Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-09-25
written for the Herald.l
Gur Police Court Considered.

Written for the Herald.]
Cur Police Court Considered.
Editor RutI1nd Herald. The purity (D
of our police courts has become a proverb
among the people They are an inter-
esting study to men OF science and sim
cerity. Can there be anything wrong
about our Rutland justices or grand jul
rors. 1t appears that recentlya witness,
arrested for drunkenness, disclosed on
our three public 'tB's"-the Berwick,
Bates and Bardwell. The proprietors
of the first two public houses are in
dicted and fined. They appeal to the
County Court. So far all seems straight
forward and satisfactory to law. But
when it comes to the Bardwell House,
instead of the proprietor being indicted
for selling to the witness, who testified
he bought it at the Bardwell bar, it
comes to pass that one A. ]. Smith was
indicted by the honest and impartial 90
grand juror as the responsible party for
furnishing the liquor to the witness.
AS to the lawful right of liquor scller
shielding himself and his sins behind
the ample skirts of A. (Auntl ]. (Jemi-
MAJ Smith, hired servant, doing his
dirty work for wages, your correspond
ent does not claim to be legally posted.
But we do say that, if legally honest, it
is not the most honorable or heroic way
of meeting ones own responsibility, or
of standing on ones own merits and
manhood.
Poor Aunt Jemima Smith, your mas
ter has placed pack of sins on you and
made you the scape- goat of his shame.
Let John and Aunt Jemima go. But
has a grand juror right to shield the
real criminal before the law by indicting
any other person the guilty party pro-
poses to MIN, Oh whom he may see fit to
substitute for the guilty one accused of
the crime, and who is defying the law
and thereby damaging the community
measurably beyond all the benefit he has
ever been to it? Surprising the Bard
well keeper should say to the grand
juror: This is my third offense and the
penalty will be fine and a disgraceful
Imprisonment, and as am a trustee and
q city father, the look and the odor will
he bad. Now, have in my employ one
Aunt ,Jemima Smith, alias Andrew Jack
son Devil-an evil spirit-a real rum
devil, but he has no responsibility in the
case and no character to lose in fact
he or she is myth and can't be caught
And so the grand juror, in the faithful
discharge of duty, deems that the inter
ests of the public do not demand that
the proprietor of the Bardwell be prose-
euted for the third offense of liquor-sell-
ing, according to law, as he has been
twice fined already. To save this city
father from further fine, he indicts his
boot-black or chambermaid and sends
the Indictment to the iustice-a true
bill found against A. j. Smith.
The grand juror having done his duty
so conscienciously and wisely. now
comes the Justices part in this perform
ance, how to try the person presented
by the juror, be it Aunt Jemima Smith
or Andrew Jackson Devil ''First
catch your hare" is the sage advice given
to most cooks, and so our justice mar
shals his police force and orders the of
ficers to arrest and bring before him for
trial said A. j., be it she or he. Forth
goes the officer on his perilous hunt for
the hare, but soon returns to the court
saying A. j. Smith pleads guilty and
here is the fine money Now, to whom
lawfully, is one accused of crime, to
plead guilty or not guilty? Is it to the
sheriff or to the court Which? And
how does the justice know that A. j.
Smith pleads guilty or not =? How does
he know the officer has even had a
glimpse of Andrew Jackson Devils
hoofs or horns? The poor devil has
sins enough to bear, but this extra bur
den of person responsibility in selling
liquors at the bar of the Bardwell
must make him grunt.
Now, Mr.. Editor, if this is the proper
way for jurors and justices to do bust
ness in our police courts, by making
scapegoats of absent parties to hide the
sins and shame of the really guilty par
ties, and then if those absent ones can
plead guilty by proxy and so let the
criminal go on in his crimes by paying a
paltry fine for an unknown person on
whose shoulders may not the next in
dictment rest, and whose name be not
next coupled with crime? Surprising the
proprietor of the Bardwell had suggested
to the juror the name of one of our
clcrgymen as safe substitute, and the
juror had put his name in the Indictment,
instead of the real criminal, or even A. J.
smith. and the justice had ordered the
officer to arrest and bring him into court,
but instead of bringing him in he soon
returns saying the minister pleads guilty
to the charge of selling liquor-here
is the fine, the justice accepts the fine
and learned and virtuous minister of
the Gospel goes on to the police records
as liquor seller and the proprietor of
the Bardwefl goes home to sell liquor
and smoke his pipe of peace till some
other wretched victim of his wicked
traffic discloses on the Bardwell again.
Ii all this goes for law and righteousness
III Rutland, who will be Johns next
scapegoat. Perhaps it will be w. J. i
Harris or ]. B. Page, j. G. johnson, or
I'll. +. Austin. IF the officer returns to
court saying He pleads guilty--here is
the fine, then the indicted party must
bear the blame, even though he has
never been notified. No, Mr.. Justice.
first catch your devil, and don't let him
plead guilty and pay his fine by proxy.
1t may be the poor devil would protest |
against such police proceedings. Give /
him fair play. ~
In behalf of many citizens and A. j. j
Smith. :...-. ....:..'.s.:,.: O.. nj. N -