The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-12
PUBLIC ABUSES.
A Glance at the Police and
the Police Courts.
OFFICIAL ARROGANCE AND RECKLESSNESS.
Want Of Responsibility in the De-
partnentS.


resulted In the death OF Jacob Stockvis u discov
cred that public attention ia directed to the
abuses or the Police Department. the police courts
ana the correctional institutions. No people are
more ignorant OF the social conditions OF their
city than the people OF New York no people are
more ready to submit to wrong and outrage and
abuse. nor more apt to resent imputations upon
their integrity and morality The history Of litera.
ture is reblete with instances Of American sen.
sitiveness to foreign criticism. When Mrs. Troll
lope wrote some uncompnmentary things about
our manners many years ago we were so wroth
over her structures that we were ready to go to
war with Great Britain third time II was many
years before we were able to forgive Charles
Dickens for his american Notes' and Martin
ChuZzewit." Other satirists excited us In almost
equal degree from time TO time but OF late years
have been able to receive their shafts with co
uanimlty. so that when VtctOrien Sardou's "Unce
sam" was produced at the Grand Opera House
the goOd-natured American went to see 1t,
and laughed at its absurdltes. while those
who were too sensitive to see their countrymen
held up to ridicule stayed away from the theatre.
English criticism always was annoying, while
French structures were received with q much
better grace. The early services Of the French
under Rochambeau and Lafayette laid the lounda-
ton for this while the great work OF De Tocque-
WIG Ou AmcTiCh cNOhcu Iceuub vi RTdUItuuc,
because it the first time that American ms tn
tutions were lairly treated by foreign writer
There is nothing that a Frenchman can say OF us
now that we would not calmly consider-nothing
that will make angry or spitefu Indeed, we
are so apt to overlook the very faults that we
would gladly correct that we are both surprised
and gratifed when French writer points them
out to US, an instance OF which Is found In the
structures OF M. Simonin, in recent number Of
the Rev,te des Deur Nondes in which he said that
our police courts would not be tolerated In any
other country except Turkey. The remark was a
bitter one, but we are all OF as bound to confess
that 1t was just, as has been illustrated in the
Stockvs case and IN many others which have
come to public knowledge within q brief period.
ARROGANCE AND IGNORANCE IN OFFICE.
There IS a certain element In our population ex-
erting prolounder influence upon our politics and
our society. even, than most OF US suspect, which
maniiests an arrogance that would be astounding
to any one except an American. The driver or
the Mouse" with a short pipe in his mouth and
a nonchalant air, rolls into West Broadway with
his heavily loaded truck ia the busiest part Of the
day, pushing aside street cars and vehicles OF
every kind and actually stopping for the moment
sne entire rat1c OF the metropolis that he may
have the best place in the line. Though ne Is only
the driver OF the ''Mousen to-day 1t IS quite likely
that ne Will De an alOeTWuu, Or al 3SSe mOly man,
or even judge tomorrow. 1t Is only by his ar.
rosant disregard for the rights OF others that ne
can obtain elevation and he will show the same
qualities on the bench which be ex.
hibited on his truck. AS policeman he would
be a fearful embodiment OF the iOrce he would
certainly mistake Tor the law. An examination OF
the records OF the Tombs Police Court would seem
to prove that he has already held clerkshp there,
for not only are the ordinary rules OF photography
sacrificed to phonetic ideas, but even the Queens
English loses its beauty and meaning. Legislative
enactments become "siatuary law" IN the hands
OF The clerk of that Court, while an "annual" be-
comes an "anlmal' report; socks are simply
'soks,n and two is spelled too" and Tor 'Tore"
This man, so wonderfully illiterate. is allowed to
take or refuse TO take oail in the absence OF the
Judge, and, indeed, to perform judicial functions.
Nobody thinks OF complaining. Indeed, NOBODY
seems to know that the administration OF justice
Is in such incompetent hands: yet day after day
and year after year the rights OF men, women and
children are determined by officers who do not
know the difference between q statue and q
statute.
TIE IRREsPoNsIBILITY OF THE POLICE.
Few OF us know anything about the administra-
ton OF justice in New York, yet nearly all OF us
have suffered some indignity at the hands OF the
police or the police courts Occasionally We read
in the newspapers how Oflicer Smith or Onicer
Brown caught a bold thief because the thief car
rieu very suspicious bundle. Such acuteness Is
always highly commended and yet huncred in
nocent men must inevitably be arrested and held
in the cells OF a station house night for every
guilty man that IS caught. Under the common
law and in desponc countries where there are
kings and An aristocracy the personal liberty OF
even the poorest man Is held sacred. An arrest
without the warrant OF magistrate is an invasion
OF private rights that would not be tolerated. In
this city every man VINO walks the streets
is at the mercy Of any policeman into whose hands
he may chance to fall, and not one arrest In a
thousand is made BY warrant OF authority.
gentleman going nome from his CLUB, not long
ago, was arrested late at night and taken to the
station house, where he was kept for several
hours. He had package in his hand containing
toys for his children, and this considered suf
fcient cause for his arrest by an on1cer who
CHANGED to meet him. had he not been able to
explain who ne was, he would have been detained
till morning and perhaps committed Tor examlna-
ton by q police Justice. Another gentleman was
arrested a week or two ago. in Broadway, because
ofr1cer fancied he resemDled burglar who
was wanted" though there was in reality no re-
semblance Whatever between the two men. IL
often happens that men detained for
days In the cells OF the station house or at
Police headquarters before being brought
before the police courts. The action OF the
police In the case OF Hawry, convicted Of the re.
cent Adams Express safe robbery, Is an illustra.
ton in point. Though be was guilty, still he was
entitled to all the rights which the law granted
HIM, and their DENIAL TO him goes TO prove that
the Jaw would have been violated as readily had
he been innocent. The ordinary routine OF the
Police Department ignores the law altogether, the
assumption that the citizen has no rights being
practically enforced TO the very doors Of the
General Sessions. " the hundreds OF prison srs
arrapned every week In the police courts IT is o
rare thing TO Gnc one who was legally arrested
aud ninety out OF every hundred ought 10 be able
to recover damages Tor false imprisonment But
notwithstanding every citizen Is In constant dan
ger OF falling into the clutches Of policeman and
70 DO wronged IN the police courts, those OF ui
who escape such evil fortune seem so happy over
It that we never give thought TO the unhappy
wretcbes who are less fortunate