New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-29
VARIABLE DISS DEBAR-
THE SCENE IN THE ToMBs POLICE COURT

THE SCENE IN THE TOMBS POLICE COChA'
The Diss Debar has surrendered yet. She SIN
insists that Shakespeare, Rembrandt Clandlus anu
Apollo Bcividere, but more especially and prooaoS
more to the point, St. Peter the Apostle and 81 AL
thony OF Padua On her side. Shakespeare was a
superior in his time, know. ard so were all inc
gentlemen whosee spirits such pleasant ana
consolatory relations with the Dlss Debar. but II
were arraigned in tho Tombs Police Court before
Justice Kilbrcth upon the charge of being dean
beat and fraud, think on the whole that Ia
rather trust my interests to Howe Hummei 'hah
TO Shakespeare and St. Peter. STILL that IL matter
which evory one must decide for himself and perhaps
the Diss Debar knows her Affairs better than l.
The proceedings In court last week Of every
descrfbable oharsoter-now solemn. now intensely
dramatic. now ridiculous and now pltiful But
whethor they tended make people laugh cry they
did not shake the castiron nerve Of the Diss Deosr
She glared Like 8 savage or dropped her eyes Ike
saint, she Kissed LIAR" "scoundreiP
or moved her lips IN silent prayer;
she tossed her head back IN proud
d!sdaln or ben. It forward in Lowry, religious humn-
ty Just as she thought most suitable tho occasion,
but not even when he harrow like eoquenco OF
Mr.. Howe scarifed her did she lose her per
fectly wonderful cheek
Judge KiIbrsth has had an easy time Of it owing
TO the odd way Mr.. Townsend and Mr. Boyd have
of letting Mr.. Howe do no plesses. The prosecu-
admitted under tho rules had the Judge been called
on to enforce them. but apparently the DEFENDANTS
lawyers have boon Indifferent to what tho witnesses
said or how they said It. They have been pcrmit.eo
to state their conclusions and differences, to ranDe
along IN stories that the mercst hearsay 10
characterize actions and persons, and, indeed no
restrictions Of any kind have been placed upon
tbem No trial court would receive ono-thrd OF
the evidence that has been put in before Justice
Kfbreth, nor would he, dare say. were objection
raised to II. But exceptions from the rulings OF
police magistrate amount to little, since no mas
merely TO pass on the question OF whether or NOT
there IS probable TO warrant tho detention Oh
tho defendants TO await ths Grand Jurys action.
This will not DO q difficult question for Judge Kill
bretb to answer Even II thousand witnesses
should testify that thoy saw tho "spook pictures
come the testimony Of Inspector Byrnes vOuid
require the prisoners committaL In ono OF those
confidential which prisoners Will persist
IN having with the Inspector, she made eliminating
admissions that plainly showed purpose to rob
and despoil Mr.. Marsh.
1t was mistake for Senator Boyd to make an argu-
ment on his motion to dismiss the complaint He
simply gave Mr.. Howe the opportunity that astute
advocate had plned for all along, to make a speech
1t was q model speech of It's kind. can imagine
that webster, Clay, Henry Ward Beecher or George
william Curtis would have laid it down on somewhat
different lines and delivered it in a different STYLE
perhaps. There are many respects In which MI Our
It's and Mr.. Howe, to contrast contenpOrsneOus ora
tors differ both to composition and clocution Mr.
Curtis smoother easier cultivated In his style
and more elegant in his dicton. But he lacks Mr.
Howes rugged vocal energy, he has of his rivals
robust sarcasm he is probably less familiar with Tombs
classics and never by any effort Of action or voice
could he catch tho ninltablo play OF Mt Howes
features, the picturesque attitude Of Mr.. Howes
figure, the truthfully natural tones OF MI Howos
voice he uttered the remarkable sentence, And
what did Ann o'Delia, Edtha Lola, Princess of Mon
toz Diss Debar say TO Hamilton In reply viii
read her exac% words, yslr Honor 'Oh, leave me
alone for working Marsh she said. Il give you
fellows with savdust your feet points In working
soft snapsP' would give great deal to hear Mr..
Curtis repeat those lines, and to sec him then turn
about and look at the Diss Debar as Mr. Howe did.
Other portions OF this remarkable address created
a great impression upon tho audience. There was
nothing conclllatory or gallant about IT, albeit Mr..
Howe is naturally amiabls man and much courtcd
by the ladies' 10 whom his addresses most gentle
and polite But his theory OF this case is that the
Diss Debar is An utterly dcpraycd and devlush adj
ventures, whose mangnancy stops at nothing, and
who makes a business OF proyinC peoples most
sacred sentiments Wherefore he addressed her In
no mild, mclodious tones. And then,' he would
say, Ann 0Deia, the Princess yonder looked at
Mr. Marsh Of those cold gray eyes OF hers, Just
as she is looking at now, and told him that she
had commune alton from st Peter declaring that
II he read the newspapers his soul would lInger
30, 900 years IN HE'LL
"You are liar - cried the Diss Debas with flaming
face.
She calls me a liar.u retorted the lawyer. What
I say to defend myself from the attacks Of
woman who, born Of honest parents prefers TO pro-
claim herself o bastard OF advcnturcss who has
lured the poor dupe sitting there at her side, upon
whose arm she IS at this moment sliding her snaEy
hand away from his lawful vito and family See,
your Honor, they clasp hands In mock heroic manner
and the Princcsss hand is top of the Generals.
Better go back to your true wife and family in
Philadelphia, General, and support them an honest
should, than 10 cling rs parasite TO that portly
swndlor that ugger in black art, that sanderer OF
aged mother that lecherous, web weaving spider
The movement in this earnest, impulsVe paragraph
may be criticised II does lack grace. But certainly
there is much vlgOr in It could wish. In
this respect 10 is unlike that series Of ardent OBJ
servatlons addressed by Queen Margaret TO Richard
Plantagonct:
Thou troubler OF this poor worlds peace
Thou elhsh-marEi, aboiIive. roofing hog
Thou that vast seal'd in thy nativity
The slave OF nature, and tho son Of HE'LL
Thou caeco-demon Thou dctestcd-
IL breaks of there, and too soon, and It seems
to that all the defects OF Howe's anathema, II
defects there be any, equally apparent in Shake
spearcs.
The Diss Dollar looked very pale under this ralhng
and when Mr.. Howe said that but for this prosecu-
ton Luther r. Marsh might now, like Loswenherz,
from whom he accuses her Of stealing the
spirit pictures, Z bo in his grave, the victim Of
poisoned body well as of a poisoned mind'
she turned hvd and then green and then black
Lawyer Townsend, at place, criticised Mr.. Howe
for attacking woman and that invites discussion.
Character in a man and the claim OF a woman
sideration on account Of her only DO lost by
All tTr "a
has robbed another Of his character and upon the
possibility Of that act of vloonco the laws Of bsl
rights Of individuals that Of the unIpterr1 pied enjoy
ment OF his good reputation The laws Will soon hayo
TO DO amended for thoir theory is wrong No man
DO perPetrated only by ones self For my part, l
think Howe did Just right in castgatIng tho Diss
Debar without mercy. Hcr own acts have taken nom
hor all the claim to gentle treatment that accrues