The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-10
LONDON POLICE COURT.
An Afternoon scene Bow Street.-The
Crowd aud the Criminals.


LONDON, Oct. Elbow Street Police
Court, with the interior Of which "Dr." slade Is
becoming familiar, Il weird sort of place.
with its cold. hard walls, its mouidy atmos-
phere. Its dusk, which the brightest day never
dlsuels, but must turn to a leaden twilight by
the tine II reaches tue floor from toe roof IL ts
a cell which Dante would have set In his Infer
no As the place where. after the pleasures OF sin
have passed. spirits wake up to the dry, stony
wages they were uus1nsciOusiN earning. since |
have been WA. ching The Sade case took occa-
sion to wait just outside the door IN the street
at o'clock. when the Dntch OF Offenders
VINO have been sentenced dufng the morn
ing sre passed out one hy one to the
their several places Of punishment. Already
the street Is or wued hN a motley throng Of the
worst ch iracters 10 London. there are three or
four hundred ~ them, al l four or i've police
men are required TO defe" the dourway. they
press IR Snd Ilin h TO u 1n rans and CHAM
witless Jests followed ny bursts Of laughter
more traeical tnan lamentations. There Is hard
ly one whose face Is without some old or new
Disagreement. reporting the huoitual violence
amid which they pass their life in-death. MAKE
wayl" cries u policeman. The crowd SWANS
back. grows still, and swiftly drives up To the
door the long, large, windOwless WAGON, drawn
side the monogram "V. r." Ia golden letters,
1T lnding out.
The superior policeman appears at the door,
strong IN frame. self possessed, callous he an
folds a sheet Of blue fOolscap. anu IN clear
voice calls the first name. In RESPONSE comes
skulking out youth OF = xteeu, ragged. miser-
atle his group OF fiend, Is near Dy, and cry IN
chorus, "Cheer M, Joe, cheer upV Joe tries
To smile. but the oneCt u uad-espccidllN as his
upler hp has All ugly cash In II. Next comes
an older youth bloated but stu rather hand
some aud he is greeted 10y the voices Of three
or four women, but not In chorus: Never
mind t. Tom y cries one "Will eet you out,
sure" shouts another; a third says, I'll see
after Nary anu'-but here her voice cnokes aud
fails her. ana the last look uf Tom as he enters
the van II her apron raised To her es. But II
j. not all sympathy Every fellow that came out
WITH a bruised look, As II he had been hgh;ing.
had his encouragers; out now came out a
m better dressed than the Others, and
bearing IN his hand bright rolled
~ ring. When he appe red the entire crowd
groaned aud hooted him, and cried, " Ah-ah, YOU
blood, viii iul' Inc man. white a. a sheet, stag
gered to the door uf the van. asked poltc o.
N ~ to explain the anger OF the crowd, ami he
said: " lie t,bbed man lat night-he's in
tbs hospital IN dangerous state" WAS he
some f1vofite. thenf' ION. no; these people
know nothing Of the parties, but they hate the
knife. 4 hey don't obi 'ct to hghting with fists
but they are down on a man who cuts" Some
now, after this explanation, the crowd didn't
look quite SO ugly as before and s,ill more did
thel improve m appearance VIII u, after several
women had entered the van, and been chcered
by friends and cnalfed by strangers, one girl
came odt who, Ia urGrr to ESCAPE recognition,
or the gUze Of tue ovid, had drawn up her
outer skirt, and shrouded her he ri and face.
The crowd respected her delcicy 10y Renal ming
quiet, and, as She Disappeared, a few comp as
sionate murmuis were heard.