New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-18
NOR1LTTY OF GOING RtTT

Repeated but futile attempts have been
made by both the District-Attorney's Office
and the Courts to break up the professional
ban" business i'll this city. 1t is in its various
phases, an abuse which increases year after
year. 1t thrivcs upon crime, and is one of the
chief obstacles which the administration of
justice in New-Yorl1 has to encounter. II
benefits only the rogue, and Injuries only the
people who wish to sec justice DONE 1t is
doubtful II, under existing laws, the abuse can
ever be abolished. Judges like Recorder Smytb.
by imposing such severe but Just sentences as that
inthc case of the bogus bondsman Dean. may
break up the STRAW" bail feature of the bust
ness, but the professional and the friendly
bondsmcn will go on doing their mischief
until the laws are changed.
There are several phases of this business.
and each does wrong in its own way. The
bogus" bondsman is very different person
from the professional" bondsman. or from
the man who goes bail out of friendship. but
each equally serves the criminal under arrest.
The bogus" boudsman must, of necessity. be
himself a rogue, taking dangerous risks for
very small profit He swears to the possess
sion Of property he does not own, and
gets pay for his perjury. He may be detected,
but in the meantime the criminal whom he has
detected perjurer be punished the other rogue
goes unwhipped of justice. This NAV onnc,r
SO dangerous business that few persons would
be likely to engage in it, yet the list of these
rascals known to the SherlITs and District At.
torney's Offices is long one.
The merely professional" bondsman does
not take such risks az the "bogus bondsmop
lie appears for Il criminal only when Unidentified
and then only on the payment of a good bonus.
He swears to the possession of nothing which
he does not really own, and consequently
commits no perjury The Sheriff or District
Attorney who takes his bond knows very well
that he appears in the interest of a criminal
but, as the bOndsman is financially responsible.
he cannot be refused on this ground alone
The officer accepting him knows that
he has been Unidentified by the rascal
probably out of the proceeds of the crime
still the law does not permit him to decline
his bond on moral grounds When trial il
called he produces his man. and is released
from further responsibility, being the
amount of the bonus better off with
out having rished anything. If the rascal
eyades trial and escapes, the bondsman
Is still in hand the bonus paid after surrender
ing the amount left with him as indemnity. Tho
immense profit of this branch of the business.
where no money is risked or even expepded
and the same security serves in scores of cases
leads many persons supposed to be respect
aDle 10 go into It, OF course it is simply living
Oil the wages OF sin and engaging in obstruct
ing the course Of justice for the benefit of the
criminal. There is 10 morality but much
money in it,
The man who goes bail for friendships sake
does his mischief i'll still another wav. In
civil actions where orders of arrest are given
ana the crime is questionable, it is well enough
10 give bonds 20 save hardship but in
criminal actions on complaint of the ininred
PERSONS friendly bondsman may do a GREAT
Deal OF mischief by going bail for one he
knows to he guilty. In nincty-nne cases
out Of hundred the person complained of
goes INTO court accompanied by two friends
and waving examination gives bail and con-
sents to let the complaint go to the Grand
jury. The injured complainant has no remedy.
the criminal valves cOmplainant's side of the |
case as well as his own, and the injury done
remains. When the complainant goes to the
Grand Jury he is told that il is not "consider- |
ing bail cases this month; come some other |
month";" and he is thus put off until the pur
sult OF Justice becomes expensive as well as |
Vexatlous; and finally the guilty party escapes |
without even having stood u hearing In the !
City OF New York there are hundreds of sucb |
of justice every month. In the |
vast majority OF these the friendly bondsmani il |
helping criminal to escape his deserts. He
mas not thought Of tho morality Of his course.