Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-28
SATURDAYS DRUNKS.
THE WAY THEY ARE CARED FOR
AT THE POLICE STATION.
characteristics of Saturday and Sunday
at the City Jail-HOw the Booty
individuals Act-Repentant
on Monday.

termed field day" at the central po-
lice station. 1t is the busiest night of
the week for "drunks." 1t is the usual
weekly salary day, and many fall by the
way as early in the evening as 7 or s
O'Clock. When brought to the station
comparatively few have enough money
in their pockets to pay the usual fine of
50 or So on Monday morning. They
have spent their weeks earnings in
few hours-perhaps they have not paid
their houee or room rent, or made pro-
vision for their families.
Along about midnight the drunks
come in thick and fast, or rather are
brought in. "Ting-a-ling" sounds the
telephone.
1.-The hurry.up wagon is wanted at
Los Angeles and Main" or alameda
and Main"
GO down and bring in that drunk"
says Clerk Smith to Officer Stiles. In
four instances out of five the wagon re-
turas with bowling drunk.
In the foruality OF searching the
drunk for dangerous weapons there is
found in his numerous capacious pock-
cts an empty whisky flask, paper in
which there had been villainous SMELL
ing cigarettes with the suggestive pic
ture of lightly clad woman as label,
four or five pocket handkerchiefs- leach
Of different color and all strangers to
soap and water-several matches,
spool of thread, a pocket knife with
each blade broken, a chunk of tobacco,
loud-smelling pipe and pair of socks,
sometimes only an odd sock. These
articles are piled upon the clerks desk,
and as it is not possible to quarantine
them they are stuffed back into the
drunk's pocket and he is locked up.
Frequently he is combative and it re-
quires two officers to carry him to the
door; sometimes he lies down upon
the stone floor and slides along
like hog being taken to his pen.
1t often occurs that after drunk has
been locked up his partner" drunken
still, staggers into the station and de-
comes boisterous and is locked up with
wayside until 2 or O'Clock in the morn
utterance-they have had wild
night" Several ''half drunks'' have
come in and asked TO. lodgings, their
they had got enough liquor.
The station is now full of drunks and
dodgers, and Jailer Steele reports not a
vacant bunk left. Those who come in
late sleep on the floor.
Sunday is very dull day at the sta.
tion-nearly all of the drunks are now
in. However, a few are gathered in, al
though the saloons are supposed to re.
main closed on Sundays. In the after
noon religious services are held in the
prison. The petty larcenists are told
that it is wrong to steal penny or a
pin, or an overcoat; and the "plain
drunks" are told that of all the sins
drunkenness is the greatest, for it is the
prime cause of nearly all crimes. The
prisoners are mute and seemingly very
sorry for what they have done. Prayer
ends the services; petty larcenist who
| is kneeling beside one of the exhortere
and who has an observing eye, sees a
package of cigarettes in the exhorter's
overcoat pocket; he sheds penitent tears
while he transfers those cigarettes to his
own pockets, and humbly invites the
ministering exhorter to Come again
pard."
| Next morning the drunks, battered
bruised, blear.eyed, sick and sore, ap.
pear in the prisoners dock of the police
court and attempt to explain to the
court ''just' how it happened" They
invariably deny the word of the arrest.
ing officer, yet cannot intelligibly tel
how they were brought to the station
"Two dollars or two days. is the com
mon fate of all, and behind the process
sion, like sheep being driven into cor
raj, Bailif' Appel shows them down the
narrow staircase to the "calaboose."
In q recent letter to the manufactur
ers, Mr.. A. W. Baldridge, Millersyille
ILL.,, says: "Chamberlain's Cough Rem
edy gives the best satisfaction Of an!
cough medicine 1 handle, and as |
seller. leads all other preparations il
this market. recommend it because i
is the best medicine ever handled TO
coughs, colds and Group" For sale b,
G. F. Heinzeman, druggist, 222 Nortl
Main street.
Our Prominent Physicians Recommon'
John Wieland's and Fredericksburg Beer,