Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-29
MUST RESPECT LAWS.
Foreign Evil-Doers Cannot Cheat JUS
tice by False Swearing.
AN APPLICATION OF THE STATUTES
Which Has Brought About Marked Abate-
ment Of Lawless Acts.
4 REFORMATION ON THE sOUTHsIDE

The tactics adopted by Inspector Nc
Kelvey, of the Southside police district, in
handling the cases of Poles, Hungarians
and others of the foreign element charged
with violation of city or State laws, has re-
suited in reform being made in the
Criminal Courts code of ethics. The
change in the manner of prosecution and
obtaining conyicting verdict has brought
to light new construction of the law. The
first trial of the new mode of procedure was
made some months ago, but little was pub
licly said or printed regarding it at the
time. 1t is only now that the effect Of the
change is noticeable in the abatement of
lawlessness and disregard of police authority
and the courts among a certain element OF
the foreign population on the Southside.
The Police Department has had no end OF
trouble in trying to convict Poles and
Hungarians. They seemed to have no
regard or fear of the law, or of being made
to suffer for their acts. City, county and
State laws were violated ruthlessly. There
has been no difficulty in apprehending the
evil-doers; the same can be said of
on that score. But for all these facts, it
was nearly impossible to have the grand
jury return true bill or obtain conviction
In the courts. Particularly was this fact
found to be the case in prosecutions for viola
tion of the liquor laws.
LAMENTABLY IGNORANT.
The police would arrest their man, gather
up any, number of witnesses who were
known to be in possession of information.
The prisoner and the witness would be taken
before the grand jury and the case would
be squelched 'for want Of evidence" The
same was the case if the prisoner came be-
fore the court.
The trouble mas been that when the wit
nesses were called on they would deny any
knowledge of the case. They knew nothing
and all swore alike. Though the police Of
fcials were confident that the witnesses were
perjuring themselves, nothing could be done
in the matter.
Inspector McKelvey became tired of max.
ing arrests and working for conviction
without any effect and at last decided that
something must be done. He accordingly
planned to make q test case OF Joseph
Christwiski, or "Joe Christ, as he is COM
monty called, Pole, who operated speak
easy and d1sorderly place near Southside
Diamond. The Inspector subpanaed ten
they denied having ever bought any liquor
in the place. They had drank in the house
time and again, but never paid for
it. The case was carried to the
grand jury and the Inspector took a num-
Der of the police officers over to the grand
jury room to try and secure true bill. The
police testified to the large number of
eighths OF beer carried into the house regu-
larly and to the disorderly character Of the
place, but still, owing to the non-committal
evidence of the Poles, it was declared that
there was not sustaining evidence.
JUDGE WHITES RULING.
The Inspector made plea for common
sense view of the case, and explained that it
was contrary to reason to suppose that seven
or eight kegs of beer were sold to one man
regularly each day. drank by others and not
paid for. At last the case went to court and
the same tactics we're repeated. When
Judge White heard the case through he
charged the jury, saying that there was no
doubt in his mind but that each of the
Polish witnesses had perjured them
selves and that the jury should
render verdict of guilty without leaving
the box. He further said that in cases of
robbery, though the act was not seen cir
cumstantial evidence was sufficient to con-
vict. 1t was the same in this case. If the
foreigners could not be made to swear
against each other, the community should
not suffer from their acts because of this,
and it was but vindication of the rights of
the people and the law that they should be
where the police have proper
proof The jury brought in verdict of
guilty and the Inspector had won his point.
After this case, it has been comparatively
easy to dispose OF Hungarian and Polish
cases, and these foreigners have come to
know that bold transgression of the law
means soiourn behind the bars, whether
their countrymen fail to swear against them
or not. This latter knowledge has caused
them to be more cautious in their actions
and have more fear of the law. The police
are now treated with the utmost respect, and
the Southside is comparatively free from
lawlessness on the part of the Poles and
Once in awhile some Of the
new importations seek to have a good time
in their own way, which is often not COM
patihle with civilized ideas of the fitness OF
things, but they are so quickly sat down on
that they do not repeat the acts, and their
brethren take lesson from the outcome of