The Washington bee., 1889-12-07

There Is one man In this city
and who presides over the Police
Court OF this city whom the
citizens of color hold in high es-
teem. When he was appointed
Judge of the Police Court the
presumption of a few colored peo-
pie was that President Cleveland
had appointed a man who was ini'
mical to the colored people. At the
time of the appointment the editor
of this paper, who had always knew
Mr.. Miller, although a democrat,
said that President Cleveland had
appointed a good man, and
. friend to the oppressed Ne
gro. The best citizens as we'll as
the editor of this paper knew that
no better man could have been ap-
pointed to succeed Judge Smell. The
editor compared him, so far as giving
justice to the Negro, with his Honor
Judge Macarthur and even Judge
Montgomery, another democratic
Judge appointed by Mr.. Cleveland
has demonstrated his fairness and
good will for untortun te colored
criminals. In regard to Judge
Miller, the BEE wants to say no
person who has visited the Police
Court can say that he is un-
kind or unfair to celored crimi-
nails. The record shows that he has
more care to right the wrongs q.
gainst the race than any republi-
can Judge that has ever sat on the
bench. Some time ago a young
man by the name of James IL.
Cromwell, a nephew of Mr.. ). W.
Cromwell, took charge of his un-
cle's paper and who has demon.
strated the fact that he is a con-
summated fool, possessing more eg.
otlsm than braines, in an issue Of
his paper a few weeks ago he un-
dertook to correct wrong that only
existed in his imagination to wit,
that two colored boys were con-
fined in the cells of the Police
COURT over night without any
thing to eat. Judge Miller's atten-
ton was called to the article re-
ferred to and directed the Clerk of
the Court, Mr.. Howard G. Clegett,
an accommodating young man, to
investigate the matter, which re-
suited in the following letter to the
young man who dubbs himself
editor:
Police Court OF the D. Of c.,
Clerks Office, Nov. 81, '89.
To the Editor of the Peoples Advocate:
Dear Sir:
The Judge of the Police Court is in
receipt of copy of your paper of Nov.
23d The enclosed article being called
to his attention, he ordered me to investi-
gate the matter Immediately. As mat
ter of fact no such thing ever happened.
No boy of any kind or description was
detained at the Police Court over night,
during last week, or at any other time.
Such thing would not be tolerated
single moment. The two boys, and the
Ouiy bWO WIN "OlC w y IC 10
form school during the week referred too
in your article were transferred to that
institution on the day OF commitment.
Feeling that you have been imposed up
on by some one who has q greater loye
for sensation than regard for the truth
| have taken the liberty of sending this
denial. That there might be no mis-
take, repeat that no Negro boy, nor
white boy, or any other kind Of boy, has
during the last week, nor at any other
time confined at the Police Court from
Tuesday until Wednesday afternoon,
with or without food, and that the per-
SOD who gave the ADVOCATE such infor
fation either did not know what he was
talking about or else wilfully imposed up
on the reliable journal by perpetrating
upon it q deliberate falsehcod.
Respectfully,
Howard C. Clagett,
Clerk.
Notwithstanding the card of
Mr.. Clagett, refuting the charges
made, written at the request of the
Judge, he goes still further and
this time puts his foot in it, by
calling Lawyers Hewlett, Moss and
Kicks,
"PURJURERs'
"we can't see how tae Clerk of the
Court could make q CONSTANT charge
against q prisinor without data bearing
on the case-when, arrested where and |
offense. Bad record, Mr.. Clerk.
This much we have to say, that 1t mat |
ters not, if they were kept In the Police |
Court cell or the Station House witt out |
food, the length of time in our charge, it |
was inhuman, and with things as they |
are, We will not withdraw our charge. We
think, as the gentleman who came from |
the Reform School after the boys, that it |
was shame to keep them all that time |
without food. The Judge. as said before,
concecds that they were al hours without |
food, and haYing authorized his clerk to
make denial, makes 1t worse by false |
and misleading statements. The part |
played BY Lawyers Hewlett, Moss and |
Kicks, is that soft 'act" Of incurring the |
good will and favor OF the Court. 'Tis
mighty bad for lawyers, protesting as
they do, a knowle dge of the law, to swear
to something they don't know. Perjurers |
of the deepest dye. Talk about your race |
pride! The honor Of the Court way be |
sustained, but the part played By Clerks |