The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-26
ONE MORE CHANCE
Christmas Gifts Made bV
Judge Xix.
SiXty.Nine Men Set Free From the
City Prison to Try Their Luck
Over Again.

At 10 o'clock yesterday morning Judge
Xix marched into the City Prison bundled
up in his big oveIcoat, but looking cheerful
and happy.
Lets have the drunks." said the Judge
TO Sergeant Shields, and the latter went
from cell to cell and let out sixty-nine men
who had been arrested on Christmas eve
and Christmas morning for drunkenness.
1t was indeed motley crowd that gath
cred around the sergesnt's desk. Most of
the culprits were sorely puzzled at the order
releasing them from the cells in Which they
had expected to spend Christmas day. but
there were aTong the lot a few ''Old-
timers" as the police call them, who knew
exactly what was going to happen and
were accordingly not we'll pleased. 1t was
not their first Christmas morning in the
City Prison, and they had been expecting
their christmas gift for several hours, a
Christmas gift they did not want.
In the crowd around the desk were we'll
dressed men, laborers with their oyeralls
on, just as they had started home from
work. tramps in rags, and just one or two
dudes. who looked sadly at their battered
Tiles and mud-stalned garments and drew a
little further away from the unkept and I'M
shaven Migrants by whose side they had
slept IN drunken stupor for hours during
the night before.
Judge Rix looked the crowd over and
then said: Pm going to let you men 90
free to enjoy your Christmas. but mind
you. those of you who come back to jail to-
day or tonight will suffer for it Tomorrow.
Now CO."
The great iron gate swung open and the
men who mad been 'only drunk" the night
before started TO file out The majority of
them couldn't get TO the gate quick enough.
but a few hung back and fingered in the
corridor until the last moment and then
locked back longngly at the dark. grimy
pr son as the lock IN the gate clicked, set
ting them free.
What's the matter" said the reporter to
a man past middle age. who still fingered
near the gate after the others had gone.
Are you not g lad to be out?"
Nav" replied the man. They'll have
good dinner in there to-day" pointing
with his thumb to the Jail. "but the Lord
only knows where I'll get something to eat
L wanted to stay in. did. l whish't I'd
smashed window or somethin' when l
was full. then they would have kept me. |
think I'll 90 and get full again and get
pulled before dinner time"
Away went the poor old fellow 10 ar
range 10 get back into the jail from which
lie had just been released and as the re-
porter turned 20 look after him, young
man with budding mustache, damaged
mud and water, stole toward him cut Of the
shadows and hoarsely whispered:
and how am going to get il ?"
Better ask the sergeant" the reporter
answered, and starting toward the gate,
added, ''I'll call him."
mo, no. don't For Gods sake. don't
I'll go without it. It's all I've got and-but
don't bother. / don't care. Good-by.
Merry Christmas. Hs, ha." And as lie
fitted out into the rain. the feeble echo Of
his sickly laugh fioated back into the prison.
Along about O'Clock the "old-rimers"
began to come back again, and before night
fully half of the three score Of DRINKS re-
leased in the morning were back again.
Most OF them cuTled down on the hard
boards of the cell and went 10 sleep, miss
Ing in their drunken stupor, the Christmas
dinner for which they had battered their
liberty, the others enjoyed the turkey.