The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-12-25
AT TIE POLICE COURT.
BY W. D. HowELLs.


tired of my iellow-speosators, l sup
pose, If l went great many tines.
| liked to consider the hungry gravity
of their countenances, as they listened
to the facts elected, and TO speculate
AZ 10 the ultimate effect upon their
moral natures-or their imm oral
natures--oi tue gross and Palpable
shocks daily impaired to them by the
details OF VICE and crime. l have
tried TO treat my material lightly and
enter tsIplugiy, as a true reporter
should, but 1 would not have my
reader suppose tnat l did not feel the
essential cruelty OF an exhibition that
tore its poor rags from AL that squalld
shame, and Its mask from all that
lying, covering guilt. or did not sus-
pect now it must harden aud'depraVe
those whom it daily entertained. As
[ dwelt upon the dull visages of the
spectators, certain speCtacles vague
ly related themselves to what / saw /:
the women who sat and knitted at toe
sessions OF the Revolutionary tribun-
ais OF Paris, and overwhelmed with
their clamor the judges feeble Iul-
pulses to mercy; the roaring pop
ulace st the Spanish bull-fght and
Roman arena, Here the sane eIe.
ments we're held IN absolute silence.
-debsrred even from conversation, "
but it WIS impossible not to feel
that here in degree were the con-
ditions that trained men to demand
blood, to rave for the guillotine, to
turn down the thumb. This proces-
sion OF misdeeds, passing under their
eyes day after day, must leave q
miasm Of moral death behind it,
which no prison or work-house can
hereafter cure. We all know that
the genius OF our law is publicity !;
but it may be questioned whether
criminal trials may not b. as profit
ably kept private as hanglDgs, the
popular attendance on Waion was
once supposed to be bulwark of re.
lieion AID morality.
Not that there was any avoidable
brutality, or even indecorum, 10 the
conduct of the trials that | saw. A
spade was necessarily called a spade |;
bat it seemed to me that with all the
waste OF time and foreign alloy the
old Puritan seriousness was making
itself felt even here. ard subduing
the tone Of the procedure to a grave
decency consoosnt with the inquiries
OF Justice. For it was really Justice
that was administered. SO far as !
could see ; add justice that was by no
means blind, tut very open-eyed and
keen.s sighted. The causes were de-
cided by one man, from evidence U.s.
ually extracted out ct wrilhiDg reluct.
ance or abysmal stupidity, and the
judgment must be formed and the
sentence given where the magistrate
sat, amid the confusion OF the crowded
room. Yet, excepting in the case of
my poor thief, l did not see him hesi-
tate and 1 did not doubt his wisdom
Il am far from pronoanciDg bis
sentence uDjust--even in that case.
His decisions seemed TO me the re-
suit of most patient and wonderfully
rapid cugitatIop, and in dealing with
the witnesses he never lost his temper
amid densitIes OF dullDess which it is
quite Impossible t. do more than in
dictate. II it were necessary, for ex
ample, to estsbl sh the fact that q
handkerhhie. was white, il was not 10
done without some such celleQuY as
this -
"Was it white handkerchief"
'Sor 2"
"Was the handkerchief white ?"
"Was it white, serf"
Eyes. was it white ?"
"Was what white, sor ?"
the Observation-Disclosures the
handkerchief white ?"
"What handkerchief, sor 2"
"The handkerchief, you Just men
tioued.-the handkerchief that the
defendant dropped.
ST did Mt see it, sor."
"Did Mt see the handkerchief 2"
,"Did MT see him drop it, sor."
"Well, did you see the handkeI-
chief?'
"The handkerchief, soH? Oh, yes,
sor I saw it, saw the hdndker.
chief"
"Well, was il qchite?"
1t was sor. )"
4 boy who complained Of another
for assulting him said that he knocked
him down.
How did he knock you DOWN."
asked the Judge. odd be knock
you down with bis fist or his open
hapdf"
Eyes sor."
(which did he do it Rith?"
''Put his arms around me and
knocked me down."
"Then he did Mt knock you down.
H. tbreso you down."
Eyes sor. He did Mt throw me
down. Put his srms around me and
knocked ne down."
l. would be impossible 10 osrica
sure these things, or to exaggsrate
the charitable long-sufering that
iea!a with such cases. Sometimes,
as II IN mere despair, the Judge GALL
ed the oarsies to him. and questioned
them privately after whioh the case
sesmeJ 20 be settled, without
;ule1os triAl.-Jaqluary AtlGntte.
rs 80. 49, - ,zE - - 49, - = -. s.t.