The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-16

And Judge Gfasgsw's Court Assists In
Collecting the Monthiy Fee.
SEATTLE. Oct. II. fs92
joseph n. Glasxow. Judge Of the NUM-
eipal Court Of the City of Seattie-Siy:
the undersigned. respectfully petition your
honor to strike my name from the list Of
jurors selected 10 serve in your court, so
fhat may not again be subjected TO the
modification and humiliation that sat
fered when sitting as 8 jarar in the case
wherein the city was plainsIf and Llian
Shook defendant
Before stating my reasons for this petit
ton permit me 70 draw your attention 20
some of the evidence that was brought
out in the trial of that case in yoar court.
The city attempted to convict the deten-
dant by the evidence of two prostitutes
and one drunken man. Both females wit
nesses confessed in open court that their
profession was common prostitution. and
stated that they pay $40 monthly into the
treasury of this city for the privilege of
practicing their profession unmol~sted.
and that as long rs they did not otherwise
misbehave the city allows them full liberty
in the practice of their confessed profess
sion.
Those statements struck me as so extra
ordinary that when Mr.. Philbrick. police
officer IN the employ of the city, was re-
called to the witness stand l asked him
whether il was true that the city allows
women 10 practice prostitution unmo-
Tested for $40 q month, and your honor
will remember thar 0tticer Phiibrick sub
stantiaiiy verified every word that the
prostitute witnesses had testified TO. He
plainly stated under oath that when
woman pays her fine of $40 he does not
again bother about her for month. and
that IN the meantime he does not care
how much prostitution she practices.
Asked whether there was an ordinance or
law that gives the city the right or power
to license prostitution at the rate of 80 .
month. he replied that he knew of no
such ordinance or law.
Your honor will also remember that the
city put on the stand man who was so
beastly drunk that when he got off the
stand he fell over into the jury box. and
that when the court learned that the wit
ness had been subpGnaed the night before,
while sober, and therefore fined him s. for
contempt of court, the city moved the
vacation of the order on the ground that
there was no one who swore to the fact
that the witness was drunk, and your
honor pertinently remarked that the court
was ready to swear that the witness was
drunk. That one who takes pride in
republican form of government is morti-
fed and Inundated In such proceedings
need hardly be told.
My principal reason, however, for petit
tioning your honor TO excuse ME from fur
Their serving on juries in your court is the
fact that | cannot conscientiousiy do so.
The law and my oath require of me to find
person guilty who had been proven to
have committed crime either against the
statutes or the ordinances, but the evil
dence in these cases clearly proves that the
city herself, through her reform admins
tratlon. is daily violating law, and in fact
committing felony, by compromising
crimes. The city clearly does not bring
the defendant before your court for the
purpose of suppressing crime. for its off,
GERS state on oath that if the defendant
had paid her fine of $40 she would be per-
mitted to practice prostitution for a whole
month and violate the law as many times
as she pleased.
The main object, to all intents and pur-
poses. of the city bringing a misguided
wretch before your court, is to collect a
debt. Our constitution forbids the i'm
prisoning of persons for debts Our citi-
zens are compelled to rely on the courts
of civil procedure to collect debts due
them. Are the powers of the reform adj
mlnistration now having hold of the
city superior TO the constitution of the
neopief Can l conscientiousIy, as Juror,
bring in verdict for the city even though
il has been proven that the woman does
practice prostitution when / know that
the object of the city is not to suppress
prostitution as being q wrong, for it
plainly says to those that pay $40 month
that prostitution is not wrong, but that
the sole object of its bringing the wretch
before me is to obtain my aid as juror in
enabling il TO collect $40? do not object
to the city employing all legal means to
collect all licenses and taxes due Ii, but /
fail TO see how ii can consistently send q
woman 10 prison when all she is charged
with is that she refuses to pay an illegal
license that the city claims is due it, |
know of no law. moral or legal, that
makes non-payment of a debt crime
punishable by Imprisonment.
Having thus stated my reasons for my
petition in as plain language as is at my
command. having thus shown your honor
that cannot conscientiously aid the city
III employing the criminal courts OF our
government IN collecting its illegal debts,
humbly submit that my petition is rea-
sonabie, and hope that it will be granted.
ABE SPRING.