The morning call., 1893-03-23
KEEP THEM AWAY.
School Children Listen to
Vile Scandals.
THEY CROWD INTO COURT.
Boys and Girls Hear Testimony in
the Courts That Should Be
Kept From Them.

Cases like the one tried yesterday in
Judge Seawell's court are sufficiently dis
tressing TO the average male adult.
Excepting, perhaps, that he belongs to
that class Of unfortunate persons who are
cursed with morbid craving for scandals
among the lower Four Hundred.
But that children should be allowed to
listen to the testimony adduced at the trial
of such cases as that of Marie la Fleur,
charged with robbng Andres Seoul of $780,
is, in plain language, shameful and ought
to be stopped.
For, notwiths landing her poetlcal name,
Marie Ia Fleur is anything but Sunday
schOOl-book heroine. even if she did come
out seven hundred dollars ahead in her
transactions with Seoul, and as an example
to be placed before innocent children she is
a rank failure.
One of the largest crowds that ever lis
tened to spicy criminal trial filled Judge
Seawell's court yesterday.
There was, il is true, a certain humorous
aspect 10 the case, as there so often is.
unfortunately, In similar prosecutions.
Andres Seoul, the ompaining witness
related in an all too graphic manner the cir
cumstances OF his acquaintance with the
woman defendant; how he LETT his wife and
grown-up family In Coulie City. Wash, aud
came to San Francisco with 1900 hard-earned
dollars IN his pocket.
How he drank and rioted and dissipated
and had good time" as lie is pleased TO
call it..
And how, when he had only 500 left, he
made the acquaintance OF Marie la Flcur, a
low-lived woman, who kept him intoxicated
for nearly four days in her crib" as the
miserable little tenements of such women
are termed.
With all the depravity of the old fellow,
Tor he must be at least so years old, there
might be noticed in his manner of testify
ing certain ingenuousness of manner and
an artless abandon in stating facts, and on
account OF this quality, taken in connection
with his Ignorance of the more delicate
forms Of English phraseology, for he is
foreigner, his narrative, which involved
considerable detail of his life with the
avar!clous Marie, was not at all pleasing to
refined ear.
Judge SeawelPs courtroom is on the same
floor as the Free Library, and every after
noon scores of children from school climb
the stairs. and 20 into the reading-room.
and pass ont again 10 their homes.
Those who live on the McAilister-street
eide of the City Hall often pass along the
corridor, so as to leave the building by one
of the northern exits, and several of the
Superior Courts are located in the corridor.
The temptation to see what is going on in
the great halls Of justice is naturally very
hard for the average child to resist, and it is
not to be wondered at that when a large
crowd such as that which filled Judge Sea
wells court yesterday offers such friendly
protection from observation by the Judge
and other officers the children should slip
in aud satisfy their childish curiosity
Marie la Fleur was on the stand in her
own behalf at about o'clock in the after
noon, and aS CALL reporter entered the
crowded room during her cross-eXamina-
ttOD he was surprised TO see quite a number
of children, the boys happily predominatIng
in numbers over the more timorous girls.
They we're standing near the door, be-
tween numbers OF young men and boys and
disreputahe women, who were gathered in
the courtroom out of regard to their friend,
the defendant.
In the throng Of tall men and women,
nearly all OF whom were standing up, the
children were almost hidden from the view
of the Judge and bailiff. while the attorneys
were either too busy or too Indifferent to
notice their presence.
"What are you doing in here, young
man ?" was asked of the largest child. boy
of perhaps - years old.
"Oh, we saw the big crowd and just
thought we'd come in. Say, she says lie
drank all her wine, but she never gave him
no whisky. Amt she funny woman?
She looks like drunk seryaut-giTl we had
once"
second lad, when asked to explain his
presence in the ruom, blushed and showed
the reporter book. the back of which was
painted Write, with black numbers on it.
Il come from the Free Library" said the
little fellow, in deeply aggrieved tone. ~
Just come in to listen for little while"
The girls on hearing the boys catechsed
by the reporter, diScreetly retired, but the
elder boys who had come 10 the conclusion
that their QuesiiOner was not policeman IN
disguise, remained in court ami absorbed
every word of the vicious poison, like little
clean spoDges dropped in a pool of dirty
water.