Daily Republican., 1879-07-23
Witness Fees.

Witness Fees.
An article in the REpuBIAcAS on Sat
urday, relative to the manner in which
costs ar. run up on the unfortunate
who may happen TO be brought before
the police court, we are glad TO say Is
attracting attention. Every witness
summoned before the police court, or
before justice of the peace, is entitled
to fifty cents fee besides six cents miie.
age, no matter if the case occupies no
more than Eve minutes time in its set
tlemsnt, or whatever may be done with
it. The fec aud mileage Of each witness
are charged On the bill Of costs, and it
the defendan. can by any hook or crook
raise the money he has to pay it. 70 the
chief OF police il before the Mayor, or
to the constable having the case in
hand If before . justice of the peace,
and this money il not called for or d.
maudsd by the witness, goes into the
pockets OF the policemen or constable.
That this ia the custom can scarcely be
denied, and these very witness fees
that belong to the witnesses are veiy
seldom II ever paid to the right parties.
So accustomed have the people become
to receiving nothing for their attend
ance before the police court and jus
tees Of the peace as witnesses
In cases MOSTLY that do not
interest them, that they have general
ly lost sight OF the fac. that they are
entitled to Gfty-six cents for every days
attendance before any inferior court of
justice esta biished by law. We men
tion this .ct that witnesses may here
after know their rights, and those who
value their time, and are averse to be-
ing dragged before Mayors and squires
on trivial cases, may demand their
fees when paid into the hands Of the
proper officers. One OF the greatest
evils of constructive malfeasance Q
in office is the habit Of summoning an
unnecessary number Of witness IS, some
times ten or dozen. If there are ten,
the witness fees amount to 81, 60 which
are collected, ifpossible. but none of
these fees find their way into the pock
cts of the witnesse who are entitled to
them except in rare occasional Instances
where witness pretty we'll booked up,
aud who it might not bs prudent to re-
fuse, knew of his rights, and
demands and gets his fees. As
instances where costs have been piled
up unnecessarily, we were informed of
= littl, boy over Third street bridge,
who will not be eight years of age un-
til some time this coming fall, who last
Faster threw an egg shell at something
or somebo Iy, and for which he was ar
rested, and the trial resulted in prov
ing him guilty and bringing in bill of
%. so fine and costs. The boys father
being a poor laboring mani took three
weeks before he could spare enough
from his hard earned, scanty wages to
liquidate the ebt, and as it was, the
boy was in danger of being sent to New
Castle, had not kind hearted police
man whom we have frequently had
occasion to commend for his integrity
and fidelity went the boys security
Another instance has just been related
to US of q man who within a few days
past for some trivial offence was de-
manded to pay bill of over $S.Ue fine
and costs. The man demurred and de-
mand ID an itemized bill, when he ws
told that no bills were ever made out,
and he was threatened with being put
back in the cell if he did not pay
the amount demanded. The man still
refused and was about engaging an
attornay t, bring him out on writ of
habeas corpus, when compromise was
soon effected and the man got off by
paying S., and some odd cents. We do
not say that this system has been prac-
ticed only since Mayor Almonds term
Of office commenced, for we believe it
has been carried on through several
previous administrations, but even that
does not make right, and as Mayor
wa, elected as a ref rmer and
a high toned christian gentleman, it
was naturally expec.rd that the errors
of the past woult be rectifed, and all
abus-s Of off tal trust 50 often com lain
ed Of would have been SC upulously
avoided. what We haze SAID will |
even yet i augutate reform, in thi'
much abuse practice of piling up un-
neces 5ary Gusts Oh unfortunate individ-
uals, We shall rest content with having
rendered an important service to the
people.
IT REQUIRES a pretty cheeky kind of