New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-20
WITHIN THE GRANITE TOMBS
WOES AND HUMoRs OF A POLICE COURT.
PICTURES OF THE METHODS By WHICH THE SOCIAL
FABRIC Is HELD TOGETHER.

PICTURES OF THE METHODS BY WHICH THE SOCIAL
| FABRIC Is HELD TOGETHER.
l. Dingdingl dingding.- sounds the sharp bell that
hangs on the wall Of the Tonibs Prison. near the
heavy door leading out upon the Bridge Of siehs.'
| Hearyc hearyel hcaieye- sings the crIer. as
he takes his place alongside Of the Judges bench In
| the police court
| A musty, dusty, sombre room It is. with walls
thick and rough and hopeless within It's pItilessly
barred and grated windows no ray Of CHEEKY sunlight
ventures to ntrude Two great masses Of stone
rising through the room up against the bare ceiling
Witness as words cannot the grim unbreakablc char
acter Of tho stony structure.
The courtroom Is flied with people-ahd such pco-
pie Within the little enclosure Just before the bench
SIT a group of-lawyers suppose they call them
selves, but the most Of them look vastly like vultros
Let me not be unjust. Some Of them arc Of kindly
lace and are brought here ~ crrands Of mercy But
they are the exceptions. There IS certain look-the
hound has II when he scents his game-that men &C
qure who live on the misforunes Of the poor and the
vices Of the depravcd, and II soon sinks into their
faces 1t shapes the burrows there and lights their
| hungry eyes You seom to see Il in the motion of
their fingers too, and in the way they carry their
restless heads.
On the benches back of these, hard heavy benches,
that NJ well with the stone pillars the grated win
dows and the thick walls is motley hrong OF police
onlcers' men, old and young boys large and small,
HhNS SUNNI 10 the procession OF miserable
ones soon to file over that creaking bridge And at
the side IS knot Of women budding close tocether
though all unknown to another as IL seeking what
comfort could be extracted from company Some of
them are old and wrinkcd and their step has ceased
10 be steady as If the feet were not quito certain
whittier the soul would 60. Around their bent
shoulders they draw faded shawl. or lacking that
poor relic OF better days, a wooen comforter
They sit there, dazed and all perplexed Something
has gone wrong with Danny, and the reckoning time
| has come.
some arc young, but very white of faco and
PlhoDeu ABOUT the nose and sunken in the cheeks
iheir eyes are not bright as those of young girls
shouid Oc' Dut duii and stcss they lived without
animation and went about without purpose Their
nat heshess shoulders look almost Ike boards as
their outlines are seen beneath the coarse fabrics ~
! their dresses. What 1t Old scrooge said about
| the surplus pOpulation2
High upon the platform behind their awesome bench
| sit their MaIestis Of the Law, wen fed and we'll
dressed on $4,000 year. They are neither tho best
nor the worst men In the world, these Police Magls-
trates, and perhaps their duty is as well done as
duties usually are. One Of them who sits tbere no,v
| is handsome, kindly seeming man. with bic brown
eyes, brown mustache and hair of gray and brown
No man could DO hard and smile as he does though
when he speaks, hts tones trie sharp as II he
were TOO much used 10 scenes Of grief and misery TO
overlook the guilt that caused them This perhaps
is right 1t is mans justice, anyhow for how are we
good people ever to get along how are We 10 protect
| our bonds and stocks and deeds and mortgages our
gems, our rich wines, costly brlca-brac I'm other
words how is the social fabric to be held together
| IL hungry thieves who break in and steal arc not
beaten with stripes and put to the scourgel
Ding-dingl Dingding!' sounds our tho prison
bell again and then the doors are thrown back upon
their nervedisressing hinges, the doors leading out
! from the prison and into the courtroom Across
| bridpa a Inn lima han,
troopng attended by muscular guards and policemen.
Into the prisoners pen they all driven like pigs
about to be slaughtered. Its grating is opened to
receive them and in answer TO the gruf Come along
now' Of the guard, they pack themselves IN and the
grating closes with bangi
The gIimpses of life to be caught in police court
are as varied as the forms in which human rascality
misfortune and mischief present themselves II any
one to mako business Of studying the freaks
that passion commits, his senses would be quickly
confused.
Katharine McNuppy to the bar! calls out the
clerk.
Katharine McNuppy, come outp calls the guard
at the prisoners pen.
Katharine appears dressed I'm a fororn and dirty
green gown with inconceivable bonnet on her
head She approaches slowly for her feet have a
good deal to carry and they act II they thought
that there such thing imposing good
/ nature. AS 5ne StedulcS herself against inc oar q
young unhealthy looking lawyer steps up and says
| he appears for Mrs. McNuppy.
You are charged with having committed assault
| and battery on the person Of Mrs. McNierney. Are
| you guilty not guilty ~ asks the clerk
"wull ye hear the slatherin', blaggardln' worruds
he's shpakin'l" cries Mrs. McNuppy. "Am OF
| guilty FaIx-'
"Now, Mrs. McNuppy, you must be quiet - says
the dirty lawyer IL will do the talking
Thin. bv Saint Kavvln Nv dOn't do an,
not shtand BY an hear me- characther tra!ulced'
"shp
"But-p
ash sh ship
Bangl. The Judges gavel is taking a hand in
things.
Guilty not gulty?'
"Tatther an ayers, there he goes agln wild his"
"Shn
Bangl
"Not guilty, your HonorI'
"Cal Mrs McNlerney ~
Mrs. McNerney comes forward at a brisk pace,
keeping her one eye fixed Mrs. McNuppy. Her
second eye is closed up with something that looks
like sealing wax, but her spirit is high and naughty.
AS she lifts her face from its fervcn dcvoons TO the
Bible she turns to Mrs McNuppy and looks her
codly through.
aye must know, Jedge' begins Mrs McNierney.
ats true for ye. He must know, before he'll
behave the nibes av you" interrupts Mrs McNuppy.
"Shn
Dangl
go on"
"Thet that woman the noight BEFORE lasht kim
Until my house In Delaney shtreet-"
"she lies, Jedge"
"shp
Bang!
"oi was boordin' Wild herr
"Shr
Bang!
-