Singular Specimen of the prints taken by the police authorities.

Great is the mystery of iniquity! Verily man has sought out many inventions some blessed ones and some cursed. During the past week many hidden things of darkness have come to light, and some were full of mystery and wickedness. To show how seductive are the forms of vice, we have procured one of these prints which is a mystery.

You see nothing in it but a round-faced young woman, with a singular arrangement of her clothing, and below, an uncouth, plain piece of work, like a painting of some kind of architecture. Naw, who would think that that very print, innocent as it appears is when prepared by a simple process, full of evil. The lower part, being cut out as to form a curve, resembles a sort o tub, and when the white spaces are cut away and two fingers passed through, and into the piece below, the combination forms a sort of panoramic view of an exceeding improper character, and one which our modesty will not permit us to describe. We warn our readers not to try the experiment, unless, with the most virtuous intentions. As the picture stands, there is nothing indecent about it, but I our readers choose to make it so, after this warning, with them be the sin and the shame. We hope no one will be so wicked.

Reprinted from The Weekly Rake, August 20, 1842. (Readex, American Underworld: The Flash Press)