The morning call., 1894-08-12
JUSTICE IN PERIL.
How Judge Low Was
Imposed Upon.
The Judge and Police Are Indignant
and Cases Will Be Fully
Investigated.

The popularity of dealing in ways that
are dark and tricks that are vain" does n OF
belong exclusively to the heather
Chinse." There is another class of human
beings distinguished for that REGULARITY
In the shape of Police Court attorneys.
The conduct of Attorney Joseph A.
Becsey 10 the Bendit forgery case was re-
feIred to in Fridays CALL, and yesterday
the peculiar conduct of two other Police
Court attorneys came TO light. Judge Lew
will soon have his hands full in investi-
eating these cases and melting out justice
to the offenders.
w. S. O'Brien was attorney for James
Roy, notorious bunkO-steerer. He was
arrested on Saturday, July %, by Police
men Graham and Dougherty on the charge
OF VagraDcy, and was released on bonds.
On Friday, August 3. he was arrested by
the same officers for swindling George NJ.
Crawford, stranger from Pennsylvania,
out of $50 in an East-street saloon by play
ing the top-and- bottom dice game on him.
and was booked on the charge of grand
larceny.
His preliminary examination on the
grand larceny charge was concluded be-
fore Judge Low yesterday, and the Judge
held him to answer before the Superior
Court i'll $4,000 bonds. The vagrancy
charge was continued for thirty days.
In the afternoon Graham and Dougherty
learned that Roy had been sent to the
County Jail On commitment signed by
Judge Low TO serve term of six months
on charge Of yaGrancy. They were sur
prised and indignant and consulted Ser
geant Healey. who advised them to call
and see Judge Low at his house and ask
for an explanation.
They went there, and the Judge ex-
planned that Attorney OBrien had again
appeared before him, stating that the off,
GERS had agreed to reduce the grand larceny
charge to petty larceny, and also that a
six months sentence would serve the ends
of Justice. Believing that the attorney
would state nothing but the facts. the
Judge followed uD the supposed agreement
and sent Roy to the County Jail for six
months.
When Graham and Dougherty told the
Judge that he had been imposed upon, as
they had not seen O'Brien, and conse-
quently no such agreement could have
been made, he was mad and declared that
be would never permit the attorney to
practice in his court again. and If the po-
lice desired he would quash the commit
ment and have Roy held to answer before
the Superior Court for grand larceny. The
matter will be laid before Chief Crowley
Louis c. Pistolesi is the other attorney
whose conduct in the case of Joseph Ma
jetti also requires investigation.
Majetti stole a roll of cloth from 1172
Harrison street on August and was pur-
sued and captured after an exciting chase
by Policeman Nj. Barry. He was booked
on the charge of petty larceny and was
recognized by Detective Seymour as a
man who recently served two years IN the
penitentiary for forgery.
When the case was called in Judge
Lows court on Monday morning Pistolesi
appeared for Majetii, and at his request
and by consent of the arresting officer and
Prosecuting Attorney Shackelford the
case was continued for a week.
Last plight Barry had occasion to in
quire at the City Prison about Majetti
and was amazed to find that on Wednes-
day last he bad been sent TO the County
Jail for thirty days. Notwithstanding
the agreement between PistoIesi, Shackel-
ford and the arresting officer Pistolesl
had the case brought up on Wednesday
without the knowledge or presence OF
Barry and got the Judge to impose the
absurd penalty of thirty days imprison-
ment when, in view of the prior convic-
ton of forgery, the charge could nave
been made felony, and at the very lowest
he should have got six months. CHIEF
Crowley will also LOOK into this matter
Prosecuting Attorney Shackelford should
have known better than TO agree to the
case being tried without the presence and
evidence of the arresting officer.
Such cases OF juggling with justice are
! by no means rare, but unfortunately they
| do not often see the light OF exposure.