Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-01
HE DESERVES IT ALL.
Mr.. Allan Pays u Tribute 10 Police
Justice Richardson.

In the Police Court yesterday morn
ing, after Justice D. G. Richardson had
discharged S. Sidenberg and his brother
Abram, who had been examined on a
charge of perjury, Mr.. Edgar Allan,
who had represented the accused, asked
leave to address a few remarks to the
Court, not pertaining to the case just
disposed of. Mr.. Allan spoke substan-
TALLY as follows: Y
"Ifyour Honor please, this is in all
probability the last time | shall have to
appear before this court during the
period in which your Honor will pre-
side, and | desire to take the opportu-
nifty of saying a few words which could
not properly be uttered were it likely
our official relationship to each other
would remain as heretofore. know,
sir, the almost universal tendency Of
mankind is to worship the rising rather
than the setting sun, and that perhaps
what am about to say may be miscon-
strued to my detriment by those who
will shortly fill the positions of the
present officers of this court. But now
that the closing hours of your Houor's
official course have come, should be
untrue to the promptings Of my heart
did | not, in this public manner, not
only return my personal thanks for the
uniform kindness with which | have
always been treated by the Court and
its officers, but also express the sense
feel of the great loss the city of Rich
mond is about to sustain. | do no.
exaggerate when ! say that there is no
court in this Commonwealth where
as many elements combined are requi-
site to o proper discharge Of the duties
of Judge as in the Police Court
of this city. 1t requires q full and
thorough knowledge in regard to the
criminal classes of the city it requires
one who understands the city's needs in
the matter Of providing for the reforms.
tion Of juvenile offenders by places Of
confinement where they will avoid con-
tact with those hardened in crime; it
requires one possessing no small know
ledge of the law in all its branches, for
with its wide civil and criminal juris-
diction it combines in no small degree
the practice, if not the pleadings, Of
every other court in the State, and it
requires perhaps above everything else
the unfinching courage to mete out the
Just punishment to all wrong-doers,
combined with that element Of mercy
which. by straining justice and bscom-
ing q law unto itself, may often check
the downward course of the young at
the first wrong step and lead them back
to the paths Of virtue untainted by the
edicts of the law.
at is no fulsome hattsry when /
say that Richmond does not contain .
citizen who combines as many of these
essentials as does the present occupant
of the bench am now addressing, and
| am sure might point by the score to
parents who win forever bless the
nature which prompted this Court to
save their juvenile, erring ones from
the shame and disgrace which the strict
letter of the Law would have visited
upon them for Z moment Of sinful folly.
am sure / but voice the general senti-
ment Of this community when, in taking
leave of your Honor for the last time,
st least for two years to come, ex-
press the hope that in the unofficial
pathway Of the future you may reap
The reward which . grateful city owss