Year: 1872

New YORK, April 1872.


While visiting q Wall Street
friend the other day, | witnessed
q revelation Of the "old, old story
that so often marks the sad histo-
ry Of that locality. A fine looking
gentleman, we'll dressed, and evi-
IDENTIFY possessed Of business tact
and energy, came hurrying into
the Office, and was accorded a pri-
vate interview. The expression
Of his face betokencd a world Of
care. 1t was the same wild, eager
look that you will see here a thou
sand times day, when mems for
tunes are trembling in the balance.
In a few moments | heard him
pleading with all the intense elo-
quencc Of earnestness for a loan
of a few thousand dollars, in order
that he might complete a railroad
contract in which he was then en-.
gagged. He had been the Superin-
uendent Of one Of the largest cor
porations in the State-weaIthy,
and the companion of capitalists
and statesmen. He reviewed his
entire career to show that it was
no fault Of his-no extravaganza,
no unbecoming habits that had
brought him to the verge of ruin,
and then bursting into sobs that
shook the strong man 10 his heart,
and sounded even through the
closed doors, he revealed the true
cause OF his necessity. He had a
wife, he said, too proud to succumb
to the situation; too worldly to
surrender her costly establish
ment, her retinue Of servants and
dashing style too hopeful to look
through his eyes upon the gaunt
reality. He further confessed, be
loved herso tenderly that he would
not ask her to share his mlsfor-
tune, and had concealed from her
the skeleton that was in his closet.
She only knew that he was pass
ing through the troubled waters
Of business as he had done before,
and had faith that he would wca.
ther the storm. But now, tho
worst had come, and staring him
in the face was utter bankruptcy.
My friend reasoned with him, but
it was Of no use. The man was
wild. lie almost went on his
knees in his supplicaticn, and
when the conversation was tenn
porarily adjourned, and he came
out of the Office, I never saw on a
human face, such picture CT hu-
man grief. l only recite the in
stance as one in thousands in
which men arc to blame for not
making confdants of their wives
whenever the happiness of the
homo circle is threateued, and in
which women also are at fault for
persisting in extravaganza and in
dulging pride even while they
read the tell-tale of misery in their
husbands eyes. The pleasantest
part of the incident is it's sequel,
for the next day the poor fellow
was made happy by the receipt of
a check for the desired amount.


Wall Street recovers from one
spasm only to enter another. The
last results from an attempt made
to ''lock up" gold, which of course
increases the value of money, and
compels the sale Of speculative
stocks in order to raise it. Some
of the banks are suspected Of be.
ing engaged in the transaction,
and lamentations are long and
loud. The making Of "corners," as
it is called, has become difficult
undertaking, however, as it re-
quires bold men and abundant cap
ital since the famous Black Friday
to stir the "bulls" and "bears".


Crime just now seems to below
ing in an unusually bloody rut. A
murdered man found in the street,
Drained and robbed; another poi
soned after making a will in favor
Of his poisoner q woman stabbed
by a strumpet; a boy cut to death
by his cousin, and both lads less
than fifteen years old a bar-room
tragedy in which young German
attendant was forced in self-de-
fence to shoot a ruffian dead; ano-
ther-a Penitentiary bird-beaten
to insensibility while attempting
with his gang to kill the proprie.
tor :; q drunken wife killed by a
drunken husband-surely all this
in three days is enough to satisfy
any appetite disposed to sup on
horrors.


The criminal population by the
way, are in exstacies over the de-
cision Of the Court of Appeals that
the Court Of Special Sessions was
illegally and unconstitutionally Or
ganized, and nine-tenths of the
Pcnitentiary convicts are seeking
release. Writs of habeas corpus
have been granted in nearly two
hundred cases, and the prisoners
brought from BlackwelPs Island
to the Toombs and other prisons.
The consequence is that there are
three and four IN a cell, hopefully
awaiting release. AS these jail