, 1874-06-21
Some idea Of the Work They Per-
form.
Applications for Disordarly Warrants
Saturday.
How Creditors Manage to Squeeze
Their Debtors.
Troubles with Policemen.

from where Daniel Scul1y dispenses justice, 410
and the North Side under the judicial eye Of E.
Kaufman, 100. Very few Of our people appre'
ciate
THE oSERoUs DUTIES
imposed upon the Police Justices. Their trials
aud tribulations are numerous. and can only be
known By those who frequent these courts. The
importance OF tho Police Courts seems to have
been overlooked, and when it is known that the
city owes much OF the pcrcept,ble improvement
Of the morals of its now rapidly increasing
population to the influence that the Justices
weld over tho many offenders who, for petty
misdemoanors as we'll as criminal offonses, are
daily brought before them, then, and then only.
can their Importance be fully realized.
ASA MORAL AGENCY,
tho Police Court should compare favorab1y with
other institutions it's opportunities for ref
ormation ars infinitely greater than is generally
presumed. srisins out oftho nultitudinous cases
brought before it. A person to dispense Justice
to tho class OF offenders who follow the lower
current OF vice that eventually leads the Offend
or to commit aomo criminal act should be 4 man
of talcnt and discrimination : man OF chnrac-
ter Judgment, and legal ability. Talent, thnt he
may be able to discriminate between men. and
thereby doc.de tho punishment to be inflicted !;
as gentleman Of unblcmished and high repu-
tation indrment that he may have the power
of deciding for the good Of the prisoner as we'll
as the citr and legal ability, that he may havo
thu faculty of mind to render all decisions in
corlance with the legal authority with which ho
is invested He should also be possessed Of
a CHARITABLE AND PATIENT D1apos1TIoS,
in order that hc may look with charity upon tho
trembling prisoner at tho bar, and examine into
tho merits of tho case with patience. A kind
and generous word frequently has . moro bene-
fetal influence npon the evil-doer than extreme
punishment. The most hardened crirni-
nal is susceptible and plant in the
hands Of tho right man. With men
Of this stamp the Police Conrts would
become valuable moral agencies, and be mora
efficient ns + means Of reducing tho crimes and
criminals OF all our larser cities.
Every man, woman, and child who may have
some ill-wil, against their neighbor hastenB
with al speed to the Justice, exnectinc that tho
CITY will at once take the matter in hand. redress
their wrong, and punish the agSressor.
.UroS DEMANDING WARRANT
for the arrest of tho offender. and meeting with
q refusal, npon tho grounds that the Police
Court is only for the purpose OF disnoslng OF
criminal offenders, and violations Of CITY ordi-
nances etc. the applicant is very indignant, aud
thinks it strange that his or hcr personal gr1er-
nnces cannot raceive attention, and
wonders what Police Courts and Justices
arc for SATURDAYS, perfect army
OF grumblers put in an appearance, and
will perfure themselves for the rurrosc Of pro-
complaining party may have rono old srudgo to
aet.lc, aud. by causing m arrest or that dav,
have tho extreme pleasure nnd qualification OF
Witnessing son1e poor Wresch locked up over
Sunday. and Monday morning. when the case is
called, the complaining witness fails to put in an
appearance tho prisoner tuereupon is dis
charged for tho want OF prosecution. and leaves
the presence OF the Court hurting vile but snY,-
pressed, epithots through c1enc:ed tecth at tha
Justice, blaming him for the arrest.
TO REMEDY THIS IMPOSITION,
tho different Justices hava caused to bo posted in
q conspicuous place in their eourt-rooms. cards
bearing the words 'No dlsori7erlv war
rants issued on Saturday. Notwithstanding
this, they are bcsiegcd BY thesa plaques, until
forboa1ance almost ceases to be . virtue.
ANOTHER SOURCE OF ANNOYANCE
exists, by the frequent application Of creditor,
asking for warrant on the charge OF assault,
growing out OF the fact tbnt some person owing
him 90 or 81 has, when dnnncd in an insulting
manner for tho amount OF the debt. resented tho
insult ty pummeling tho collector who presents
the account The warrant il issued; the party
committing the asseu1t arrested brought before
the Justice, and bail furnished. and certain day
set for the bearing Of the complaint. Before that
dav rolls aronrd tho creditor interviews the mr.
rested party and informs him it ho will pay the
amount OF his claim he will not arpear against
him the 92 are paid the creditor is BatiBticd:
the case is called on tho day appointed aud, no
ono appearing for tho prosecution, tho
prisoner is discharged, and tho CITY is
tn cnnblo none pcannt-dea'or to collect ]itt!o
BILL The Justice does his utmost to correct this
abuse. but meets with poor success.
AND STILL ANOTHER SOURCE OF ANNOYANCE
exists. growing out Of tho determined efforts Of
the officers of tho police force to punish every
offender they may chance to arrest. There
are many cascs where the officer makes
an arrest of an offender for some little
miademeanor, aud, before the Justice. in tho
examination, some extenuating circumstances
connected with the case presents itself. and the
offender is discharged. The officer thinks his
word is doubted and tho word OF vagraut has
moro weight with the Court than his, and 70 in
forms the Judge. This misconatruction OF the
cause OF the dismissal OF the prisoner needs to be
statement was believed. but the evidence proved
to the Justice that the prisoner, nho perhaps was
Just from the Dr1dewell, desired to reform, but
the officer. ever on tho alert to arrest suspi-
cious character, had brought him in for the rea-
son that he had been in the House of Correction
aud before. going there had Il general
bad reputation. but since baving served
his time, aud returned to tho city,
all that could be produced, was that tho
prisoner had been arrested on the street at lato
hour OF the night. This was no offennc; "givo
the boy chance, and not pusb him to the wall "
eays the Justice. The officer will, acowl on his
face, is evidently dissatisfied. and is i1l-mnnnered
enough to exhibit his discomfort at the decision
Of tho Court by assnming-whether real or otl1-
erwiae is immaterial-an injured appearance,
and remains surly and uncommnnicativc, until,
for some arrest in which he has acted nobIv. he
receives vol mcrited ''pun " through the pub
lie prints.
THE PHYSICAL LABOR
Of Police Justice il far greater than many sup
pose. They convene their courts at the early
hour of o'clock in the morning, and con-
time in aetsion up to ! and 2 o'clock in the
afternoon, and then are obliged to adjourn from
total exhaustion, and, to accomplish this it is
often necessary to continue many cases for
hearing to GONE future day, holding the pris~
oner for his appearance under bonds, that, fro
quently. the prisoner is unable to give, and. as
result, he is confined in cell in the station
house. and thereby the city is placed under an
additional expense of furnishing nou1ishment
during tho period Of Incarceration.
To remedy this abuse, there should be an after
noon session. After the djournmcrt Of court.th
Justice has few moments only in which to tako
his noon lunch, which every business and labor
ing man requires after five or six hours Of hard
labor during the forenoon. From his frugal re-
past he goes to his private Office with the intent
OF looking sitter his personal business; thoro
be is followed bv city cases. applications from
Headquarters and the stations for filing COM
plants variants for criminals, and violation Of
the city ordinances. Private interests must bo
dropued aud city business attended to, thereby
absorbing his entire time IN municipal Affairs,