Danger! A True History of a Great City's Wiles and Temptations

ow Malefactors were Formerly Housed-

half dozen or so of narrow, crooked streets, in the immediate vicinity of what is now known as the Bowling Green. The population did not, probably, number more than a few thousands; but, nevertheless, we find from these same records that, even in tha

us it would seem that for upwards of two centuries crime and criminals have had their haunts in this city, and, it is safe to say, while the more ancient cities of Europe have, unquestiona

h of Improvement, hand-in-hand with the progress of Science and Civilization, have also grimly stalked fashionably-clothed and modernly-equipped Crime and the scientifically-perfected law-breaker, with his modern and improved methods. Man's villainies, like his other passions, remain the same

cts, vice and crime kept pace, while youthful depravity early began to trouble the good people then as it worries the same class of persons to-day, for in 1824 we find that a House of Refuge, for the reformation of juvenile delinquents, was built, ostensibly superseding the old "Society for the Prevention of Pauperism." To follow

keeping prisoners. It served its double purposes of jail and city hall until 1698, when it was decided by the authorities to build another-a larger and more commodious structure; while, in the meantime, the old mi

efforts of the authorities to restrict or even to limit the number of malefactors, aside from the apparent impossibility of diminishing them, for again, in 1758, another new jail was found absolutely necessary to the needs of the inhabitants, and was erected on what was then known as "The Fields," now City Hall Park, and where, tradition has it, the prisoners were most barbarously treated. This new place

reet, near First avenue, the present site of Bellevue Hospital, and its part occupancy as a prison somewhat relieved the overcrowded condition of the jail. The city jail still continued in City Hall Park, and was used as

in 1836, the buildings on Blackwell's Island were constructed, and two years later, again, the Tombs, the sombre, mias

wich, about West Tenth street, near the North River, and which is still in existence to-day (1886), being occupied by, and known as,

but of the unfortunate class of criminals that have, from time to time, occu