The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-10-22
POLICE COURT SCENES.
a Peculiar Phase Of Low Life at
the Nations Capital.
Congress Having Adjourned, Our Cores
pondent Pays Visit to the Washing
ton Police Court-Strange Per-
sons and Things.
Especial WASHINGTON Letter.1

lSpeclal w washington Letterl
Upon every face in the police court is
written tho pathetic plea: Listen to
ny tale of Woe" There never was such
, court in any community, for it is
racial Kaleidoscope. The national cap
tal is populated with cosmopolites, and
this fact is capable of demonstration
any morning by a visit to our hall of
routine justice. There is no picture nor
6gure OF bHndfolded lady with pair
Of scales in one hand and a great big
Roman sword in the other. Oh, mol
There are big policemen from Ireland,
bailiffs from Africa, Judge OF English
descent and lawyers of all classes, from
the shyster to the prince of criminal
practice.
The Black Maria dumps her loads OF
unfortunates before the old courthouse
and they are hurried into the cage,
where they remain until the criers sum-
mon them before the bar, which is in
such contrast with the bar they patron
lied the night before that they think, ii
they cannot sing: "Ohl what differ
ence in the morning"
Usually Monday is busy day in the
police court and often Monday sessions
do not close until five or six o'clock in
the afternoon. The number of prison
ers brought in on Mondays is usually
larger than on other days on account of
there being no session of the court Sun
day. The first sign of business about
the court Monday morning is generally
the appearance OF persons who earn
their living defending prisoners who are
only able to produce a few dimes to pay
counsel. Some of the ''shysters" appear
oven before tho janitor has had an op-
portunity to finish his sweeping and
busting. In warm weather they and
the "cappers" sit about on the rail that
protects tho approach to the building
like crows sitting on a country fence.
When the weather is cold they gather
about the stove inside the building and
wait until one of the officers appears at
the door and announces the arrival of
the Maria with the prisoners. Then
the lawyers and ''cappers' make a rush
for the door. 1t is contempt of court
for anyone to solicit business while the
prisoners are marching across the pave
ment from the maria" to the court
"pen."
This 'pen," or, as it is sometimes
called, ''the black hole" is located in
the basement of the building. There is
no ventilation, and little to add to the
comfort of the miserable quarters pro-
vided for the poor people who are un-
able to produce few dollars ''collat-
eral," that would entitle them to their
freedom pending the hearing of their
cases. In hot weather, when these
small dungeons are crowded with pris-
onerS, some of them almost smother to
death. There is one cell for males and
another for females, but when the usual
Monday crowd arrives the males are in
sufficient numbers to more than fill
both the cells, and the females are
seated on benches along the narrow
corridor. The dock where the prison.
ers stand when arraigned is just at the
head OF stairway leading up from "the
black hole" It is small space, Just
inside the court room, divided off from
the rest OF the room by railing. There
is door that opens and through which
the prisoners come in turn as their
cases are called. Every time the door
is opened several faces of females can
be seen, each trying to get a look into
the courtroom. Policeman Harbin is in
charge of the prisoners and has Qeld
the position for a number of years. He
is familiar with the faces of most of
those who are regular visitors.
Those who defend the prisoners are
not permitted to enter the dock, be-
cause if they were, the first man
would have monopoly of the business.
lawyer has first to get the judges per-
mission to see prisoner, and then the
latter has to be called up by name.
The "shysters" often have consider
able difficulty in learning the names of
prisoners when they are not actually en-