National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-07-30
PETTY MAGISTRAT
SESSION OF THE LONG COMMITTEE

Constable Lacey Makes mn Excessive Levy
--Uninwfui Seizure OF the Property OF
Married women-Dr. J. Ford Thompson
Takes snap Judgment on n Tenant
Justice Walter and Constabies D. and
CA. Kimmcii Aiding and Abc,tins.
business before the Long committee opened
quite briskly yesterday. Several persons APP
peared with their grievances, which they stated
verbally, and made appointments for examine
ton on future days. The victims Of the mall
practice Of the City Hall sharks are becoming
clamorous for satisfaction, and their numbers
are daily increasing, while the malfeasances ex-
posed and the outrages developed are more gar
ing and dlsgraceful as the volume increases.
A well known operator was among the callers
yesterday. His batch OF complaints aneeung
some OF the more prominent OF the justices anu
constabes, are well fortified by documentary
evidence, and are Of the most damnlng chhfae,
ter and OF greater magnitude Than Any sc cI
brought TO light. II IA said that many OF INC nc.
oused are making herculean efforts 10 cover W
their tracks aud hush up the voice OF lner , M
tins, The committee, however, arc NM, s5ns nat
Of being able TO bring the Uuth W hs"' NV
outstanding these attempts 49,, .r,,wtury
Othefa Of the gang who have been unlhWluhg
preylng upon the poorer classes g ,bst t6ey are
amenable only TO the court lhls niue S. III
does not In the least disturb the setehr ~ ,i te
committee. MCAsTA. In0Ht
bcpf who were ali present yesterday quietly purN
sue their business of taking testimony ses asa-
less OF persons who may ne amS.u ~ reEsg
ar enemies 10 punish, they are determined TO
pnrsuc the even tenor Of their way, and VIII no
doubt listen with ne same attention 70 Ison nsxn
Testimony when II II offered That they nave
gwen TO that Of compartments.
IL does not seem TO occur TO the minds OF these
defiant delinquents that the Governor no. may
Of the committee and accompanying testimony
o to the District Attorney for the consideration
and action or the court In sneh ease ,ne ng,
and sympathy they will receive IRON that guar
ter will be Of much the same character WIN uAt
which was accorded TO shylock by the learned
"V oan ins,ine Of The peace and one constable to
be quartered on each nye hundred families IN
this District Is undoubtedly tax 100 heavy "
ent Complement. There are now In commission,
properly qualified, forty-eight justices oil tue
peace and thirty.nye constables. How many
men there are running about wearing the In.
sigma OF consta6les and personatlng them and
assisting In their dirty work wNhout any show
oflegal authority cannot be stated, but the com
mlttee have Information OF several OF that KIND,
upon whom they propose TO set their marx 50
deep that IL cannot be enaced. ,,-
OF course, all these men who are In commits
sion, with one or more hangers-on, naturally
suppose that their commission Is bound 70 AFFORD
them living for themselves, their families, and
their "tsers The result :; mat RECOMMENDATIONS naos
BILE figures, aud "stealings' aud beggings added
upon every possible occasion. Temptation 10
strain point and take the whole amount Of the
Judgment ia very strOng-sometlmes Irresistible.
So many Instances OF this character have come
TO light that the committee Will probably deemn
their duty TO inquire into the responsibility OF the
sureties tled by these otiicers.
Justices are required to give security In 5000,
and constabes In 5000. There Is very strong
suspicion abroad That there are quite number
Of Inc officials whose cali0re Is altogether too
light TO command these amounts OF substantial
backing. At all events, there Is no harm IN look
ing. u,o,,-
ing with the testimony OF Frank L. Bancroft, OF
Alexandra, Va. Ills wife sold iarm some time
since In Virginia, and with q portion OF the
money purchased several horses and carts,
which she sent up TO the city TO hire out 70 con-
tractors on the public works. Mr: Bancroft
some time since stood security for friend IN q
repleyln suit for the sum OF nifty dollars, OF
Whereabouts, A few days ago the suit was de-
tormlned against his friend ny Justice klopier,
and execution issued against both principal ana
Constable Lacey, a very sharp gentleman Of
color, armed with the above execution, pro
ceeded at six or seven O'clock at night TO levy
upon two horses and one cart and gear belong
ing TO Mrs Bancroft, and valued a. about 500
lie was at once Informed that the property was
not liable for the debts OF Mrs. Bancroft, but dc.
clined TO release It. Next morning, security
being entered for the full amount Of execution
and costs, Justice Kl0pfer twice ordered the
property released; but Constable Lacey retained
1t In hts custody, and declared ne would sell
tomorrow IL hts costs OF 500 were not paid
THIS Constable Lacey, as well as the Klmmel
family seem perfectly Obvious 10 the Tact thai
Congress passed an act, which was approved
July 10, 1850, that protects the property OF mar.
RED women against levy to satisfy the debts Of
Nj. Bancroft declares his belief that Lacey
made this excessive levy (Which he had no rgh
to do) for the purpose OF enhancing the valu'
beyond the Jurisdiction OF Justice OF the peac'
in a repleyli suit, and thus compelling q settle
ment Of the execution by the d1iendants IN pre-
ference to the costly process OF replevy In tn
full and besides probably saved himself from
heavy bill OF damages and costs In which u
might have been mulctei II the properly ha
The testimony In the Kimmeli piano case
mentioned In the REPUBLICAN OF yesterday, wa
completed. 1t seems that the instrument was
very superior marshall 4 Trayers,n which wa
purchased BY the owner from Mr.. Ellis for SIS
In 1891. 1t had Just been removed from tn
house OF DR.. J. Ford Thompson, No. 1910
street, together with several loads more OF furnl
ture, TO a house on Tenth street. near NJ. ThOmp
son being indignant at the sudden removal OF I
tenant, sued out an attachment Tor 500 rent
only $25 of which was fully due, aud sen
the Kimmells to levy on the plano. The hus
band of the lady who owned the instrument
Prof. Heard, forbade It's removal, az the same
time pointing out other property which he nc.
knowledged to be his own, and which they were
at liberty TO take II they would net await bis re-
turn from the Ebbitt house, when he w0uld pay
them the SIS due. kimmel declined to do
either, and took away the piano, citing the de-
PENDANT 10 appear at once before Justice Walter
for the trial OF the cause.
Thus In little more than one hour complaint
was entered, an attachment issued without any
legal notice, and property seized which was not
liable, and which was not removed or about TO
he removed" from the Jurisdiction OF the court,
and Judgment entered up against the defendant.
How this could be done without hard swearing
on the part Of the plaintiff, an infraction OF the
net OF July TO- 1862 on the part OF the constable,
and Il gross mlsCOnCeptiOn OF duty on the part
OF the Justice Is q mystery TO the defendant,
which he desires the committee to explain.
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