The Audacity of New York Ruffians.
In the Court of General Sessions on Thursday, Recorder Hackett directed attention to the escape of the three burglars, Smith, Jones and Moore, on the previous day. Assistant District Attorney Hutchings remarked that he had no doubt if the Recorder and his associate, Judge Bedford, requested the Board of Supervisors to furnish vans to convey prisoners to and from the City Prison, they would do so. The Recorder then directed the person in charge of the court officers to see that hereafter only two prisoners shall be placed in charge of one officer in bringing them to and from the Tombs. The stairways, halls and stoop of the building in which the Court of General Sessions is held were thronged Thursday with armed thieves, who had assembled, it is thought, for the purpose of intimidating witnesses and jurors, and if possible, to rescue their associates in the event of their receiving heavy sentences. At one time, by actual count, there were more than two hundred of these ruffians present in and about the building. Captain Jourdan, seeing this state of affairs, sent a squad of police to the place, who quickly dispersed the villainous mob. It is rumored that several secret meetings of citizens were held in various parts of the city last Thursday. It is positively known that vigilance committees have been formed in the Fifth and Fifteenth wards.—N. Y. Evening Post.