New-York tribune., 1873-02-14

them for from three Ave- ten days up six months for
any OF the institution much rs shepherd d gIa goala
Justice only acts intermediay-a sort OF broker In
seectons-betweon the police officer and the sentencing
agent OF tho Charity and Correction Board
Was there n convenient scheme for allow
ing the guilty dcsperado. the favored party bully and
tenton one would think that a corrupt Justice would
not require long time to make fortune out OF this
business OF selecting criminals for such easy punish
ments. at all. Nothing hut angelic virtues IN
police Justice be safely trusted with such empta
tions. 1t Il far too great for ordinary mortals.
But strange as II may seem, the memorable session OF
1871 mado law for such Wholesale cOnsgnments. IL
declares that " II shae lawful for the Commissioners OF
the Department OF Public Charities ana Correction OF
the City Of NewYork TO commit to any OF the insttu
tions under their charge other than penal for period
not exceeding six months any person or persons com
City OF Hew-Yorkl"
No more remarkable and demorallzlng law than TINS
was ever enacted in this state. without any form OF
trial. without the semblance Of Justice, without pesory
ing any record or applying any discrimination OF g
or innocence, an arbitrary uneducated partisan Police
Justice may, under this law, annually send many
thousands OF both sexes OF every age ana con1On o
nfe-and yearly tens Of thousands whom the policemen
had adindyidualy arrested and taken to these eourtse
they sorted labeled and parcelcd among the hstu
tons under their control Is IL any wonder the a"eS9
have no fear of the Police Courts ,.,,o
Should We DO any longer surprised TO near the PoOo
officers declare that month after month they 90 on ar
resting and rearresng the same hardened audacious,
uupunished thieves, burglars gamblers, and rowdes
There never such judicial farce such
parody OF the forms OF law and the sanottes OF justice
one of these Commissioners assured that single
person had been committed TO the Island more thah lV
times. .---.
Thousands yearly 90 through the forms OF being sent
there for few days in order to secure new SUIT OF
violence the dens Of vice. TO again arrested and
sent up" when their clothes worn or pawned III
conrive and enforce better system than THIS
of intelligence and wealth among US deserves
10 be sent TO prison 10y elected Police Justice ana 10
have his house occupied by one OF these repedtefS Oh o
islands.
HARDNESS IN OPENING COURTS.
OF the many abuses attending the low and amentable
administration in Police Courts, select that OF tar
diDess and rregularity opening them good illus
traon No ORDER system, certainty prevails. Never
have been more indig gnant than when waiting hour
after hour with 20 80 fatigued sleepy but stall
wart policemen and perhaps, twice az many prisoners
a motley aud strange assortment of degraded human
itfor the arrival OF one OF these Police Justices WIN
a salary Of $1,000 a year.
And then the work OF doing justice begins. Its only
consultations that IL brief Fifty men, women, and
children arrested for all sorts OF crimes wearing every
variety OF rags ruflles fresh victims and hardened
veterans OF misfortune and vice. with faces expressive
OF all shades Of crime, suffering and despair are re-
manded to the garres and the CUTTERS are sent TO the
cells to the Institutions" in less than 30 minutes
It may be justice it may be according 10 law. IT, may
an inexperienced observer that nothing short OF
niscent wisdom equal TO such dispatch aud that moth
ing but miracle can people which consents to
submit 10 it. II any man woman wants sensation
that will last for month"; that Will teach new lesson IN
human character advise an attendance upon " us
charge OF the watch by certain police justices, on sun
day morning 1t is enough to make one emisrate to
Tmbuctoo ~ NJ,
When reflect upon these huge annual armies OF
crIuinas-as numerous hosts either side that
contcnded az Gcttysburgwbch pass through the gates
these police courts when consider that nearly all
OF them may be fined from 81 upward and believe that
great portion OF them fined when we recall the
25 900 arrested for utoxcation all of whom liable TO
be- and ought To be ned and that they are as well able
10 pay fine as grOg bill. naturally inquire what
becomes OF the tens OF thousands OF dollars tnat are or
should I've collected as fines
We evidence tnat the police clerks or justices
are TOO modest or too timid TO make collections; AZ
we look the monthly pay-fOlls rendered To
and the servants Of their courts, and above the
many police officers pad by the Police Board always IN
year. the sum oi s205GsS 90. we saw surely THIS sum at
leaswas collected In fines, from that prcdigOus mum
her Of s6l persons, who passed the gates OF these
courts In 1871.
Certainly it must have been easy TO get that amount
from such host, liable TO imprisonment IL may nave
been enough but II is not 1t Is utterly impos
lectcd. The money collected from all the 25O00
drunkards should, by la be paid to the Charity Com
mssoners before mentioned aud all the rest VI the nnes
TO the Controller.
| have a statement from EACH and 7 now give the
amounts Of sueh payments. For the year from April D.
ISL, 10 April 1872, e Commissioners received as lines,
a. Ga M IN the period from 1869 to 1872 inclusive, there
wa paid TO the Controller "a fines. the sum OF s5s ana
no more. Tie salary O the Aforesaid Police court
officials for those four yeis ~ waG ss55 - ahd te
befoe these Police Courts Ia those years. was not less
than $4,000!
IL hardly seems useful further pursue statistical
inquiries, except to add that, when you ask Police
Justice how many prisoners are fined, how many re-
leased how many held for examination ana yet never
examined how many are bailed, what is the proper
tion OF those who get free 10 those who get pun
ished, what number held for each OF the several
questions, he cannot tell you, but he half suppOses or
fears that the Board of Police may have infOrma
tiOn Of that But when you 30 TO that BOard, YOU
hDd that il has but poor means OF gaining the facts hat
it is not aided by the police Justices who are opposed 10
statistics and that it is full of doubt and suspicion on
the whole subject.