The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-08-04


on the big hpsiaess streets and Ia heavy
banking houses, ~ -
An 0UrRAsn-We have had occasion
heretofore to call attention through the col
umns Of the ADyccArk to the acts of fla
grant injustice and oppression which have
been perpetrated by the police.
Some Of the members of this force seem
to think that, the fact Of having piece Of
metal hung on 10 the lapel Of their coats IA
a protection amply sufficient TO ward of any
unpleasant results winch might acrue to
those who do not have this broad sgis for a
breast plate.
Infants of five aad six Years have
been lodged in the prisoners dock for dis
orderly conduct men have been arrested
and drasr7d to the armory for bathing in
the lake at remote and seqaestered local
ties; concert saloons have been periodically
pounced rpon in one portion Of thes aty ,
while others have escaped. and orderly,
innocent men who happened 20 be there,
were carried of to spend the night at those
horrible sweat-boxes at the station house !;
cyprians are subject to be pulled" AZ regu
lar intervals, while they are not only
allowed, bot tacitly encouraged BY this very
pulling to ply their accustomed avoca
tons; q man who has money and infiuen-
tial friends is taken out Of the lookup, al
though it had been previously declared that
his offence was Of snch nature that his re
lease was impossible. We could mention
other matters, but the two following instan-
ces will be sufficient, We think, to give a
general insight into the way things ar CON
Quoted in this department.
Roxanna Brooks, though not vestal, is a
woman, and has some human feeling to say
the least. She, and a man who escorted
her, left her residence 1T II O'clock one
night last week, and went up to Taylor
streetto see sick woman. While returning
upon the cars about 2 o'clock, they were
arrested BY an officer, becausa, in his oPin-
ion. such people should not be seen ont Of
their houses after leo'clock He took them
to the Armory, where they were confined
until next day, when they were discharged.
The other case is the following: Two
women, who reside on Wells street, and
whose boarding house is few doors from
their lodgings, were arrested at their eating
house, and carried to the sweat-boxes on
Adams street. One Of these women ad-
yanced in pregnancy, and overcome by the
heat, fell into commissions, and would have
died, in all probability, had not one Of the
officers, Sergeant Barrett, taken the resPonsi-
bility Of carrying Der to her rooms. Next
morning both were Hned Ave dollars fs de-
orderly conduct, though what this disorder
ly conduct was did not appear very clearly.
In the frst instance alluded to, the officer
was not even reprimanded, ana in the sec
ond the officers act was recognized as legiti-
mate by the imposition Of fine. To Judge
FROM this il would not be unreasonable to
look for Sergeant B-rrett's removal.
This thing has gone on about long enough.
We remember that not long hefore the year
l776, great noise was made some where in
the neighborhood of Boston about 81 general
warrants" butwe do not think that British
intolerance ever rose to such pitch as to
grant to mere subordinate the high prero-
gative Of clapping a man on the shoulder
and taking him Off to prison without any
other warrant than his own discretion.
There are sfew roughs and thieves STIR
left in the city, and the perpetrators Of more
than one bloody deed have not yet been dis
covered. Let the police pay some attention
to these things aud abandon the present
wrctched system Of petty oppression, or il
might lead to unpleasant investigations into
the g original and foundation Of the right"
to lodge an American citizen IN Jail without
one process Of law.