costly ind their WAY
along them. Robbers. who were possible
lassassins. lurked amid the heaps Of stones
ard bricks Of fallen buildings for easy
prey. Some hold-up ca~e wos reported
every hour and rumors Of assassinations
| were rife though mostly unfouuded
/ MI 80
;he same kind Of mental distress felt here
that has agonized the people 81 Galveston
the past week. There was less cause for
n IN Chicago than there was in the ave-
fully stricken Gulf city. hut still there
was cause. Men and women. too who
had business We're Obliged TO so 20 and
fro the burnt district many times making
n~ they supposed their lives ia their
hands Hundreds Of collapsed stores suli
had unhurnt goods buried iu the ruins.
and a thousand safes. an thought 60 con-
tain treasure had not been opened since
their closing the night before tho fire. aud
criminals hy digging down 20 them might
perhaps work IN security. Guards in most
cases were placed over the safes by the
proprletors. but some Of these were Al
tackled by robbers. or 50 constant rumor
had b.. and 50 the revived newspapers
printed a. Yes. there was cause enough
for panic fear ~ criminals In Chicago
after the great fire Of ISL.
Opened the Prison Doors.
The happening which more than any
other. alarmed tho timid amoug the in-
habitantS was the opening Of the prison
sells In the Court House anl letting the
criminals Of all degrees-some murderer
loose into the streets. Capt Hickey was
in charge OF tho police quarters az the
time. the same Capt Hickey who was
aftcrward chief OF police. and who dicd
only few DAYS ago. Ills account OF what
occurred there in that awful time was that
the FIRE had communicated with the roof
and dome several times. only 60 be eX-
tingulshed. Finally 81 caught such a hold
that the tower had 20 be- abandoned. The
great bell. which had been changing ne
fully all night. kept up on iuceSsaut r1t-
tie. the machinery having been set by the
keeper as he des ended The buildings
on all sides were 10 flames aud the streets
nilod with ruins Of fallen walls Tho
prisoners In the county Jail almost suf-
focatcd with smoke ran 90 the doors Of
their cells aud shook The iron hnrs with
the strength OF frenzy, utteriug fearful
yels and imprecations as horrid fear
that they We're 20 be burned alive possess
ed them. Seeing that there was no hone
OF saving the building the captain or
dered the cells TO be unlocked. and la a
moment the released prisoner. an bare
headed many barefooted. rushed into the
street yelling lis, demons. But they were
not many seconds without clothing A
large truck loaded with reddy-madc
clothing WAS passing az the time, and iu
an instant the cX-prisoners swarmed up
on a. cmptied % OF It's contents and fled
TO remote alleys and dark passages. where
they disguised themselves as well-to-do
citizens. The numbers % the freed We're
al ou.e greatly exaggerated. so that in
stead OF there having been twenty or
thirty criminals thus turned loose on the
community. in the excited minds OF the
citizens there were 80 or 90 suUn. And
what crimes would rof those hardened
wretchcs commit What crimes were
they not already credited with by busy
rumori
Horrid scene.
A Eorrid scene OF the lake shore. north
side. was described by an eyewitness that
equals any hing that has been read OF
the Wild and wicked 90 ngs On Galveston
The particular locality was the sands"
o. bad rcpute. There on The scorchipr
earth. that he'd The heat and sent a SHIN
mcrng. cease.e-s wave OF blstering air
and and from undernea d tie feet. parch-
Ing the flesh and drying up the fountains
OF blood ana NE. the spirit or Internal
revelry PREVAILED. ON this sgot the evil
human natura AIRED f.rh go vcx ten-
Ger souls whom fate hal sent Into their
ana as many men, had been driven 10
seek safety there. and once there no way
OF escape was Open 90 IA M. Tor toe hill
lows = IRE were behind ard the exnanse
OF lake was before them. and no baats
were 20 be had. u was a small area nllei
with human 81, aturcs. maddened animals
delicate and refined wCme1. young girls
asd sweet child en- and men OF pure lives
y sides. there wvte bru es in human form
who did not hccitata to commit acts 81
crime and whose p3l'utng wickcdness
was the rankest. Here. hul4lcd close ana
helpless. tie Turest I'd HOOD was forced
TO endure the crng Of The vilc aud ~
"A chance protector spoke IN nor defense
the wicked laugh q ana ie red and cursed
until the stoutest heaft grew faint with
lappruhcnsion Abandoned women took
nendish delight IN adding undennable
shame and terror to the misery % those
who shrank from crime. The creatures
who there tortured the helpless were no