Year: 1878

by committing suicide. The audaclty winch


had helped her out of so many serious dif1i-


culties finally failed her. AS she grew Older,


perhaps something like remOrse may nave


touched her hardened nature. She must have


been haunted by many painful memories IL
! the least instinct of wOmanhOod survived ner


brutal and unnatural career. She must have


felt that, in the eye of God, she was worse than
any ordinary murderer. Nature, against


which she had waged a long and unscrupu-
| lous warfare, conquered her in time. In her


old age she saw before her the prospect OF
hard and ignOminiOus imprisonment. Ihe


change from her luxurious mansion to the


prison cell, from the ease which she had pur


chased at such cost to the cOmfortless LIE OF


the convict, might not have appalled, her had


she preserved the insolent strength OF her


earlier days. But she had discovered, perhaps


the worthlessness of all for which she had sac


rifced reputation and peace OF mind. she


had found out that money could not save her


from the loathing and horror with which she and


her calling were regarded. She had learned that


it could not protect her from the discomfort
and ignOminy of frequent arrests. che may


have been weary of Infamy; and the anxiety
of lifetime which her avarice did not per-
nit her TO guard against, by abandoning her
crimes, may have made her mad at last.


But the shock with which society will hear
of this tragedy, can scarcely be mitlgated by
any moral compacency. The magnificent
mansion which this bad woman occupied was
a witness of the shames and crimes of others,
and an evidence of the inefiiciency of those to
whom is intrusted the execution of our laws


1t is forty years since this Restell began IN
this city her long series of murders-for MUIR
ders the law considers them to be. Up to
few weeks since she was, as such things go,
uncommonly successful. Her object was money,
and she made a great deal. She was sometimes
arrested, and once, being convicted, she sur


fered a short imprisonment. which the laxlty
of Blackwelrs Island discipline made more than
tolerable. Once her house was assailed by the
virtuous mob, but the police saved her
from the threatened peril. This was
the sum total of retributive sutferings under
gone by one who, all this time, was
not only violating the laws, but actually ad-
yertsing her violations IN the public journals
In our whole police history, crowded as IL Is
with notifying incidents, there Is nothing
more mortifying than this. Her crimes were as
well known TO the police as the eommonest
misdemeanors of Baxter-st. and the piers. she
had national reputation, or rather national
infamy. 1t is difficult to believe that in scores.
of instances she might not have been de-
tected and convicted, if the least energy had
been employed in that direction. But whether
they were energetic or feeble, she was during
this long period too wary for Vie executive
ministers of the law. Her name was familiar
her business was known; her neighbOrs, all OF
the most respectable character, would have |
paid handsomely to secure her removal from |
the neighborhood; yet this woman could and |
did defy courts, judges. grand juries and the |
polce. and that too without the shadow OF |
pretence that she was n law-abiding person. |
What was the secret of this mystery Partly, |
perhaps. it may be found IN the difficulty OF
procuring sufficient evidence, since those who
would naturally have been witnesses were
themselves participants in the crime. Parity
in the disnclinatiOn of respectable citizens TO
have ANYTHING to DO with so repulsive mat
ter. Partly because the wlckedness OF this
person was not fully cOmprehended by some,
and we are ashamed to say, was fully COM
pretended by others. The wretched woman
who died under her hands could say nothing.
The survivor in this partnership of guilt had
every reason for careful silence. There was
nobody whose particular business it was
10 prosecute Ann Lohman. except the
District Attorney, who waited for complaints
which did not come, and the detective
police. who were perhaps awed by the splen-
doris of the Fifth-ave. mansion. Crimes which |
everybody suspected and more than suspected.
and with which hundreds were perfectly famll- !
lar. were thus committed with lmpunIty and
with the most disastrous moral results.


1t is well that there is a greater than any
human power. which never ceases TO vlndicate
its violated laws There is n tribunal which
can neither be bribed nor hoodwinked. The
end of sin is death. That is the moral of the
story which so many will read this morning,
and which. it is to be hoped will not be lost
upon those who sorey need TO remember it.


u,,,so C,rop,ittaa on EiucatiOr and TahOr