The St. Louis Republic., 1904-12-04
Defenseless Debtors Have Heen
the Tenants CT Notorious Cd
New York Prison.
SHERIFF NOW PLANS REFORMS
He Is to Introduce Bill, Which.
if II Becomes Law, VIII
Leave but L;.ti" Business
for This Aacie.: .:aii

Ri UI:i.IC - e.Cs.-.
New YORK. Ger. s---T.t,h but sever pig
oneT- left WIN - I'd walls. L5i'os
Street Jail A-s s-lscu 5te.;ly seen - bes,
deys. l. may Sc. G. tor ye3-z- r-t ):
Sheriff M;cisi. = E~iafger gs:s iG-sCSh
the Legislature ::,.s winter c..I wil.G1 re
has drafted. tnr-r WI re b. iit.ie sIl-
ness !.tt for tse ,c-snt p-i5of- The ,-as
eCies ~! t.s.rs y aItn It's ellis co.id K /
We're they er1rlacrc- HislI rpeec!I vsi,. Dc
merely memories OF .he past. The meu
who have grown Tich 4! pacing Inforsu-
mate debtors 5ehi-d lis hsrs and keeping
them there AZ -. city's expense will be
driven out uf - ..EsJ. add shern vii, -
no law warr;. -.ti-s z--sr: to- petty anG
unjust debts.
TO me- So. .sLe S-a-.c- 20 your crrse-
spondert. 49, - E 7o.'..--- -. Q.
spit-houss. wherein ,@e Etyiock rags his
heartiess re-crge. Ever since took Of
flee I have been zhoekAd b. Inc pe=ssc.-
ton which is dsi.y przcticed there t..
laws whics pert certain nsn to use tbs
pr.s"G TO collect what ;s nothing short c:
blood money from She poor are all wrong
and they must be reformed.
From time tc tin tzr Sfe-iHs oHce
las realized ,ne .atus-:css CT o1r poor
debtor laws and re pgtiic pT.as has ssi-
tatcd their adjustment. t;,t the matter
has never been pustcI 20 a EesUi: IL the
Legislature.
Il have gone oTsT not only history o,
the crimes 1h.c5i have Eee7 p-act.ce.i
through the r.sd.;l1 o.f Ludlow Street Ja!..
but also a f1istor; Of The laws which la
MADE these cT.-iIcs Possible. Hd s.G con
WINGED that IL the real state OF affair; =
presented to the Lasisia:u :ure II will tai
immediate and drastic action toward Eip-
ing out every law which grinds down ana
lmprisons our iiiiteTate and unfortunate
debtors.
There are Of course. Thousands Of peo-
PIE In New York who 20 nothing but
s,udy how TO cefraud creditors For them
o. laws are too lax entirely. Aut in order
TIA; our 'fnstailment merchants money
LEADERS,. etc. can have protection against
Sshberate swindlers. our statute books
nave been heaped with laws which are
ih4escrloabiy cruel 10 the honest poor
debtors. New York Is far behind its sister
States in the East in wiping such urilst
measures out. Too long they have been
allowed TO pile Up. Even many Of our best
lawyers do not realize the abuses which
come before the Sheriff every dav Tte
association Of New York upon Thankssiy-
ing Day vas designed to call the attention
or our best lawyers 10 the real conditions
when confront the Sheriff and the city
More than half the men who have beer
sent 10 Ludlow Street jail during the Isst
four years have been victims of ynsrrrIu,1-
lous people The county Of New York +
being used every day as a collector FOR
eNtortionists. and the Sheriff has no alter
native than To detain these ig,o ant peo
PIE at the EXPENSE OF the city until 5l1c-
time - they meet TIE extraya1an, terms
of their credif~--''
SINCERE IN EFFORT.
The Sheriff is very sincere In thi, srror-
to correct an evil OF long staining. IA
has armed himself after long research
with vast amount Of information. he
Is not presenting this matter TO the l. q
Slatu.e on sentimental basis or On ,hc-
ory- He has collected plenty of f.d!ytd-
nsi cases and ne has names and dates 10
Mittee TO which his proposed biIi mar be
presented. His friends among the nier,-
pers OF the Bar Association wflo krow
what he Is after have p.edgsd their SIr-
port. and he does not Anticipate tha, MS
oni VIII be met by any opposition Of in
portsnc.
and have known for many yea-y TIA,
Ludlow Street jail is nothing hut a col
lection bureau for the vilest kind Of bills
OF eS'crtion The real swindlers are not
have httis occasion to prosecute any but
the unfortunate. body execution ear
be obtained under the present laws for the
record a man who owed so for for sass : eioc,: Ok
which he gave to his wife upon the ami
Tersary OF the.- marriage ard for which
an tSe rsSsrsd h 0 was not able to pay
Ludlow Street Jail and compelled 10 nav
80 before he could get release fh.s
costs In such cases frequently. run up TO
oo!isatioD- In years past the creditors IN
such cases had 10 pay seventy-fve cer.g
day for the keep OF debtors in jail. hui
o. late years. through the passage o,
amendments to the law. the county has
been compelled 70 keep all the prisoners
In Ludlow at its own expense. In not a
been kept at the expense Of the coun. ::
for three months. At any time the couTi-
ty could have paid these obligations n
cash and saved money by hberatins the
prisoners Immediately upon arrest.
When Sheriff Erlanger took office I.ud-
low Street all was filled with prisoners
Most Of them were United States feions
They were all kept together with the
same fates- The United States. OF course
paid for the keep Of its prisoners. but the
man who had defaulted on the payment Of
parior suit for his little fat was locked
up in u cell and fed the same as the train
robber and counterfeitsr who happened to
be in Ludlow
There have been many comical stories
about the good times the Alinony and
Breach OF Promise Club had playing pin
ochle with the keepers at the debtors
prison, but most OF them have been ficti-
tious- Ludlow has seen some comedy
along with its serious life but there have
been far more tears than real jokes be
hind its bars. Since the Federal prisoners
were turned over TO the Department Of
Correction. which move was made last
summer. the number of inmates In Ind
low has been steadily reduced. The United
States prisoners are all row confined IN
the Tombs. and to-day. through the per
sistent efforts OF Sheriff Erianger the
number of debtors IN Ludlow has been re-
ducsd TO seven. Although he did not say
50 himself. IT is fact that not few o>
the releases have been due TO the generos-
ity OF his own pockets. He gave the few
victims a dinner upon Thanks
giving Day. at which he presided and a
good time was had with nothing. so 4, is
said, but hard cider on the side man
can pay for extra food and a clean shave
under the present law. but no liquor Is all