The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-17
TRICKS OF DOGBERRY ROW.
How the Vultures of the Justice Shops
Fleece Their Unfortunate Prey,
ACase Illustrating the Inscriptions Methods
Of Some Of the Dogberry Courts-The Out
rageous Treatment of Poor Woman.

There are one or two justice shops in the pre-
cincts Of Dogberry row over the doors OF which
Dante's inscription above the portals OF hades,
Leave hope behind all ye who enter here"
might be appropriately inscribed so far as the
human grist that is brought to those mills is
concerned. 1t is more hopeful place, in
financial way to the justices and the harpies
that fatten there. It is not necessary to desig-
nate these justice shops to distinguish them
from those of their competitors who are doing
an honorable business. They are known.
The story of Isaac J. Stein is recent one, a
part of which has been in print. but the conclu-
sion of the story may not DO wholly uninterest-
ing. Isaac j. Stein. man 63 years old, stopped
at the Grand Hotel registering under AN as
sumed name. 1t seems he had at one time been
q preacher, and, later on, lecturer. He was
recognized at the hotel by q resident of
Leavenworth, Kan, as former minister Of that
place. who also knew that some years ago he
had been sent to the penitentiary for an alleged
burglary, but from which place he had been re-
leased by pardon by the governor The Leav-
enworth man informed the police of the char
acter of this guest, and then Stein was
recognized as a man who had stopped
at the Grand two years ago, and left with
out paying his board bill. Stein was arrested,
and taken to the station house. The police
gobbled his valise. which contained a number of
newspaper clippings telling Of his mis-
deeds. OF referring to his prison
experience in the State penitentiary Of Kansas.
They telegraphed to various places to find out
whether anybody wanted him." but there
was no demand for their find from any quarter
81 Me- Ill n
money in his valise. They also found that he
had large ecclesiastical library stored at place
on Maryland street near the hotel. Stein said
these books were valuable to q student only, and
worth to him 81, 200: At forced sale they
would probably yield 5000. He was taken be-
fore the Mayor, who. on the evidence produced,
sent him to the work house.
The old man thought he had been sent rs a
vagrant, but could not understand how that
could be, when he had $l14.21 in cash. His bill
had not been presented by the hotel, and he had
not attempted to run off. He was really sent
under the lettering ordinance, which apparently
fit his case, and no blame is upon the Mayor He
was fined $50 and costs and sent to the work
house for ten days. The costs were So. 40. He
was received at the work-house. his hair and flow
ing patriarchial beard were cut off, he was put IN
striped uniform, and he was set to breaking
stone. He was at the work-h three days
The attorney who had appeared for him IL the
Mayors Court. went out to interview him. By
that time constable had found where the old
mans books were and had broken into them and
rummaged among his papers. The attorney
finally got possession of the boxes containing the
books, and had them nailed up. Stein says as
soon as he was arrested he sent word to Mr.
P6ngst to send his bill. but the latter, probably
acting under bad advice, sued him in Justices
court. and STEMS attorney had hard work to keep
the constable from having appraisers appointed
for the books. Appraisers are good thing, ss
they add to the constables fees and run up the
costs Stein was willing to pay, and had the money
to pay with, but they seemed determined to
pluck him to the last feather.
When the attorney visited Stein he told him
there was SIT remaining of his $114. Stein had
taken appeal from the justice shop to the Cir
cult Court, and to get bondsmen gave mort
gage on his books to secure them in the costs
should the case go against him. In the mean
time his money had been eaten up, and he
stepped out of the work-house, after q three
days stay, without cent. No matter what this
old mans past record. he had committed no
crime here, and those who saw him look upon
him rather as a weak old fellow, somewhat
cranky, than as criminal. His books cannot
be moved, he can get no money out of them, as
they are pledged as collateral, and he is abso-
lutely penniless, having been robbed legally. as
successfully and thoroughly as If he had been
run through panel-house.
This however, is not as bad as another recent
case A married woman, coarse but honest, was
arrested, charged with profanity. She
tried in a justice-shop and fined one dollar and
costs. The fine goes to the State--the costs to
theIharpies. The costs were SIG s. These amounts
put together made total of nearly $l8-for pro-
fanity-and meant to this poor woman eighteen
days in the work house. 1t didn't mean that to
| the constables prosecutor, and others. She had
| husband, and they reasoned shrewdly that he
would scrape the money together, pay them their
fees and get his wife to her home, where she had
two little children, who sadly needed her arten
| ton. By the way, they walked her out to the
work house. and she far advanced in preg-
nancy. The husband, who is poor, hard working
| man, whose labor. when it doesn't rain or isn't
too cold or too warm, earns one dollar day, did
scrape the money together somehow, and his
wife was released.
1t is a common practice of one or two of these
Justice shops, Journal reporter is informed, to
collect from work-house prisoners who pay for
their release after a few days confinement more
than they are legally entitled to receive. Pris-
oners sent to the work-house in default of the
penalty assessed against them are entitled to q
credit of dollar for each day of their impris-
| onment. If prisoner, able to secure his re-
| lease, after few days of confinement, by pay
ing the fine and costs, is not aware Of his rights,
| the Inscriptions justice will collect from him
the full amount, including the one dollar day
he has earned during his Imprisonment
The Taxation of Trust Funds
question of some interest touching the taxa
ton Of money! in the hands of a trustee was de-