Evening Star Newspaper, February 9, 1884, Page 2

2 THE EVE) CITY AND DISTRICT. THE LAbOR qu Mr. Hopkins Sheuld Inquire Further. TON. tor of Tar Evrxixe Stan the Hon. Mr. Hopkins ¥ question” in Congr investigating . would it not to extend his investigations so iy what a surzeon should atating a limb, or what a drag- glass of soda water, or of wheat? These subjects ion with just as much f ; be w char gi 8 farmer for at his tiele of trast perhaps, before I J of suMcient intell- aable him to do the work, is requisite to enable him leatask. But if T desire to or steam engine built, 1 would nparatively, who were cap- the labor, sa matter led laborers higher price than those ledge and skill are requis- the scarcer tie article the THE REIGN OF OFFICIAL CORRUPTION OF YEARS SWEPT AWAY. HOW THE CITIZENS’ COMMITTEE FOUGHT ORGANIZED CRIME. AN INTERESTING REVIEW OF WHAT WAS AND | ” WHAT Is NOW. ROGU THE COMBINATION WHICH ENABLED THIEVES TO PREY UPON CITIZENS WITH IMPUNITY— RECEIVERS FED RIGHTS WERE TENDERLY RESPECTED—THE HARVEST WHICH THE MON REAPED—THE CAUSES WHICH LEAD TO THE FORMATION OF A CITIZENS’ COM- WHOSE ALL MITTEE—WHAT THEY ACCOMPLISHED IN THREE SHORT MONTHS—THE FINAL TRICMPH OVER} ROGUES. Thieves, detectives and receivers formed a may be worth twice as mneh | ther to his er, Just as one horse as much as another. A A may also agree y. if he thinks es. perhaps he paid sent, eight hours’ proper to du would be gla¢ f the opportun but to suppose, will pay the same f is absurd; | unjust, for | abors ten -or twelve hours a | to more compensation than one who works but eight hours. Again, I think, every one will admit that far kreater evils are likely to result both to individ- uals and to communities through idleness than from employment. Statistics show, beyond question, that a large per cent of the in- Mates of penitentiaries are those who were in the habit of spending most of their time in idle- ness, for it is said that the mind of an idie man is the devil's work shop, which I am in- elmed to think {3s pretty generally true. If the Hon. Mr. Hopkins and cthers who think as he does on “the labor question,” and who I think are doing a whom they profess to befriend, will review their early lessons in political economy, they will be forced to the conclusion that I have come to, after forty years of study and observation, and that is, we cannot define by law as to the Value of a bushel of wheat, the price of an sere of land, or the value of a day's labor. Legisiators seem frequently to lose sight of their legitimate duties by making an effort tu legislate for the benefit of some partic- ular portion of the community, to the great dis- advantage or injury of others. It you can say to the bors wit you shall not require more than eight hours’ services per day from the one you employ, it seems tome that you have an equal right to say to the latter that you shall not demand more than a certain sum for your services. If you can fix the time you can fix the price. J Mostcourry Co., Mp. Free Public Library for W: shington. THE NEEDS OF TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND PEO- PLE —WASHINGTON BEHIND THE TIMES IN Fa- CILITIES FOR MENTAL CULTURE—WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ELSEWHERE. To the Editor of Tue Evestye Star: been truly said that, “in proportion to ation there are more books in the city on than in any other city on the Auerican continent.” There are, at the present time, twenty libraries in this city, fifteen of which are connected with the pubiic depart- ents, and include the livrary of Congress. The five are the property of Odd Fellows and lodges, and educational institutions. of these libraries is accessib‘e to the f growing city. ailabie, under s, to the clerk: various which they are attached, but ptly 1 at4 o'clock daity, and af- | limited facilities for reading at any ur of the day. As an illustration of the attending the use of at least one of es, it may be stated that the library Department of the Intertor, in the Patent n from 9 a. m. till 4 p. m., between hours every clerk in the department is ito be at his desk, with the exception minutes at recess, from 12:30 to 1 p. m. prom but 1 In the Pension office, occupying buildings on 32th 1 15th streets, are 1,500 clerks, to whom ry is comparatively useless, from in- ability to reach it and return to their desks Within the limited time allowed for recess and Bach There are in round numbers ten thousand clerks In the varlous departments of government in Washington, which probably contains at the | — time nearly 200,000 inhabitants. It will hus be seen that a very large proportion of the Population is utterly destitute of facilities tor obtaining free acces to books and the perlod- ical literature of the day. IN NO OTHER CITY United States of equal size are the great ses of its citizens so-destitute of facilities for that mental culfure to be derived alone from books as In the capital of the nation, which Should be the great center of intellectual as well as political and fashionable life. That such an Institution as a free public li- 2d reading m does not exist in this either creditable to the nation nor to wealthier portion of itsinhabitants, by whose ality it ought to have been founded and put ful operation 0. ew England the most institution is a free room, which, in many n to the liberality of one re of its opulent citizens. In the state of chusetts there are twenty-five patronymic | Hbraries that owe their existence to the bene- factions of those w py bear. These public benefact to Massachu- but are found on the borders of the Pa- astern and middle states. varies of New England is ington, Mass.. at an a name. three s later received acharter from the state. r. Bryant afterwards facilitated access to this library, which occupied an elevated site, by opening a new carriage road, for the benefit of himself and his ne izhbors, at an additional expense of 88,500, thus literally smoothing the highway to knowledge. FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND READING ROOM. ‘My present Ifmits will not permit me to give & list of the noble men of this country who have earned a claim to the lasting gratitude of their fellow citizens by their liberal contributions to- wards the establishment and support of public Kbraries, bat this I hope todo hereafter The ebject of this communication ts to inform the Rumerous readers of Tae Eves movenient Is now on foot toward the establish- ment of a free public library and reading room in this e'ty, to which all its citizens from the age of fourteen years and upward shall have free ac- cess trom 9 o'clock in the morulny until 10 clock at nizht. Some of the most in- tellizent and opulent citizens of the city, includ- ing many who occupy high official positions, have become deeply interested In this enterprise, to which they have guaranteed their hearty support. A portion of the money required to establish this much-needed Mbrary has been al- ready pledged. and there is reason to believe that if the citizens at large will unite and sub- scribe the sum of €10,000, in addition to an equal amount to be raised by individual subscrip- tions in sums of at least $1,000 each, a library juay be established and put into successful ope- Tation before the close of the nt year. Twenty thousand dollars will be sufficient for the establishment of the 11! and reading room. which can hardly fail to be enriched by Se money Green Sotpoer lps advan- lages to the citizens of this city, especiall; to the young and rising generation, become rnd Parent to all who are interested In its success, It is not intended to erect a building for the re brary, at least, for the present, but rooms, in some ‘central location, which Bhall be not only convenient but easy of access. To facilitate the work of obtaining subseri ions, a book has been oF by Mr. James J. Chapman, bookseller, 915 Pennsylvania avenue, where all persons who may wish to aid in estab- lishing the library may leave their names. From conditional which have been made by several wealthy gentlemen, weil known to the public, the subscriber feels safe in raying that @ free library and reading room will be opened in this city when the sum of #10,000 shall have been subscribed for that purpose by its citizens. Feb. 7, 1854. ©. H. Braixarp. —<—<$—_ +e At Halifax, N. S., a writ has been issued to @ollect $200 from the Rev. W. G. Lane, a Metho- Gist tinister, for marrying a soldier without Slicense, The minister at first objected to per- forming the ceremony, but finaliy consented on a that the license should be procured the It was not procured, and the younz F living w lays, de- bat refused to have a thher. The girl is res | With a high hand in this District and exacted seat injury to those | bes Star that a> combination that a little over a year ago ruled tribute not only from the citizens bnt the visi- | tors and strangers that came to the capital city. The extent and‘power of this combina- tion, the unblushing effrontery with which their operations were carried on and the audacity with which they executed their plaus has hardly a parallel in the history of any mod- ern municipal government. Even the forms of law, which had been devised for the -protection of citizens and the security of property were prostituted in the interests of this or- ganized gang, and actually became one of the sources of their strength. Bank robbers and burglars in search of profi- | table Jobs, who came here and refused to | acknowledge the right of this combination to exact a percentage of their ill-gotten gains, were arrested and the machinery of justice was set in operation to place them behind prison bars. If through willtul carelessness or undue reckless- ness a recognized thief was arrested, then the same machinery of justice was perverted to secure his prompt release. False swearing, straw bail. the spiriting away of witnesses, the intimidation of honest officials, were some of the expedients in successful operation. The police force seemed to be paralyzed and com- pletely under the control of this ang.* Honest citizens were robbed, their residences were plundered, and when they called n the men who were paid out of the public tz.» xry to per- form such services, to assist in recvering their property and apprehending the thieves, by a strange irony of fate these were the very men whose agents and accomplices had committed | the robbery; yet they remalned unmolested in thelr offices of public trust, and continued to prey upon the community. They grew more powerful every day. Government officials, members of Congress, private citizens, the members of the police force, recognized their power. ‘They dic- tated appointments under the general govern- ment, they terrorized private citizens by a sys- tem of personal espionage, and they defended with insulting speech their gross negligence in bringing offenders to justice. THIEVES FLOURISHED. Under the genial rule of this combination thieves flourished and grew in numbers, and those that had hard luck in other places, or had recently come out of the penitentiary and were | in need of money, were cordially invited by the paid guardians of our city to come here and re- | store their fallen fortunes. By the aid of this imported talent the following extensive burgla- ries were perpetrated: A large sum of money from the Government Printing office, silks from Burdette’s store, contents of safe in Stott’s drug store, money from the office of Fitch, Fox & Brown, bonds trom the Metropolitan bank | aad valuables from Gen. Ketchum’s residence. These were known in thief parlance as “big Jobs,” and occurred within about the space of three years. The men that committed these crimes subsequently confessed that certain de- tectives received a percentage of the plunder. | AN ASTOUNDING AGGREGATE. | Ofthe almost innumerable cases of sneak | thieving, burglarles and highway robberies a | volume would hardly suffice for their record. | The experience of nearly every citizen can sup- | ply @ portion of this record. It is estimated by | acompetent authority that the value of the| property stolen and the damage done by thieves | during the three years prior to the organization of the Citizens’ committee, which was Decem- | ber 6th, 1882, was between one hundred and | fifty and two hundred thousand dollars a year. | Then there Were the thieves, a motley crew of white and black sneak thieves, petty burglars, who were all personally known to the detec- tives. The receivers of stolen goods formed jan ig be element in this gang of criminals. | They kept what was known as fences,” and in connection some carried on a pawn business, others @ policy business and others again ran a bar. GUARDING THE INTERESTS OF RECEIVERS. One of the circumstances which shows not | only the power exercised by this gang, but their | corrupting, perverting Influence upon the mor- | als ot the public service, was the !mmunit: which these receivers enjoyed. The strange | doctrine was entertained by men who were in| other respects honest officials and good citizens | | that a stolen article could not be recovered from | @ pawn shop unless the proprietor was relm- | bursed for the amount that he had advanced to | the thief upon it. Articles were actually taken to citizens from whom they had been stolen, ‘and these citizens were compelled to pay what | the pawndealer had advanced before their prop- erty was restored to them. This was not done by a go-between, but by members of the | detective force who were not in the combina- | { tion and honestly thought that they were per- | forming their duty. Ifthe citizens refused to | pay over the money, the stolen property was | taken back to the dealer. This remarkable | moral perversion was due to the influence of | the accomplished sophists belonging to this | plundering ring. As an instance, one of the honest detectives gave in vindication of himself the following account in a newspaper inter- view, shortly after the detective scandal began to be agitated, ofhow he recovered a stolen watch. He went into a pawn-shop and found the | watch, which he fully tdentified as the one de- scribed to him by the owner. “T took the watch to Mr. ——, and he {denti- fied it, and I explained the circumstances. said that he could either proceed by law to se- cure the watch or he could get it by paying the | | amount advanced by the pawnbroker—#45. Hi | sald that he would rather do the latter; that he was overjoyed at recovering the watch. and that he would have paid $200 rather than lose jit. He gave me the money, and I paid Mr. —— (naming the pawnbroker) every cent of it, and received a receipt, which I have in my posses- sion.”> The police had the same tender regard for the pawnbroker, and naturally under such a foster- ing system the “fences” flourished. The regu- lar pi was for a thief to steal articles from a house, take them at once to a receiver, who would hold them until he could see a de- tective. The owner would summon a detective to his house, and that astute official would pry around a little, and then with a mysterious air would whisper the fatal words: ‘Professionals, but don’t let the newspapers know it;” into the ear of the confiding citizen, and then hurry off, after mising to see what could be done. The detective would then interview the “tence,” and after appraising the value of the goods, he would inform the anxious owner that they had ‘been taken to Baltimore and that he id re- cover them for so much money. The money would be paid and then divided between the detective, the “fence” and the thiet. This, in brief, was the system under which the public was plundered for years. The police did not dare to arrest thieves, even when they knew them, because the detectives had caused such zeal to be promptly checked. They ai- | o | of the plunder. | gentlemen decided to investigate their truth, | their character and reputations, and to the | Were inolined, at first, to regard coldly the pur- fused his money was extorted from him by threats or actual violence, and he was left to find his way back to the city. cases be- came so numerous that public attention was excited, and the officials at the head of the various departments adopted stringent prohibiting guides from entering the buildings. The same course was penned by the Capitol authorities; but still the plundering went on. When an indignant voice asked where were the detectives, certain of those virtuous officials ex- plained that the men went over on Virginia soil and robbed their victims there, and that they had been unable to get the Virginia authorities to co-operate with them In their efforts to arrest these monte men, Yet all this time these very monte men were paying these detectives 10 per cent of what they extorted from their victims, and if there was any ‘kick,” the percentage ranged from 20 to 50 per cent. On one occasion when a victim “kicked.” one of the monte men confessed that he sent if ifeto one of the detectives with all the he had left—340. His wife asked the ctive: Now, must they stop this?” 0, tell them to go on; we want money,” was the reply. ONE OF THE GANG GIVES IT AWAY. It was mentioned above that the big robberies which have occurred here in recent years were acknowledged by the ‘‘professionals” to have been done with the co-operation of official de- tectives of crime: who received a percentage A private detective, who was on intimate terms with two of the detectives, but had fallen out with them, in a statement which he sent to police headquarters, long be- fore an Investigation wag thought of, gives the following interesting account. He says that on acertain day he saw four professional thieves standing on a street corner. He went up to them and told them that they could not rob any- body In this clty. “They asked me what was the matter? I told them that there was nothing the matter with me, but that they could not do any steal- Ing. They said that they had seen Mr.— (giving the name of a detective) and had paid hima percentage, and they were gving to stay here and steal.” THE CITIZENS ORGANIZE. Such was the condition ot affairs Ip the Capi- tol city of this country, when, on the 6th day of December, 1882, a number of prominent business men and citizens of this District met at the Metropolitan bank and organized a citizens committee. The following were present: J. W. Thompson, M. G. Emery, A. L. Barber, R. C. Fox, J. E. Fitch, C. 8. Noyes, Thos. Somerville, T. A. Rover, John H. Magruder, S. H. Kauff- mann, W. W. Burdette, Thos. Dowling, Henry D. Cooke, C. C. Glover, A. E. Bateman, W. A. Cook, William Shuster, J. W. Boteler, B. H. Warner, William Thompson, Charles Stott, William P. Wood and Dr. Baxter. Most of these gentlemen had been victims of the burglaries which had been p trated with such alarming frequency during the last three preceding years. They organized for self pro- tection, as the men who were paid out of the public Treasury to perform this duty had utterly failed. The immediate cause of the meetin; was the statements of John H. Murphy ant Charles O'Leary, convicts, then in Jail for frauds committed by ‘means of the three card monte game, and their allegations were regarded as of 80 much importance and confirmatory of the ex- perience of the citizens that listened to them that it was believed the interests of individuals and the community demanded a full and impar- tial investigation. As the men who were en- trusted with the protection of citizens were im- plicated it became necessary for the citizens to organize and forthe plandered to take: a de- cided stand against the plunderers, JOHN W. THOMPSON CHOSEN CHAIRMAN. The committee organized with Mr. John W. Thompson as chairman. After listening to what these men were willing to testify to, Col. Wm. P. Wood made a statement, in which he ex- pressed confidence that these men could be cor- roborated and many additional facts could be obtained. Upon hearing these statements the and atter discussion the entire matter was | entrusted to asub-committee composed of the | following gentlemen: John W. Thompson, J. W. | Boteler, R. C. Fox, W. W. Burdette, John H. | Magruder, T. A. Rover and W. A. Cook. The latter, however, soon withdrew as_a member of | the committee. The importance of this meeting can now be fully appreciated, in the light of what has since been accomplished. THE POLICY OF INTIMIDATION. ‘The prospect at that time was not an inviting one. The committee were in possession of but few facts, They had no power to summon wit- nesses, and from the very nature of their duties they could expect no aid from the authorities en- trusted with the detection’ of crime. On the contrary the publication of the fact of the or- ganization of the committee, aud its objects at once exposed the members to threats of injury to thelr persons, to outrageous assaults upon espionage of a trained band of detectives and thieves. The entire combination directed all their power to thwart and intimidate the mem- bersofthe committee. They openly Jeeredat their efforts, and resorted to every means to make these public spirited men apprehenstve not only of their personal safety, but of thelr property. The citizens at large, ignorant of the extent and power of this combination of wicked men, pores of the committee. The first few weeks were the dark days in the history of the work of the committee, and they sometimes thought that they stood alone. But the light began to dawn, at first in a faint glimmer, then stronger, nd finally such a flood of light that the evil- doers, who had so long held triumphant rule in this city, began to run for cover and to plead for mercy. One week after the committee organ- ized the sub committee went to the Jail and heard the statements of O'Leary and Murphy. The publication of the tacts gained in this interview showed an astounding state of af- fairs. Additional facts came pouring in from citizens who had been plundered, and in two weeks the committee was able to embody a portion of these facts in a statement which they called **Memorandum No. 1,” and which they sent to the District Commissioners. An inves- tigation was at once begun by the Commission- ers, represented by Gen. West, into these, charges affecting the detectives, and in a few days several members of the detective force were suspended. By the efforts of the committee a bill was introduced in Congress abolishing the entire force, and this was followed by a reor- ganization of the police. EVIDENCE POURING IN. In the meanwhile the citizens’ committee con- tinued their work with unabated energy. The statement of a lady who had been robbed by this gang graphically described her experience with certain detectives, and tended to show their col- lusion with thieves and “fences.” Then came the sworn statement of Parker, Berry and Mc- vill, three sneak thieves, one of whom described thirty robberies that he had been per petrated, twelve of which were committed in about a month’s time. These confessions gave the details not only of the robberies, but the disposition of the goods, and the plundered citi- zens were informed how their property was stolen from their residences, then carried to a “fence,” within a block of Pennsylvania avenue, and held there while detectives bargained with the owners for the ransom and divided the money thus received with the -fence and the thieves. Information was at the same time secured of those who committed the large robberies, of which mention has been made, and the expose was complete and startling. . THREE MONTHS’ WORK. These facts were brought to the attention of the grand Jury, and on February 26th and following days, 34 Indictments were brought in {the windows of the houses which gave them LETTER FROM NEW YORK. The Belle of New‘York—Mies Marion Langdon—’ Bo: Riot—Actors’ Cos- tumes—Gebhard gud his Horses—Mc- Glory’s Glezy—Pyincess’ Lillian and Ida — Walkisg Matches—Lester Wale Special Correspondetice of Tue EvExrxo Sram, ; Nfw York, February 8 For the first tle in many years a girl has become famous Nere asthe belle of New York. New York hasalways begin noted for well-dressed and fashionable. women, but never for great | beauties. There dre a great many more beautl- | ful girls in Brogkiyny than here, and Balti- more and Louisville women have had their Deauty extolled'n eygry clty of the country. There have been’ mans’ charming girls in New York society of Hoent {pars and a number who have been considered beauties in their particu- lar sets, but until recently no one has been the acknowledged queen of unmarried women through the length and breadth of New York soclety. Miss Marion Langdon is now known as the most beautiful girl in New York. She is tall, her figure is exquisitely moulded and her eyes are superb. She 1s quite dark and ex- tremely gracetul. Whenever Miss Langdon consents to dance with the leader of a german the struggle for Inyitations is breathless and prolonged. Miss Langdon has been engaged several times, but in eyery instance the engage- ment has been broken off quietly and not | more heard of tt. Last summer her engagement to Perry Belmont was officially announced and | the marriage was to have taken place this orsing: at Newport, but for some reason which | has never come out the affair was broken off. Everybody says that Mr. Belmont | didn’t do it, and that the rupture was entirely due to Mies Langdon’s caprice. She certainly dismissed a most desirable suitor, for Mr. Bel- mont is one of the most eligible bachelors in America. It is said that a young Englishman, who will have a title when his father dies, and who spent last summer in Newport, aid much | toward encouraging Miss Langdon to change | her mind about her marriage with Mr. Belmont. A Bors’ RIOT. Last Sunday I had occasion to go down tow! about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. As I ap- Proached Chambers street and Broadway I saw @ crowd of several hundred men on the corner. A few minutes later a squad of six policemen, two abreast, came ranning down Broadway from the Leonard street station. I looked down Chambers street and saw the cause of the excitement. The fourth ward boys were driv- ing the first ward boys toward the river. There | were over a hundred ragged and disreputable little urchins engaged inafurlous fight. The opposing sides were matched in numbers, but the fourth ward contingent was a little larger and older and much more brutal in its tactics. The boys tought Ike cats. Some of them were armed with clubs, and others had bags filled with stones. Some had bruised and blackened eyes. The first ward boys were thoroughly routed and were retreating rapidly when the police arrived. As the police came from Broad- way they naturally caught the fourth ward boys first and they charged in among themand began playing about vigorously with their rattan canes. This wasa signal fora rally from the opposing forces, and, without a moments hesita- tion, the first ward boys made a rush for their opponents and sent a shower of stones into the crowd. The policemen presented a larger areathan the boys. ‘They stopped most of the stones. Then they rusted furiously to the first warders’ who were scamper- ing down the streets, the cavalcade being pursued by the enemy from the fourth ward. After an Immense amount of activity, a great deal of hard work and no end of protanity, the police succeeded in driving the boys away. Meanwhile there were broken windows, broken | lamps and ash barrels ‘wherever the fight had waged. Ifa more disreputable, abandoned and fearless crowd of youngsters can be gathered than those which distinguished the first and fourth wards of this city I'should like to know where they can be found. The boys apparently have no fear of anything on earth. They openty gibe the police and consider tt an honor when they are arrested. The bey who serves his term in prison goes back to his den inthe fourth ward ahero. The urchins sell papers in the after- | noons, attend thé variety dives in the evening | and sleep in grocery cartsor area ways at night. | All eiforts at reformatiog were long since given | up. Some time ago a number of philanthropists built newsboys lodging houses and homes in various parts of the elty. The boys took advan- tage of everything. They picked the pockets of thelr benefactors, stole the knifes and torks and spoons, fought each other savagely and broke shelter. The Society tor the Reformation of. Juyenile Delinquents worked hard but without success. The Arabs are now allowed to run at will. They have been growing steadily worse, until their Sunday fehts require the services of @ special corps of police offic srs. ACTORS’ COSTUMES. The carelessness of American actors, in the matter of dress, is attracting a good deal of at- tention. Such a man as George Clarke, of the Madison Square theater, for instance, should devote the utmost care to his appearance on the stage. In “Alpine Roses,” which has just been produced, Mr. Clarke wears an Alpine costume which looks more like the shooting suit of an Irish gamekeeper than that of an Alpine huntsman. In soclety plays Mr. Clarke is equally at fault. He has a fondness for sack coats, and, as he has a stocky and squarely built figure, he looks very much like a youn: Kk in @ cheap dry goods shop. When Clarke is at- tempting to play romantic and pvetical roles, his appearance {is singularly against him. He is never careful about the nice details ot dress. Fred, Bryton, another leading man at the Madi- son Square theater, had the same fondness for a sack coat as Clarke. He played a leading role in “Jn the Ranks,” at the Standard awhile ago, and his attire throughout was that of a common place business man. He stood in the middle of the stage and appealed on high with great elo- quence with a Derby hat cast over his right eye and his stumpy figure clad in a pepper and salt business suit. McKee Rankin, who has an im- mense physique, and who is almost half as broad as he is wide, displays@e same fanatical admiration fora sack. While overdreasing, as | practiced by John Drew, of Daly's, and Osmond Tearle at Wallack’s, is a serious fault, it is by no means so glaring as a carelessness displayed by our native actors in the matter of attire. Notn- ing is more convenient and comfortable than a sack, but it certainly adds small dignity to a man, and takes away half the force of an actor who strives to be romantic on the stage. GEBHARD AND HIS HORSES. Freddie Gebhard (now a thing of the past) will next year go extensively into horse racing. Eolist, brother of Mr. Gebhard’s great racer Eole, has been added to his stable, The young- ster cost Mr. Gebhard $12,000, but it is said that he has already refused, $16,000 for a purchase. He has settled down, Is living quietly, and goes much with horsemen. It ts sald that next year Mr. #ebhard will establish a stable on Long | Island, near Hampstead. One of his cronies, who is generally known as ‘Young Jack Cheever,” has a racing stud there now, and the two young millionaires will in all probability combine their establishments. It will be quite ‘the most aristocratic fad of the coming season. Mr. Gebhard has settled. down to a more even pace. He lives with his sister, Mrs. Frederic Neilson, on 5t! enue, just above 17th street. He is seldom seen at the club, spends much of his time at the stables, and rarely attends the theater. When he does he retires into the mag- nificent seclusion of a private box, and hurries away before the play is over, so.as not to be stared at by the audience. His whole desire nowadays seems to be to avoid notoriety. He has not been seen with Mrs. since her principally against the detectives and the receiv- ers of stolen goods. Three months after the committee held their first meeting, the chair- man was able to report that the combination of thieves, detectives, and receivers had been broken up. Not only had the detectives been deposed from office and indi but the thieves had been frighten away from the city, and the remdents en- Joyed an immunity from robbery which was almost complete. The confidence men also lowed no interterence in what they were pleased to their domain. ‘THE THREE CARD MONTE MEN. The sneak thieves were, however, only one class of criminals with which certain officials were connected. These detectives reaped a rich harvest by their connection with the three card monte men. The operations of these men were conducted on a scale of never before or since obtained by the same kind of confidence men in the world. One of these men recently testified on oath that they had fleeced victims here to the extent of $250,000 in one year. The daily papers were filled with the com of the victims. Honest grangers and vis- itors of all grades were the prey of these sharp- ers. The stranger, in his tour of sight-seeing, was accosted by a plausible, well man, and asked ff he would not like to see the statue erected to Gen. Lee. Of course the stranger wanted to see everything, and then this new- found acquaintance offered to act as his 5 The victim was taken to the river and rowed over to the Virginia shore, where confederates of the guide were stationed. He was invelgled into playing the three card game, or if he re- tnd the deepollng of vitars sased" thoect an effect of the work of the citizens’ committee isstill seen in the policeadministration of this city, and now if property is stolen the owner can recover it without & ransom. The nest of “fences” which lined the streets in many local- ities have been closed and the proj Tsost notorious one is now a fugitive from jus- speak of the blic sp! hich ywned tice. It is hardly necessary to rit courage "wi cro} been eee the Cp Oren with lumphant sucvess. The publio appreciate the stateot affairs which existed previous to the [ipod the committee, and they followed with eager interest each has led to the final emancipation of this city organized crime. The of the committee not only gave his time, but he was called uy; to dis- and ination that ®& courage a ie faltered. With the hearty thanks of the he also = committee for his services gratitude of his fellow citizens. labors the committee have not yet eaded. Not content with merely exposing official miscondnct they ropose also to secure, if the ‘igh- meet of the offenders, ‘nd’ In. tia determina tion they have the support of all good citizens. reappearance In this city. M'GLORY's “GLORY.” It is not generally knewn, and I think it has never appeared in print,'that Billy McGlory, the famous dance-house proprietor, is a brother to Johnny Thompeon, the who made such a reputation a couple of years ago in border dramas such as ‘On Hand” and “Marked for Life.” MoGlory has kept his real name in the dark while managing ter street. By he ie pal work which Phat he to have anybody robbed in his ert as he was wma t acquainted with all the crooks, he little dimoulty in tracing all of the prop- erty thaf went wrong. ‘MISS RUSSELL AXD “THE PRINCESS.” It is now asserted that the failure of “Princess the result of one of Miss Russell’s usual out- breaks. She is professionally known as a “kicker.” Her life on the stage has been @ sue- | to produce the “Princess Ida” at the Fifth | ey i cession of broken qi ls, bicker- mip srereete et oo, Sate 18 Of afew 3 Zonday geencey ek ceetare oe of ar everybody on the stage, and ‘Sually refused to attend the re- hearsale. She was promptly disch: and another actress put in her place. The opera Was a failure, and Miss Russell's friends claim it was due to her absence from the cast. So thoroughly do many. american managers believe this that the beautiful singer has had many offersto come back to America. The latest was a cable dispatch from Manager Stetson, who is Avenue theater on Monday. But even if Miss Russell accepts Stetson’s offer it is doubtfal if she can act in New York. She has broken con- tracts with Manager Rice, Manager McCaul, Messrs. Brooks and Dickson and Manager Hen- derson. They will all enforce what they believe | to be their rights, and the result will be a tedi- | ‘ous series of law suits before the matter can be decided. Miss Russell is thoroughly disgraced in London. No manager wiil accept her ser- | vices, and she is prevented from making her | living on this side ofthe water. She has sent | twice to America for money. Prima donnas | must quarrel. It seems to be part of their very | natures. Here is the spectacle of a woman who is unquestionably the most talented and beauti- comic opera singer in the world, who is H actually in financial want because of her violent | temper and troublesome disposition. WALKING MATCHES. Two sporting men, Tom Davis and Pete Dur- yea, are endeayoring to work up the excitement for a walking match to take place shortly at the Madison Square Garden. It is to be another of those dreary and Inhuman elx days’ contest of | test against the enormity which late hours | endurance. I don’t believe it will be a success, The people tired of such exhibitions long ago, | and the interest in them has quite disappeared. It 1 said of course that the highest record will be beaten. This record, by the way, is 600 miles, 320 yards, and it was made by George | Hazel nearly two years ago. The alee have been in a bad ae since the craze for six-day matches abated. Some of them have been wan- | dering about the country, giving exhibitions at fairs and in cheap halls, and others have en- | deavored to get up matches In western cities. | The majority of them have, however, led any- thing but luxurious lives. The three or four | who opened beer saloons on the prestige that heir efforts won for them. have made a reason- | ble amount of money. All of the old walkers | are to take a turn In the new match. Hughes, the lepper, is the favorite at this time. z LESTER WALLACK. Mr. Wallack’s days of usefulness are well nigh over. It is questionable if the genial and agree- able old actor will ever again appear on the stage for more than one performance. He is very touchy about his malady, and claims that itis gout, bat in reality his ailment is partial paralysis, which has thus far stubbornly resisted the best efforts ot New York physicians. He has been in Florida a long while now, and is dually losing interest in theatrical affairs. t 1s said that the climate in Florida is not doing hiri as much good as hehad hoped It would, and Mr. Wallack dreads old He has always been a young man, and he lived like one until he had passed his 60th year, when nature sud- denly asserted her sway and brought him up to @ short turn, When he left New York he showed the effects of his early life very plainly. His ele- gant figure was abit bent, and ashe hobbled along, attired faultlessly and glancing with a bored expression through his single glass, he was the very picture of a broken-down English nobleman who had spent his life a little too joy- fully and was paying penance in his old age. The Coal Tar Nuisance. HOW IT POISONS FISH—WHY IS NOT THE LAW ENFORCED? To the Editor of Tux Evenrye Sar: Several days ago I read an article in your paper which stated that the House committee on the District was about to report a bill for the preservation of fish in the Potomac river by stopping all kind of seining. It is a very good thing; and there should be inserted a clause to prevent the gas company from emptying coal tar into theriver. This coal tar ts more detri- mental to the fish than allthe seines that are used in the District. {t can be seen floating on water at ail times, but the greatest quantity ks to the bottom, and during a freshet ity spreads for miles, aud sh are sickened and kept back by this impure water. A good thickness | of ice formed on the river in front of the city | this winter and hundreds of men would have | been employed getting it ont, but this tar| made it unfit for any use. Every thing handled from the water is covered with tar. Surely the gas company could get rid of it in some way without running it into the river. It could be sold to companies manufacturing pitch, or it could .he..censumed as fuel, but I suppose the | gas company Ond it cheaper to run it into the river than to build tanks to hold it. The atten- tion of the District authorities was called to this matter several years ago, but it seems they have taken no steps to prevent this nuisance, I understand that there is a law to prevent such nuisances, and It should be enforced, and we would have pure water In front of the city, besides a protection for the fish. Tos. Lucas. ——>__ PROMISES OF MARRIAGE, Eccentricities of the English Brench of Promise Law. From the Saturday Review. The other day a woman recovered damages which, in the opinion of the Judge and most other people, were much too heavy for breach of promise. There were abundant material for gossiping comment of the scandalous sort. But the case was generally treated from an alto- gether different point of view. It was not in Itself specially calculated to throw light on the wisdom of the law under which it was tried. The real question was whether the promise was unconditional; and the jury found that it was, as another jury might haye found that it was not. The ethical point suggested was not so auch whether a woman ought to be compen- ited for being deceived as whether she is bound to disclose all her past history when she accepts an offer of marriage. ©This might ot itself afford matter for a separate treatise. But itis not the basis on which this rather vulgar and repulsive story was discussed. Another cage has followed close upon Miller vs. Joy, in which the parties were even less deserving of sympathy. Of Mr. Cutler and Miss Nellie vack- son the judge tersely remarked that they were “both as bad as they could be.” Yet Miss Jack- son was gratified with £150, in her character of female of this exemplary pair. Nothing could show more strongly than the facts which we have Indicated the great and rowing interest felt by the public in the law about breach of promise. It is, of course, an obvious fallacy to conclude that the actions brought are the only cases in which the law operates. No judicial system that has ever been devised would be equal to the task of adminis- tering the law if every dispute came Into court. It may not be agreeable to reflect that some men marry and other men payin order to escape the expenseand exposure of an action tor breach of Peale But that it is so there can be no doubt whatever. Protection of a very real and important kind is then undoubtedly given by the law. The questions are whether it ought to be given at all, and whether it is given to the zat Persons. Some curious dacisions have, no doul Tesnited from the present law. Thus {t was held by the majority of the exchequer chamber that the continuance of health is not an implied con- dition of the contract, and that even ita man, from bodily disease, cannot marry without dan- ger to bis life, he is not to be excused. This remarkable raling was based on the twogrounds that {t fs only imprudent, not impossible, to risk one’s life, and that man, “‘tho may be in a bad state of health, may, form his the woman, an A case was tried not long ago in which the evidence for the ig of EE Fe EE é $ 5 G E i E Tv z if ce a EF Hi g fs 3 5 g Fi i FE i 3a H B : s| : oF sige fete ait i 5 i i j gs e & 53 H i 3 g 5, i i ‘The Senson of Salis-—Some Striking NG STAR: WASHINGTON, D. C.. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1884/-DOUBLE SHEET. FEBRUARY FASHIONS. ‘Tollets—The Promise of the Spring— Mourning. From Our Own Correspondent. New York. Feb. & The season has not been an unusually gay one by any means. On the contrary, the long con- tinued depression has bad a most disastrous effect in reducing the amount of social gayety. Still there are always enough people who have money to keep the ball rolling, and whose atmosphere is unaffected by local or temporary causes. The “gay” people are largely the rich from other cities, who live in hotels and board- ing houses, who come for the winter months to have a “good time” and to spend money lav- ishly in dress, balls, theaters, suppers, and the like. It is these who give most of the theater parties in return for the hospitality in the shape of dinners and receptions which they receive; and it is the floating population which largely fills the theaters and opera houses. Private balls have not been numerous. They have al- most been relinquished in favor of subscription bails at Delmonico’s—which cost little, and at which it {s now quite the thing to bring young daughters for their first introduction to society. The dancing at private houses seems to be grad- ually restricting itself to “germans,” which em- ploy a comparatively small number ot the guests, while the rest are interested 6) ators, and for | Which the usual long, narrow, drawing room can | be utilized to advantage. These are practically “Cinderella” dances—a fashlonable London pro- have become in the British metroplis. A ger- man, that is an ordinary one, !s a small and early affair, beginning at nine or ten o'clock and closing at one or two, and requiring only light retreshments, not an extravagant supper. FEATURES OF THE SEASON. The conspicuous features, so far as dress is concerned, have been the revival of the low | bodice, and the extent to which the use of athers and fur has been carried. In regard to the first, evidently, as was remarked recently, the ladies of what are called our “best” society do not give the gentlemen of their acquaintauce any credit for Imagination, and are determined they shall not be ignorant of anatomy. The second has tully justified the assertion made in the beginning of the season: that furs would be dominant and feathers take the place of flowers a8 ornaments. The novel ball dress is still the one described two months ago, with the raised flowers, or shaded and graded balls in chenille, plush or velvet, upon the front; the plai train, the low inted bodice outlined with Oriental lace, and the groups of feathers upon the left shoulder and skirt in place of flowers; and the feathers have these great advantages: that they are softer and do not crush. Fur has been employed in bands of extraordinary depth, both upon cloaks and dresses, the restoration of the coat and pelisse forms being favorable to this mode of trimming. A striking and pic- turesque application of dark fur consists in using it as a trimming for cashmere or India wool for indoor dresses. Laidin a diagonal Une from the shoulder to the foot of the tunic, or down each side of the front andaround the bottom, the effect 1s warm, softening to the complexion, and highly distinctive. It has always been com- mon enough ip Russia, but here thecombination has all the freshness of novelty. while fur or Swan's down have been almost the only fur used for dress trimming. SOME RECENT COSTUMES. It is not necessary to study temperature in winter for indoor dresses in great cities, for such slight changes as occur are easily provided for by a soft wrap or knitted shoulder shawl. Ladies, therefore, can follow inclination and temperament in regard to the warmth of their clothing, or adapt it to special circumstances. In making a round of morning calls it is not un- usual to find one lady wearing @ wrapper of India muslin over primsose sli, the garniture only wide meshy lace and floating ribbons. Another will appear ina warm soft robe of crim- son wool, with broad chincllja bands folded around her throat and stretching down to her feet. A pretty dress worn by a lady recently, while receiving afternoon calis, was of grey blue (smoke gray) velvet aspen with wrought silver over a full skirt front of ruby satin. The outstanding collar was lined witu'ruby satin and old lace, the lace extending In jabots down the sides of the front and outlining the skirt and its extension, The pleated back was lined with ruby satin, and turned over from ths basque. Among the beautiful dresses worn at a recent dinner one was of fine Venitian lace, made since the recent revival of the manufacture, and drawn full over rich white silk. Tunic and sleeves were edged with lace, andthe ribbons used were exquisitely painted with lilies of the valley, the flowers being repeated in the lovely corsage and hand bouquets. The ornaments were single strings of pure diamonds round the throat and round the wrists. Another notable dress worn on the same occasion was a black velvet prin- cesse dress cut diagonally across the front, which was draped low and outlined with amber beads, three rows of which, cere with clasps, were festooned from the shoulder and carried across the breast, as an order. A third dress Was ot mouse-colored velvet, and with this were worn very striking ornaments made of polished claws and silver mounted. Mrs. Langtry’s dresses in “Peril” are vi handsome, except the evening dress, which vulgarly low and striking. The first is a bronze satin, with shirred front of India musiin over pink satin. A wide acarf of Oriental lace {s ar- Tayed as a collarette, fastened with pink satin ribbons, and drawn off as drapery upon the skirt, and the’ends arranged at the back with wide sash ends of ribbon. A short morning dress formed a jacket, with vest front overskirt made of narrow lace plaitings; and a third indoor dress is of gray velvet with narrow trimmed panels, between which and filling in the front are puffs and plaltings of a soft cream-tinted transparent fabric, probably nun’s velling. Down the sides of the front are maccaroons of gold and silk cord, and these also form ornaments at the back. The evening dress before mentioned is white satin duchesse, the front enriched with fruits in deep shades of red. Above the dow pointed bodice is a partial veil of white lace, and on the left shoulder a group of blue ostrich feathers. A bride receiving lately wore her wedding dress of white satin, with the orange blossoms | removed and small groups of white ostrich feathers tied in their place with narrow ivory satin ribbons. The blossoms had been placed at short intervals around the train on the folds of @ thick ruche, above which was a line of lovely embroidery in silk and silver. The front Was ornamented entirely in this costly fashion, the ruching and tied-in-feathers being repeated to form the high jacket tront. A dress in preparation for the mother of a bride is of black velvet, forming a raised scroll ern almost an Inch indepth upon thecopper founda- tion, The long narrow-plaited train {s of the vel- vet. The panels are of futed satin outlined with cascades of gold embroidered lace, which sepa- rate them from the satin front, which is en- tirely covered with lace embroidered in a mag- nificent pattern. The velvet in this case forms the high basque bodice and long narrow prin- cesse train. The sides form small paniers, edged with the lace en cascade, and the sleeves are to the elbow, with long gloves and lace above, Medici collar of velvet and satin lined with lace. The costumes for the Countess in Alpine Roses,” about to be produced at the Madison Square theater, have just been received from Paris by Madame Von Btanwitz, who as- sumes this n role, and one at loons foreshadows a style coming 8} wi Tepresent the latest French mi Sarg firet is a carriage an Fy a £ 5 bat} fy i | piegas te ridsdlitets FP Fe BE Hk i i te hand [ Hi visit as more remote Without nding ‘event an appromimate the your search, and finally you ere rex bd of obliged to give up the acquisition entirely or take something quite opposite to your original intention. Extraordinary, you think and say, that in all New York not enough of that fine gold shrimp pink, bronze, smoke gray or prane, can be found to make a dress. There are plenty of staring a . blues, and mon- grel greens, plenty dingy browns, and staring purples, plenty of flowered fabrics in Uundesirabie shades and mixtures selling at half price. You go home with the impression that taste ts changing; that the colors that do not sell and that the stores are full of those that are fashionably worn, and you try to reconcile yourself to what seems to be the inevitable order of things. But in reality the fashionable shades were all | bought up long ago, and the unsold remainder | Tepresents the unfashionabie, the conventional; | Perhaps it would be better to say the accus | tomed colors, which are always furnished in a package of goods whether they are wanted or not. One of the reasons why a fine or other- wise desirable shade costs more to purchase than a common one fs that it must always be produced to order. if not, one piece will some in the color desired and eleven in the regulation series of primaries. One lady spent a day re- cently in trying to find a shade of Nasturtium, which one would suppose plentiful enough, and finally took old gold. Another made as fruit- less a quest atter smoke gray to match a French dress and was obliged to content hereeif with a bonnet of claret velvet and train it with gray feathers. The only way to secure choice colnrs and patterns isto select early in the season from the fresh productions, unless one can afford very special fabrics, and in these the sup- ply is naturaily Imited, The most fashionable color of the season, yet the one least seen upon the street, is gray, in the mouse, smoke and electric shades. Doubtless tt will appear in pub- lic and among aless exclusive class during the spring and summer, tor during its second sea. j Son, when a thing ison the decline in the most | fashionable circles, it begins to acquire popu- dun and blue gray tints are, ined and lovely that they can er be undesirable, and a lady is perfectly safe In wearing them, whether they are ““fash- jonabie” or not. 1 4 TROUBSEAU not very costly but very carefully studied, shows some good and original ideas. The traveling dress is brown camel's hi and satin, with fall fine pleated front_of the satin, and a hat orna- mented with a group of pale yellow feathers. This is the real traveling dress. The bridal dress is called the traveling dress, but it ts really a visiting dress of prune silk and velvet with a fine interior pleating of exquisite gold embroid- ered lace over tulle. Anerenting dress is of pink surah, the front covered with two wide flounces of oriental lace draped up under » bunch of large crushed roses. The bodice is high and covered with the lace drawn full into a wide belt of satin ribbon, where a cluster of roses will naturally find a place. Another evening dress, made short. was of cream satin with rows of pompons round the bottoms, and groups of them for ornaments. Small ones studded the front of the dress. A fawn-colored satin had a front covered with brown cones in sbaded plush, a plush jacket and full satin vest. Wide bands, wide lace, wide flounces and much overlaying. are employed, and tt isthought will be continued for some time to come. The aigrette is revived as an ornament for the hair, now that the coiffure has mounted to the top of the head . it consists of three little feather tips, with light flaments grow in the center to give alriness and grace, and is fastened with a jeweled ornament—fiy-pin or arrow. It is twenty-five years since they had a fashionable vogue, the hair having been much of the time worn low and in very simple fashion. Net over silk is very much used this season for the ball toilets of debutantes and very young ladies. It is always full and often doubled for draperies, and is not edged with lace, loopsand plots of ribbon being the only niture. The style which married ladies have largely adopted of a simulated double dress with long lines and pleated flounces or gathered front is capable of much variation and is very becoming. It is graceful, yet possesses dig- nity, and has elements of ‘permanency. Short fanciful drapery is only ft for young girls and for secondary fabric. It is said that the esthetic stylea have disap- peared. On the contrary the best of them have become incorporated inta the fashlonable dress- ing of the period. We oweto theesthetic rage the fashionable revival of many charming old-time Inexpensive fabrics, among them chintz cottons, thin wool de laines, known as nuns veiling, the light pure China silks and the restoration of the pretty gathered waists, usetul bonnets and seem pe sleeves. Even the “Mother Hub- ard” and other styles which are little used by women are relegated to children, and the whole movement has been one full of odd, quaint and amusing ideas, free from ali viclous tendencles, and therefore worth more than @ sneer or the harsh tone of condemnation. THE WEARING OF MOURNING. There is one old and long established custom that women ought to possess moral courage and common sense enough to take into their own hands and settle for themselves on a sim- ple and permanent basis. It ts the custom of wearing mourning for departed triends. The putting on and taking off of black within « stated time is in itself Instead of being a com- pliment an insult tothe dead. One does not ut on and _— of one's sorrow in this way; taerels therefore no reality te this fashion of symbolizing tt. A loss by death is irremediable; the grief of tt may be hidden away, but It lasts forever. It is true that the desire when one has lost anear and dear friend is for silence and darkness, for neutral tints and for t) esence and association with only that which harmon- izes with our own sense ofloss and bereavement. But we cannot often indulge in this selfish sorption and exclusion, and it is doubtless good for usthat we cannot. Our lives go on; our duties remain. They must be performed. We put our griefs away. We do not intrude them upon others. We lock them up and keep them asa sort of luxury for quiet hours when Indul- gence will not interfere with our obligations to the living with active particlpation in the duties ofthe hour. There is no reason of course why women should do violence to natural feeling and wear high colors and gay ornaments at a time when their hearts are saddened by heavy loss. Let them lay aside what they no longer take pleasure in, and wear their simplest, plain- est, darkest dresses; but why lay aside what is perfectly suitable and even in harmony with their own a and enn a unnecessary trouble and expense merely to on garments a little ds , @ little darker, a little sadder, and whicn oblige an entire change in the habits of life, the avoidance of much that would be healthful and salutary, ratner than harmful, the adaptation of social conditions to the circumstances and accidents of an individ- ual, and the actual creation of a code of ethics, the observance of which depends on aed gwd ence or depth of acrape band. The ped ae 8 dent supporters of outward and visible woe are those who are least sensitive to gri but who like the novelty of an entire cl wardrobe and the pleasant excitement of fi out exactly what ought and what ought not t! be employed under such circumstances. As there is no authorized code, the rules extracted from self-constituted authorities are often more ical or reliable. To many +s that if thé they fanry Clay's last visit to the House of Repee- over which be had presided so long was at the funeral of Mr.! in February, 1851. He 4id not : i i F 5H