National Republican., 1874-05-28
SKETCHESOF POLICE WORK
SOMETHING ABOUT THE POLICE
COURT AND ITS WORKINGS.

COMIC AND SERIOUS PHAsES-WbAr II
DOES FOR MORALITY AND CIVIL PEACE
-YEsTERDAY,s PROCEEDINGS.
Every great city has Its churches, Young Mems
Christian Associations, FREQ reading-rooms, thea
tres, pawnbrokers, bowling alleys, and Police
Court. We have ours. Its grim presence over
shadows G street, between Sixth and Four-and-a-
half II don't care much about Its personal ap-
pearance but 1t Is always ready tor buslness A
Police Court Is ono Of the necessary evils OF the
nineteenth century. From necessary evils often
emanate potent good. Potent good 10 the one
thing needful just now, consequently Police
Court is blessing. IL NAV be one IN disguise,
of morality is made up in eternity for the District
of Columbia. the accountant, whoever he may be,
will find the Police Court figuring conspicuously
The Police Court don't handsome up much
either with external or internal beauty. 1t seems
to live BY its good deeds alone, good Looks taking
stands four stories high on Its cellar, and is the
type of venerable dinglness. Possibly, It is one
However, it is on the shady side of lils for nothing
but age and waitingdeck could savor Of the an
cient SO strongly. A front view Of the building
rear view would certainly shock blind mute
In front you witness nothing but q towering,
blank broadside of bricks. covered with plaster.
name3ted with economical windows, each being
furnished with o stunted iron balcony. One OF
these balconies has history. 1t is short and
in the dock, eating tobacco. Says the clerk
of the court washington San Francisco,
you are charged with having knocked down
and walked on Patrick Henry Stubbs. Arc
you guilty, or not guilty." Tho prisoner
stepped nervously to the dow-door Of the dock,
and placing his hands thereon, opened the base Of
his faco and said: Judge yer honor, I'm the man
what's willin'to to swear upon stack OF Bibles as
high IS heaven and SIS broad as" Are you
guilty mot g9s" sssa s oOSn on
ued the betting prisoner II was jest comm to the
pint Of the Iact. You see, was after going with
he met me one day and axcd me why for things
were thusIy. 1 didn't say much, when he light
out for me. y was bad policy on his part, Judge;
but il was. He fell like one struck by lightning,
and" well" said the judge, shave you any
witnesses?" Yes your honor; I've got got some % 6Tt
lars and costs or in default sixty days in jail"
shadow OF disappointed rage passed over the pris-
onersswarthy features and ne glanced neIIopsiy
merely resented an insult. HIS mother depended
on his efforts for support He never had been in
court before, and never would De again; All THIS
and the truth, into the ears of the court, but Its
Judgment remained inexorable Washington San
ss In ihe
situation at glance. The EindoM offered the
only avenue OF escape. With cat-like stealth he
was twenty feet from the balcony to the ground.
He balanced for q moment on the iron railing and
then sprang toward the earth. He had mscalcu-
lated. Men miscalculate often when IN Eguilty
and closed on his coattail. His flight was sud-
denly checked. lie assumed O horizontal, swung
sided into q piteous. howl for help. moment
more and two stalwart officers had him collared
and were pushing him rapidly toward the pit be-
low. He Is employed on the new jail at present
board and lodgings the reward. Moral: He
Jumped wildly at conclusions and was caught on
he hy.
INTERNAL APPEARANCE.
You enter this gloomy receptacle of criminals
through dark passaseNay; the walls on either
prints and pencil-poetry; large crimsoned:
laced oicer stands ut the door; his beard is full
and reflects the solSr Of hi; face; he Is ths door
You pass on through o narrow defile, carpeted
with mating which bears marks of long endu-
rance. On reaching the staircase which leads to
10 dodge several oficers In brass -buttoned unl-
forms or dark blue. This done you pass hurredly
up a dingy stairway which, too, is furnished with
tho dark and unwholesome passage at .he head
Of the first flight OF stairs you enter the court
building, is the most interesting. Here, day after
day, tho whole year around, are brought the law
breakers OF the community; polished gamblers
the wife; he fast driver and malciou,
trespasser; tho Indecent yagabond and the
gaudlly dressed fallen woman; all mlngle and
which are ceaselessly marching towards the work
house, the jail and the grave. IT'S small room,
perhaps twenty by thirty feet in dimension, with
q narrow waiting dock. attached. Two chande-
liers hang sullenly from the walls. They are
dusty and adorned with the dwelling places Of
spiders. They are seldom lighted, but when they
it keeping with the room itself 4 large broad
desk stands high above other desks. Behind this
sis the judge. Below the judge sitthe clerk and
his assistant. Below the clerk hover Q dozen or
lass0 a.
these sit q row OF officers who have business with
the court. And in the rear Of the officers are
together q kaleidoscope crowd. Some
are witnesses, some are the anxious friends OF
prisoners, others merely curious people who come
there because they have no other place in which
10 idle away their time. 1t is o congruous crowd,
quite appropriate for an audience TO q criminal
court
THE BUSINESS
Of the court will naturally startle 2reenhorn
with an average sense OF justice. There is no
Jury there to weigh tine evidence carefully In the
balance, and mete out justice with jealous care.
The form of the court resembles ten pin alley.
The prisoner is arraigned. He stands up, George
Washingtun. yog are CHARGED with walking over
not e TaiiIyf" The BAN of judgment rolls against
him and be falls. The prisoner may De tS92lapt;
He does not comprehend the words guilty or not
Judgment is Immediately given. You are fined
Is and costs. The Judgment may be gross In
Justice. The man whlmpers little. The de-
md the Police Court has another bitter enemy.
These cases are the exception, not the rule.
Where one man receives an injustice, one hun
inexpensive and Just mode Of Furnishing crime
and 1t sways powerful moral in
iuence In the community. The Police Court is,
Mems Christian Association and deyildom, and Il
appears to get more business than both combined.
Il pays both In the interests Of morality and civil
'saSs sqS !ss Sfs esln which guides US safely
Yesterdays WORK.
It might have been u o'clock at night when
Ofhcer Storms first became acquainted with
Charley Browns whereabouts. Charley wasn't
,alking to the officer. He appeared 70 be address-
house. The house remained serene and the moon
vas unmoyed. This was strange, for never did
Mortal man state his sunerlngs with such earnest
sRS s2sR p SGf Srsns sn iSs
Iinckle Is Government official and wears No. II
boots He don't talk much, bat bis actions are
that's what's the matter with Charley: Young
man." said the officer, 'sre you hurt?n "Hurt,
,ried Charley, while sickly smile stole over bis
Evidence Nj 81 the & this sf n
he young mans personal appearances: His
lat was gone. The pale locks Of twenty
m%Ors had assumed Psrpsndbi.sTiSr' saa
during the wrath which was INSIDE Of
the house slamming shut the, parlor windows.
Upon the right brow oil the ocular ORD was con-
structed o hastily-built shanty, while over the
left stood o bran now four-story, with French
roof, and back kitchen attached; The bridge OF
left ear were two bay windows and several blue
capped promontories. A CHASTITY pallid hue over.
shadowed his countenance and taken all In all
he looked like young man who had been recently
kicked down stairs and stepped on. The ofi1cer
approached him and laying his brawny fist on the
agltated boys coat collar, said whats all this
row about? II you don't hush will arrest you
for profanity" HRow about, row about. Haven't
! been kicked down stairs and dragged out by
that villaInous scoundrel old Hinkle, merely be-
cause took Mary Ann % hear the Marine baud.
Row about, Christopher Columbus, I'll shoot that
old fool II have to climb through the key hole
"There, that will do,r said the officer, as he
gently snatched him along the pavement towards
the station house. II viii have to charge you
with locd and boisterous language" The charge
was entered, and the young man lsft his collat-
eral, to appear the next morning. which he did
not do. andit was forfeited. He is bound to court
that girl but he proposes TO get better acquainted
with old Hinkle first, or walt until be shufhes OIL
this mortal coll.
JULIA WASHINGTON
called on Sarah Ware, and, after opening the
ball by few sharp words. she picked Sarah up
bodily, and dropped her on o double e-baked brick
pavement. She broke-not TO piecos-but out
with q howl which aroused the adjolning ten
lame now, but she smiles q heartfelt smole when
ever she thinks Of how hard Il must have been
for Julia to pay the fine.
CHEAP HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE.
n ANnA kaN IuaS klrrrN 49,