Lights and Shadows of New York Life: or, the Sights and Sensations of the Great CityMcCabe, James Dabney
History
Lights and Shadows of New York Life: or, the Sights and Sensations of the Great City
McCabe, James Dabney
New York (N.Y.) -- Description and travel; New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
All classes of people come to the Justice with complaints of every
description. Women come to complain of their husbands, and men of their
wives. Judge Dowling listens to them all, and if a remedy is needed,
applies the proper one without delay. In most instances he dismisses the
parties with good advice, as their cases are not provided for by the law.
The Court of Special Sessions sits in a large hall on the right of the
main entrance to the prison. It is strictly a criminal court, and is for
the trial of charges which are too serious to be disposed of in the
Police Court. Two judges are supposed to sit during the sessions of this
court, but Judge Dowling frequently conducts its business alone. The
prisoner is allowed to employ counsel and introduce witnesses in his own
behalf.
The following is an example of the way in which Judge Dowling transacts
business in this court:
"The first case of importance was that of the People vs. James Day,
_alias_ 'Big-mouthed Scotty,' and William Jones, _alias_ 'Billy Clews,'
on the complaint of Captain Ira S. Garland, of the Twelfth precinct.
Probably there are not two other men in this city who could fairly be
compared with these. They are both of the most dissolute, desperate
habits, and have been what they now are, thieves, since the date of their
entry into this city. The first, who is truthfully styled
'big-mouthed'--that hole in his face being almost large enough to run in
one of the cars on the elevated railroad in Greenwich street--was born in
the Hielands o' Bonnie Scotland; but, be it said, he appears not to have
become inoculated with the same spirit of honesty and perseverance that
characterizes the greater portion of his countrymen. He arrived here
nearly twenty years ago, and since that time he has been a lazy,
contemptible thief, a shocking contrast with Caledonians in general.
[Picture: COURT OF SPECIAL SESSIONS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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