The sun., 1873-07-04
1HE 1TTEMPTED ABDUCrTON.
The Policc Court Of Washington.

tricts They we're the Dogberrys of that day,
and though not particularly learned in the law,
yet for their station and duties were above the
average of that class Of functionarles in other
cities. When the carpet-baggers laid siege to
Washington aud their friends In Congress con-
trolled legislation, II was thought a good thing
to consolidate these little partnerships into
police court, with the double object of dispOs-
sessing the natives, and making places for some
Of the greedy crew who have infested this COM
munity since the close Of the rebellion.
This Is the way that the thing called Police
Court came into existence, and that one WIN.
u. Smell came to be imported from Maine, un-
der the influence OF Senator Hamlin, to serve
IN Win inc sapssty isrty Of % ase n% az t per sna annix
clerk at $1,000 per annun, and two balifs at 80
per diem, all appointed by Smell. The salaries
were fastened upon the people of the District
In the following proportions: eighty per
centum thereof to be paid by the city uf WASH
town and eight per centum by the Levy Court :"
thus establishing the local character OF the tri-
bunal beyond all question. At the time of the
passage OF this act. the present torrt Orial gov
eminent had not been created, and the old mu-
nic.ipal divisions existed in their original form.
The law which established the Police Court
defined is Jurisdiction In precise and positive
terms For example:
Ihat there shall he established In the Dis
trict Of Columbia u court 10 he called the Police
Court of the District Of Columbia, which shall
have original aud exclusive jurisdiction OF all
offences against the United states committt d In
the District OF Columbia not doomed capital or
otherwise infamous crimes, tiW Il 10 sdu. OF all
simple assaults and batteries aud ali other mis-
demeanurs not punishable 10y Imprisonment in
the pcniteutiary; and of all offences against anv
# the ordinancos " the city of Washington. or
of the city Of Gerrgctuwn. Or laws of the Levy
Court o the County OF Washington.
So ItI be- Il fpytcr l'fe,. That prosecutions in
without Indictment by Grand jury or trial by petit
jury. .,,.-
pr,r me, to,r, - ",S n.trct of Comb, .b, des,g
I = fif pf 40
charge the duties of said Police Judge until such dlsu
sL.. s. But sail court shall not havs power to
he.sra, g. ior,lgn,r-' ., r.. ,..,.,., 80, .,, ,,,
pris1nmcnt Or by char but the hnc Ia no case shal
exceed go nor tie imCr-onmcnt be fora longer time
than foriy-eigh, hours."
These various clauses prove that the powers of
this court were limited to petty mi-deneinurs
of daily occurrence, and were not materially en-
lar-cd over the former Justices of the Peace.
The system was simply adapted to modern eN-
usaree derived from the MARYLAND statutes. dat
ine back almost to the colonial times. That Is
about the substance Of the change, and nothing
more. And In order that this may I've made more
clear To- the practical eve, aud t. Illustrate the
every day life of the court, the report Of yester-
dayS proceedings, a. published In the presi-
dents organ of this morning, l. gwen in full
POLICE .CGrEr-IuDGE sSELL.-rnomas Hnrl1y
Frss K' Panf , aTS. Hco ksnHGd s PgS
solaicTa, ioS grottnM VILLAIN JASPER. ,asrant'
INK. IS Ellen DAVIS, profanity, ~, from which IL ap.
pear that It T. cheaper under Snels dspensation 10
yiciou. dog a. Amanda stewart, assault on Mary ray
or costs Isaac smith assault On Mary smith, 81 ana
cvsis
II is thus seen, ny the law and 10y the practice
what sort II a court this b.. Ne respectable law
yer ever appears in IL except 10y accident or to
prevent some meditated outrage, such a. has
frequently occurred during the last three years,
To render II notorious and offensive To the public
~ large. without distinction Of partN. In every
sense u may he described A. a shNster's shop Of
the most odious KIND.
Yet thi, miserable concern, which cannot hear
a money case Of over SlO, which Is not permit
ted to try an indictment or to impanel jury,
whose competency il to impose dog Zines. send
drunken negroes to the Workhouse, execute or
dinances against profanity. and hear petty COM
plants, has assumed To- issue process To extra
fabricated charge of Hhel' If the whole
thing WAS not a broad farce. ridiculous In every
aspect. II would he a monstrOus outrage upon
the forms OF law. As 10 -. the officials who
have perverted and pru,titutcd their trusts in
this business should be held 10 stern account for
their completely IN "A false arrest anu detention
upon papers notoriou-ly Illegal IN their ia e.
Commissioners Davenport, District Attorney
Bliss, and the complainant shepherd have earh
and all made themselves liabl 20 prosecution,
and II l. high time these Federal usurpcrs Of
authority Of the state tribunals, which thev affect
To- dc~pisc ana trample under foot hy such out
rageous proceedings as have recently been wit
messed IN Louisiana and other states. 50 far ~
the Dcputy District Attorney Harrington Is
concerned who WAS sent from this city to New
York, he perhaps might be excused on the
ground II special incHpaeith 10 understand the
law. He splurgc- before the criminal courts
mere. Tut nobody ever suspected MN ut helnE
in fact what he Is technically described to be-,
The lawyers OF Washington who have any
standing are all agreed that this case Is nothing
but put-up job, without foundation To- rest
upon. shepherd, who signs himself Nice-Presi-
dent with as much right as he might claim TO
be marquis. thought the nutOriety would help
HIM before the public; and his employers, Who
have wriihed under the exposures and castisa-
tous Of TIE SuS, hoped To lnd preteXt 10y
which their vengeance could he slaked before
apa'ked jury, without regard to color or pre-
dodge which has been reSurted to in order TO
silence the manly utterances 10y which the ini-
qulties Of the Administration and the rascalty
81 the klng have been made known 10 the Amer
lean people.
have said this cour, Is odious, hut that word
does not sufficiently describe its character. II
should be called Infamous, and here Is one
reason among many: Two Years ago regular
raid was organized 10y the officers of this Police
Court and Others against the houses Of III fame.
under the prctence and In the abused name ot
morality. report made hy a committee oi the
Legislature, which took testimony of all the
parties concerned, exhibits the most scan
daluus Outrage ever perpetrated in a civil
iZed community The officers went to the
houses personally, carried blank processes in
their pockets, issued them ON the spot, made
creatures before this Judge or the United states
District Attorney warning them To bring All the
money they could command, OF security for an
swering AT trial
Many Of them deposited sl.GN, others less, and
some who had no ready means were kept az the
that eNtOrtionate charges were made r ght under
the eye Of the Judge and In the handwriting of
his subOrdinatcs, that the frauds We're glaring
aud that this whole scheme mad been gotten uI
10 put money In the pockets Of the ministers ot
the law. by cruel and shocking oppression Of
poor, wretChed women who had no defenders
when the last dollar was squeezed out OF the
uniortunates, and their very trinkets converted
into booty, then the cry Of reform ceased and
they were turned back to misery and shame
without an emotion of remorse ON the part Of
the scOundres VINO perpetrated this infainy.
For once the manhood of the community rose
up and demanded the abolition Of this court
There was a universal burst II indignati ion
against the corrupt crew who conspired to rob
the fallen creatures whose misfortune ordinarily
LETT them irlendless. But the effort failed
smell Is u dtmagogue who courts negro society
and influence, and Grant man Of the nrst
water. 80 II would not do to abolish him. SEN
AlnT liamlin came 10 the rescue, and Smell sur
wives to issue tNtradition papers against New
YORK editors, commanding them to appear be.
f"re his shop in Washington. OF course he Il
Only used as cats paw To pull others chestnuts
out Of the fire.
The real and only court Of this District had a.
II Is ~ many respects, could not have been EN-
ploled for this base purpose. Ii would never
nave dared TO assume the authority which TIL,
petty Police Justice has not sCrupled to put on
as II u belonged 10 him rightfully. lie ha,
trusted 10 his insigniHcancc for escape but ther,
are others above him who have nstigated mi,
wrong wlfuly, while screening themselves he
VtaNr