The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-09-29
THE "SIIYSTERS"
Salutary Effect of Commissioner En-
hardt'S Recent Rules.
WHY THEY ARE NOT VIOLATED.
Specimens OF the Disreputsble Practices
Around Police Courts.

toriuC'' only boon eniorcou a sc's '""'t
already manifest that 1t will undoubtedly have tho
effect Of mitigating the great evil at when IL is u"
rcctcd During tho Tweed regime, when interruptions
and corrupt ,uoees controlled tho admissions to INC
Bar n grcut number Of persons werc admitted whose
examination mere farce, ana VINO kne"
10 moro law than John Brouahans lequacious
pacpic Many Of those low and interruptions men
nl ..hang" on the skirts Of tho police courts, ana
hs fact that they practsse ana fleece unfortunate
pcrsops who happen TO DO in trouble without render
,pr them auy sort adequate service for tho feos they
pockc, is scandal In the administration OF justice.
The police Justices have but little TO reform this
abuse thus compelling the Police Commissioners TO
nan out of their proper domain In order TO re-
love rho unfortunate prisoners IN Tho police courts
rho Grsr step necessary was TO prevent inc iuture
practice of that disreputablo dodge by which tho
,hyster hearing (rom police officer WHOM no pays
for tho informatton that man Is arrested, goes TO
him and pretending that he has been sent by friends
OF his EFFORTS the prisoners consent place hts de-
fence in the sbyslcr's hands. Perhaps the latter
may do something for him, pearhaps he may not; In
ali cases no will fleece him, his relatives and his
friends out Of their last cent II he From hun
0red dollar bill 10 q coat the shysscr will take any
thing he can get In order to stop this fca-
turo Of the nuisance the Police Commissioners pre-
,cribcd form Of application for counsel, oy which
l,o prisoner had to intimate OF his own accord the
pnmo OF the lawyer he desired to employ, and no
lawyer could obtain admission 10 n prisoner unless
he stated In written application the name OF tho
prisoners iricnd who sent him. Tho Police Commits
roncrs 1nd that tho sysiers begin to hesitate 10
use bogus names for fear OF prosecution
WOULDN'T SIGN THE APPLICATION.
.1 Ind n awycr complain to the other day
that no wns not allowed to prisoner un
less hc wrote out the name 81 tho prson-
er's friend who sent nim," Commissioner Erhardt
vaid on this point nnd he declared that he would not
oil out the blank. But why would he not? Because
II he states in writing that John Doe sent him and we
70 TO work and find that there is no John Doc in the
:,,y nc may be caught in unprofcssional practice aud
i,sbarrcd And he also knows that the prisoner re-
fuses TO him after having read tho application the
paper Is returned 10 him but sent up 10 US
com missioner Erhnrdt declared that the Commis-
,,occrs meant 10 stick to the rules which they had
nade all the protests OF the pohcc Jusces 10 the con-
Hary Notwithstanding.
s.The Justices sceI themselves that We arc right,
said he ssWbat did thoy do at their meeting The
other DAY? Did they dcno9nce our rules Oh, no!
but they asked to furnish them with The namos Of
nrofsss,onsl conduct ana they would 60 before tho
. Supreme Court and have them d'sbarrcd" "rhcnk
you CALCULATED Mr. Erhardt sat'rlcaliy thank you.
aentemen l am lawyer ysclf and II lind such a
: man can 60 before tho Supreme Court myself"
ia PAIp AN OFFICER ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
Speaking again OF the lawyer above referred to who
had refused TO sign the prescribed application, Mr.
Ernardt said this very man admitted that IN certain
case IN which bad made $3.50 out oil prisoner he
bad paid an oflccr 800 for procuring him the case.
"And this brings me the very point want to
unake'' Wr. Erhsrdt said. "peopo say, why do you
not leave It TO tho police justices to eradicate any
being pracs sed In their courts DC 1t ny
Shysecrs or anybody elser admit that they really
should exercise this duty, bat remember these shy
stcrs corrupt my own men. They inmrer with The
FRS in our charge We have to take recourse TO the
measures We adopted"
HOW A SINISTER EARNED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS
Apropos Of The numerous tricks md lodges BY
which those police shyste will exort fees, Mr.
Erhardl told amusing Story which, he sad had been
ksyn rnst0o al I'm Snn
One oil shysters had heard OF prisoner who
arrested some petty, himsy charge unsustained BY
any sufficient amount. Of evidence. Tho prisoner
really wanted no counsel at MI; sinpo unvarnshod
Abatement TO tho judge and the failure OF the
plaintiff TO produce corroboratvc evidence would
a. once have insured his discharge Tho shyster, how
ever made the poor man believe that his was q
most serious case which would require the most skill
full energetic defence to save him from feon's
doom The prisoner frightened at Tho learned coun-
scior's discouragng view OF his case at last con.
''shystcr" now addressed 70 him was, How much
money havo you gots'' The prisoner had none, but
his old mother, he Thought, might 90 able to raise
somc. The "shystcr' went 10 the poor old lrshwo
man, who gained precarious existence by washing.
mud drew terrible picture OF the awful fate that
would beiall her If he was not skiIfully dc
Tended. But 10 be we'll defended feo Of SIS
was requisite. The Old woman, at great sacrifice
and by dint much prration and suffering, scrapod
together the fee which was TO save her dearly beloved
sou from Tho pentcnt,ary and joyiuly handed It 70
aud his mother there but tue counsel. who
vas probably spending his fec in the nearest lager beer
snoon, est. HIS presence, however, was not
necessary Tor on account Of insufficient evidence, the
prisoner was at once discharged Tho mother now set
dad the learned counsellor in order TO get back the
money out Of which she had been so bascly swindcd.
After great difficulty she found him tho back
Of saloon with some Jovial cronics playing mug
"Givc me back my $3.50" the poor cried.
"Why ?" asked tho eSpounder OF justice.
because you weren't even at the trial and my son
was discharged"
smile, M had been thcrc he'd probably have got
tbrcc months"
And with these words no went on playing "mug-
ginA'
rEy CENTS FOR A, SUMMONS.
Stories like these the mouth OF everybody
who has mad any considerable experience with the adj
minstration OF justice in police courts There's
an old hanging round The Tombs Police Court
whose external appearance proves at glance that all
polieo court lawyers do not succeed IN p,ckpr up a
good LIVING This man Is content wi'h the
very cavings OF police court shystering III u poor
woman comes in to get gu mmo ns-and not even Mr..
Evarts Mr. OConor could be OF any service 10 her
In this undcrtakns-hc will present himself button
vest and panaIoons, and introduce himself about IN
mis- fashion :-'Good morning, madam. am coun.
'Counsellor OF this court" sounds worry big this
Euorant woman ana she confdcs to him the object OF
hcr errand. ION. to get n summons money ncccs
ry. Tho wheels OF justice wanted little grease, you
sny money with herr" mo, she had none at all"
"Nos oven a dollar?" "No, not cyen dollar" "Not
In her pockets ond scrapes together ten cents We'll,
he Ia magma mous, and, with q lorgiving lace
he takes the ten cents, probably the last money Sue
mas in the world, and gets the summons, which sue
could just as we'll have obtained without him. But
then therc is this advantage about his snstmg tue
summons besides the ten ceuts which he bias earned
He now iay ior' the other party and offer his
services 10 him or to her as the case may be- The true
police shystcr Will always try TO get money, IL
possible, out Of both parties TO a case.
THE cLrsRKs ACTING AS JUSTICES
The rule which prevents tho police court clerks
from Receiving the returns is undoubtedly an ndm,-
rabie Hitherto tbese clerks have actually cxer
ciscd OF tho most important functions OF the
Judges. They have opened tho returns, drawn
up the papers ana only lett the Justices tho
duty OF signing them THIS left tremendous
power In their hands by drawing tho complaint they
could virtually determine the grade OF the charge
which tho defendant must be tried. IL has frequently
happened. Tor instance that In cases OF pocket picking
the cIcrks in drawing the complaints, have omitted
tie words Larceny from the pcrfon,' and thus sue
cecdcd 10 sending the TO the Special Sessions in
stead OF tho General Sessions, where u properly be-
loDgcd. Picking pockets being felony tho Special
ox.- --l-ll-- - -.