The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-17
BEFORE THE MAYOR.
Glimpses of Character in the Trial of Cases
in the City Court on Monday Morning.

No terms are so much abused in the Mayors
court as those Of gentleman and lady. "
Everything male that goes into the prisoners
box is called gentleman" and every thing female
lady" by the lawyers on both sides, and always
By the policeman as he gives in his testimony.
The incongruity of the application never appears
to manifest itself to any of the officials or habi-
tues of the court.
A very dismal-looking gentleman was Eugene
Malone when Prosecutor Hug drew the record
on him, and showed thereby that he was before
the bar of outraged justice to answer for the
third time the charge Of being drunk. the previ-
Gus occasions having been in October and De-
cember of 1856.
II wasn't drunk this time, your owner" said
Eugene, very much depressed with a work house
sentence staring him in his by no means prepos-
sessing countenance.
"You were so drunk you couldn't tell your
name or age when we picked you up in the court
house yard"
Malone rallied against this assertion. "Your
Honor, never was that drunk yet"
This makes the third time." said his Honor
''These officers can't be mistaken. You're not a
bad fellow, but you were drunk. Five dollars
and ten days"
Mary Early, poor wretch whose drinks, ac-
cording to the record, have been frequent.
pleaded guilty. From the time she was brought
into the dock from the cooler until she was taken
out again was little more than a minute, but in
that time she had founda fine of $25 and thirty
days In the work-house.
A very penitent young man. who for several
minutes had been endeavcring to rest his AID
ANS apple. which had been running up and
40 ne nh %n% ha oI LAS "a
over his desk He had been arrested as drunk,
his first offense, was employed at the hospital
for the insane, had been there only month,
and was afraid he would lose his place. Didn't
think, as he was stranger, he could get any
one to stay his fine. He looked so miserable and
that the Mayor was inclined to do the best he
could for him under the circumstances. He was
told 70 stand aside and wait.
~
Two colored boys employed at the Occidental
hotel were placed in the box, one for carrying a
deadly weapon, the other charged with assault
and battery When arrested, after a scuf1e
each one had told grievous tale on the other
to the police officers. Now, in the prisoners
box, they both appeared the best of friends and
denied there had been any bad blood between
them.
Mr.. Todd, q colored witness: Ode boys as
see was jess monkeyin,. No knife was drawed
at all. jess q monkeyin'."
The Mayor: What lnonkeying2 Do you
mean playingT
Mr.. Todd, surprised at his Honor's ignorance
of the languages: ''Yessah."
One of the boys protested they were only
cracking" which expression was afterwards in
terpreted to his Honor as synonymous with
Joking"
looked like it might have been made out of
hoopiron. The case was continued.
A miserable woman. with a scragged neck, a
sharp, hungry face, and infiamed eyes, was put
in the box. charged with prostitution. It came
out In the testimony that size was ffty-three
years of age, and lived In a cramped, shackellY
old house in the northeast part of the city A
man arrested with her, also occupied the box
Her four children, two of them little girls. were
In the courtroom AS the testimony was far
from chaste, the Mayor had them taken out
Patrolman Ben Thornton, colored, was one of
the policemen who made the arrest, and the
woman's counsel cross-questioned Thornton
when on the stand very closely. This had the
effect of making the case of his client worse, as
Thornton appeared to have reserved his most
damaging testimony for that moment. Thorn
ton Is recognized one of the shrewdest officers
on the force, cool and collected. and an admira-
bic witness, as he is thoroughly acquainted with
every case he undertakes The Mayor decided
against her, and an appeal was taken to the
Criminal Court.
**
While the preceding case was being heard, q
good-looking young woman suddenly rose to her
feet and, with shrek that arrested all business
for the moment, exclaimed. "Oh, Jimmy, Jim
my! Take me where he is! Let me see him!''
1t seems that she was the sister of James Mil
Ter, arrested for assaulting John M. Lindley, on
Aug. IL, with intent to commit robbery. The
sister has been living in Chicago and got o
glimpse of her brother through the door Of the
anteroo as the sergeant was putting HIM in
the cooler. She was removed from the room
and quiet was restored. Miller's hearing will be
taken up this morning.
It's that boy in jail yet9p asked his Honor of
one of the court oficers-''that little fellow who
stole 45 cents from his mother. Bring him over
here. don't think that's good place for a boy =
Several minutes passed, and the Mayor was
engaged In other business, when very small
boy, seven. or perhaps eight, years old. came
into the court, dinner bucket in one hand, his
mat tied to string, humping along the floor be-
hind him. Bold as brass, he stepped OIL he
platform and turned up a nose, and two very
round eyes looked over the desk at the Mayor.
''Little boy" said his Honor, in voice which
would have gone clear through an ordinary
Sunday-school boy. ST am going to let you CO."
s'Yeth, thir," said the urchin, without the
least semblance of emotion.
"Be good boy, mind your mother, and don't
let me ever see you here again. You hear mef'
''Yeth thir," said the small boy, simply, as he
shifted the dinner-bucket to the other hand and
went cut, his hat humping along the floor be-
hind him.
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Real Estate Transfers.
Instruments fled for record in the recorders Office