National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-07-28
poLTCE COURT sKETOHEs.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS AT THE CHAM
Der OF JUSTICE,

BER OF JUSTICE,
Monday morning always brings large num- |
Der of criminals into the courthouse cells, and
when the prosecuting attorneys are ready for
business these human beings, guilty Of crimes
ranging from "attempts to kip dowato cloud
and boisterous talking" are brought up, single
file, from the mIasmatie dungeons below and
driven into the dock preparatory TO trial.
Yesterday, upon entering the hail which leads
to the court-TOom, we heard the tramp Of the
criminals who had just been released from the
foul places below and were winding their way
TO the bar of Justice. We reached fair posi-
ton for witnessing their entrance into the dock
just as they were passing By. Tramp, tramp,
tramp, they move along, one continued stream
of wretchedness, want, vice and woe. From
away down IN the dingy basement up pwo
darkeome flights Of rickety stairs, through two
besmesred and gloomy passages they come, an
army of fifty men, women and children. Men
with silvsSed heads and tottering limbs;
women with wan faces and sometimes-quite
often fndeea-with siclly babes in their arms;
children hungry, half-starved, simpeTfng and
saUcy offspring Of misery and sin, Inmates Of
hoVel homes, who find their nights lodging
wherever sleep oRertakes them, be It
on the curbstcne or beneath the avn
ing of q friendly shed. What q pitiable
sight for q Christian community On they
come, little ragamuffiins snapped up by
the Eigilant officers of the law while in the act
Of disturbing the peace, or violating public or
private rights, caught with curses in their
mouths, taken with stolen goods IN possession,
captured while fleeing from justice and dragged
into court to receive the judgment Of the law.
That little squad Of boys now constrained to
single file were captured while in the height Of
sportiVe swim in the Potomac. Some of
hnv DaacaA nil In house
cells, and bear unmistakable signs of hunger
and restless sleep; they pass along, some sui
lenly, others making miTth and fun, forced
effort, however, which subsidies into serious
ness as they cross the threshold and enter the
pinehed and filthy quarters set aside for their
reception Women, shjectly miserable In
every lineament Of q once fair face, whose coun-
tenances are now flushed with the dissipation
of weeks duration, and whose clothing is tat
tered and torn from the rough and tumble OF a
midnight brawl; profane women, loud
and boisterous women, women thieves,
lewd women, confidence women, jostle
and knock against each other IN the narrow and
poorly ventilated hole into which they are
pouring. Little boys and girls charged with
petty crimes, comparatively innocent as yet,
are brought In contact with the vilest class of
hardened wretches known 10 the police force,
and here they must learn vice which viii ne
cessarily cling to them in after life. It is q
peculiarly impressive sight to stand at one
given point, at place which both above and
below and upon either hand gives evidence of
venerable dilapidation, and watch fifty persons
charged with ffty different crimes march
slowly by-s sight which bears convincing
evidence that Eve played the dickens with her
posterity when she went climbing around IN
that apple tree for forbidden fruit, that was
only useful as an ornament, when there was
dead loads Of SpitZenburgs and fall pipins and
Rhode Island greetings loafng about the gar
den waiting for employment. 1t was all wrong,
but then you must remember Eve never went
to Sunday school in her life; nor even had she
felt the moral influence Of Christmas tree.
NURDERoUs ASSAULT.
John Janney entered Henry Buffers barber
shop on Sunday morning aud commenced to
create an unproEoked disturbance. He was
inclined to take complete possession Of the es-
tablishment and turn Butler, the proprietor,
out doors. Butler is not the kind Of man that
will turn out for small reasons, and this seemed
to sgitate Janney very much. He likes to be
obeyed whenever he gives the command. He
told Butler not to stand upon the order Of his
going, but to light out at once. Butler moved
around to get something large to throw at him,
and Janney st the same time picked up razor.
Now, Of all instruments welded by the hands
of sinful and fallen man, the razor is the most
uninViting. There is something about the
weapon that impresses the beholder with a
certain degree Of discretion, and when a man
once gets this impression he isn't ct all liable
to run against the instrument In order to secure
what little practical experience there is in the
act; not at all. Butler didn't; on the contrary,
when be saw that razor jump down from
the shelf he jumped for the open door,
but IN passing out bis foot slipped and he fell
heavily upon bis side. The razor came pierre
ing through the 5sautifgl sunlight with Janney
in the rear urging it Of. At this point Della
ware Jones, Who was In the shop
at the eonmeheement Of the trouble,
advised JSnney, in an excited manner,
aged by this counsel, which was so favorable
to his own views on the subject, made q muir
derous lunge at his victim while he was lying
in defenceless condition on the ground, and
with one stroke he cut q slash In the back of
Buffers vest, which extended from his right
shoulder down to his pants pockets, entered
the flesh and made q deep but not dangerous
wound. Jsnney, satisfied with what he had
done, wiped the razor of and placed 1t back
where he got It from, and then walked coolly
out. He was subsequently arrested, and after
q preliminary examination before Judge Smell,
was sent to the grand jury for trial.
NANCY RICH
and five colored girls engaged in pitched bat
tie at Mount Pleasant. Nancy Rich and Mary
Matilda Washington Ann had dispute over
the possession Of the heart Of Q sable indi-
vidual who was Just around the corner, and
this led 10 blows, which led to 8 general rum
pus, In which all that were present Joined
In, and for several moments the usual quiet
Of the pleasant place was broken and dis
turbed With the screams and oaths and clash
ing clubs, while the air was filed with o lively
assortment Of head-dresses, shaWls, ribbons,
stones and miscellaneous moysbles of every
description. In counting up the costs each
was found TO DO loser IN some respect, IN ad-
dltion TO which they were fined IS apiece for
engaging IN an ARRAY. There were the usual
number Of minor cases disposed Of.