“Charged With The Most Heinous Crimes”

In The New-York Daily Times of August 3, 1852 on page 3 there appears a summary of events occurring in New York City.

The most interesting parts comprising this article of brief news items is the crime news.

The flowery language used in the stories to describe the offenses have to be read to be fully appreciated.

Here are some interesting statistics in the first news item and a couple of crime stories which are excerpted below:

Crime in the City – The Court of General Sessions commenced its August term yesterday and a frightful array of crime awaits its action. No less than 67 individuals, charged with the most heinous crimes are to be tried. The following is the calendar:

Some of the crimes are unique to the time including: “Carrying Slung-shot,” (a striking weapon consisting of a small mass of metal or stone fixed on a flexible handle or strap), “Bastardy,” (the begetting of an illegitimate child) and “False Pretences” (an illegal, deliberate misrepresentation of facts, as to obtain title to money or property).

After some reports on license statistics, recent immigration, and admissions to the city hospital and the news report goes on with additional lists and details of crimes recently committed –

Crimes and Casualties

An unusual number of charges were made yesterday morning at the Jefferson Market Police Court, principally for assault and battery and for gross intoxication. Sunday night was evidently spent immorally. Over thirty cases of this kind were disposed of before the following were brought into Court: Michael Edwards residing at Manhattanville, was charged by James Kaiting for a violent assault with intent to kill. It appears the prisoner struck the complainant on the head with an ax, inflicting a severe, but not a dangerous wound. A struggle ensued, in which the complainant, with the help of some bystanders, arrested his cowardly assailant. He was locked up to answer…

Among the charges disposed of, was the following aggravated case of assault, in which Patrick Wheelan, John Trihan, Patrick Farrall, John Townsend and Bridget Crawley figured as assailants. It appears that the accused were having a nice little “muss” for their own private gratification, when they were accosted by police officers Atherton, Jones and Scott, who exhorted them , under the threat of various pains and penalties, to keep the peace. This aroused Bridget, who forthwith made a descent upon officer Atherton, and was followed by the male prisoners, when a general melée occurred. Some broken heads and other injuries were the result, but the assailants were captured an secured. They were committed to answer…