New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-21
FROM BENCH AND BAR.
GATHERED IN THE COURTS AND AMONG THE
LAWYERS.


is Jail delivery" of the most expeditions variety
pcxt 20 a general escape Of prisoners. Inc amount
OF crime committed in summer IN the city Is IorV"
rntely much smaller than that OF the winter uoh'is'
and the Tombs does not oil rapidly WIN prsohorS'
one Judge 6its for two weeks in July ana anouer
for two or three weeks in August. The rule Is 10
give every prisoner opportunity 70 pieao' anu II
he says he Is not guilty one chance lor unA'.
II he Is not ready for trial when his case Is oaiieu
he probably will not have another opportunity until
the following month No accused person VINO Is
ready to prove his innocence need remain III jail
long In the summer months lie IS Uucueu oio
day pleads to the indictment the next anu il I've
Is ready for trial may be tried OF INC tii'u u''
Judge MARITIME in his two weeks term ths "'o'i'n
disposed Of over one hundred cases Assistant n''
rict Attorney Jerome has conducted the trials QUICKLY
and lawyers and court officers have heipol 10 ooA'
the calendars by suggesting to prisoners WHO 'te
clearly guilty that they should ocmowlcose uc''
guilt and save the time occupied IN tlais'
The Same familiar faces among the lawyers greet
the visitors to the General Sessions couItrooms ,'S
summer II any one visits any other court al h'oF
walls of few days will not be apt TO see thrice III
year the lawyer engaged IN TRIAL III ''' S"0
court room while he attends the General Sessions o
will hear the voice, day after day II Is saie W
say that dozen lawyers try twOthris OF the crihh'i
cases. and among them are only two or three OF great
the highest rcputc in civil frequently called
on 10 defend criminals but in NewYor the leaders Of
the bar will rarely accept rcainers In criminal eases
\ civil lawyer OF good reputation finds that his bust
is injured II he does defend persons accused OF
crime. Lawyers who recognize this state Of affairs
often wonder at the for it, The truth is that
in this city criminal bushes, can as a rule be obtained
only at sacrifice Of professional dignity. In the
where prisoner has been the client Of some
civil lawyer lie choose be defended by his old
attorney, but otherwise I've will almost inevitably fall
into the hands Of Of the practitioners who make
especial efforts to secure clentage among accused
criminals From the time the person accused Of crime
!, arrested he finds himself if he or his friends have
any money bcsegcd with opportunities, promises or
threats On behalf Of certain lawyers. Possibly the pO
llcc~an who arrests him, or police Official at the
station house has friend whose name he whispers to
the prisoner as Just the to get YOU of this
If he arrives at the police without counsel he
finds regular conspiracy IN existence u compel him
to seek advice from certain source Each police
court has It's favored lawyer or lawyers. A runner
for OF these lawyers may get to the pris-
oncr pen and be has his hands full of his employers
card, 10 distribute among the occupants. A court
attendant ouuger Will be ready sound the praises
Of the attorney. II the accused man has no lawyer
when he araned the bar, the experienced eye Of
regular attendant at the proceedings Will scan his
clohc, and general appearance and If he appears to be
a man who has friends who may contribute towards
fee some lawyer will Kindly volunteer 10 assist him.
and will then set to work to secure some money II no
larger fees DC obtained, % $40 will he accepted
for these services
The prisoner accused Of serious offence who Is taken
TO the Tombs to await trial subjected like suggcs
ton, as to counsel Formerly regular system pre-
vailed by which were "scered' 10 one or TWO
favored lawyers and contest between two eminent
counsel led TO disclosure Of Of the methods en-
nj
lcats +, now les, ~ stemac. but II IS still carried on
10 some extent. An accused man who passes success
lly through all these temptations must he very poor
or very strong minded If fat fish should by chahce
sin through the meshes Of the nets spread by the paid
or eNprctant fishers Of men. he VIII De
caught by one If the attorneys at the ten
oral sessious whose clerks sometimes attempt
to speak a good word for their employers even
while the prisoners ao wabing from the enclosure al
the rear Of the room the railing in front Of the Judge
While these methods of securing clients are IN use II Is
not t. De- wondered ut that high minded lawyers ouSS
with practice IN civil cases rarely hhd themselves IT,
tanned In criminal actions.
The lawyer, engaged at summer session OF refer-
cnce do not show any great regard u personal appear
ance II the referee is not particular as TO the Haoi
+, which the proceedings conducted. the counsel
proceed to take or Of their outer clothing hsh
cig,rs seat themselves in hall reclining attitudes
AID placo their feet on convenient chairs. Iheh
they are ready fur work if any Is 10 be done l'u'''
however short session - found - be ruh1e"' '''
the counsel especially II the weather Is "a''l' an"
Tho referee is paid according TO the number oil GAY
he scrye,. one Of the chief Democratic hod0vers at
,ho Knitted states District Attorneys Office reached
,t,,- IN, cNtrcme II carcle,sue,S I'm his attitude
.u ,u.,,.,d in an important criminal case last week
| L,f,r. Commissioner Shields. lie sat with one Lex
over the arm Of his chair His coat was on displaying
the sleeves Of cheap appearing striped smit' us
wol,tcoat was uubuttOued, and the butt OF a haIi
.n,,lcd cigar wa, between his teeth. Official dignity
| SAT lightly on mm. was perhaps ntt'ng hr MS
resignation had already been sent IN to his superior
officer
Justice Andrews has certainly adopted tho com
mon sen.c view Of the Inv In deciding that the Police
| commissioners had no right 20 discharge John W.
r.vlnr patrolman. because he could not reach ms
city from the country town where he was passing hls
vacation in time 10 take oath within thirty DAYS hNTn
the massage Of the law that he was not Interested IN
| the .al, Of intoxicating liquors. II the delay had
been w1iul the Commissioners might have been luSt-
e,h IN dischargng the pstrOlmcn but the officer did
| not know of the enactment N the law. and when
roticc WIS given 10 the other members OF the force
he was away from the city. He was Inaccessible by
! telegraph, and message was sent to him. Ho
offered 10 take the oath rs he returned to tho
city, H. as .rndgc Andrews held the provision of Tho
law wa, simply directory would have been hard
! ship 10 compel an oh'''r 10 "'Nc INC 4"''0 ~ "
! technical failure 10 comply with the law.
4 document marked d" Filed July, 1907 found IN
one Of the court clerks Offices last week. did not bear
evidence Of great age glance at is contents led 10
the conclusion that the writer Of the Endorsement ad
omitted mark between two Of the figures, ana mat
the paper was really filed on July -. 80.
The proposal TO De made by sub committee OF the
Judiciary Constitutional Convention I'm H. report ID 'ho
main body that the term of Office Of judges OF tho
Supreme and superior city Courts be reduced from t"
,ecp Ia cirh, yenrs H. not likely 10 meet with favor
either from the bench practising lawyers III fdo'
apprar, to bc severely condemned II the opinions al
ready expressed are 10 he accepted A. guide ana
would not be surprising 20 hear the most vigorous h1u
Of protest In the convention next month against 'no
entertainment Of the idea. II Will be urged that 1t
is sufficiently difficult persuade the lrs' ''>s
awvcrs to leave lucrative practice for the ohor' OF
! rnnIc, tlIr