The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-18

Justice Make the Average Mortal
Well Satisfied with Even Common
place Lot in the Social Scale-The
Experience Which Followed the Re-
search of Lecturer.
Whenever scenes of squalor, poverty,
crime or misery are mentioned or wit
messed in Scranton, which for several
years has worn the air Of the usual city
Df diversified population, the writer
Is reminded Of the miserable panorama
exhibited daily In the famous Tombs
police court in New York. The low,
massive, dingy and dank smelling old
building LENDS fitting background to
the scenes OF Its interior, aud after
climbing the steps and turning from
the dark corridor into the darker
walled police court room the visitor
must, in measure, be prepared for
the dismal side Of humanity portrayed
within the enclosure.
OF New York's three police courts,
each has its peculiar constituency.
The Yorkville court, ay up on the
East side just west of Third avenue,
gets the pauper crime overflow OF the
upper tenement house district and
occasional effete cases from the resi-
Dental portion of the city east of Cen
trail park; the Jefferson Market court
on the West Side ut Eighth street and
Sixth avenue receives the sensational
cases which bubble from the never
sleeping and famous tenderIoin pre-
cinct and gambling and sporting
world.
A RECEPTACLE FOR SLIME.
But the oN and dismal Tombs court
is more famous than them all within
its arpss are received the bloody trays
and slime Of the great slums, the pau
perism and degradation OF the lowest
possible walks OF life, and in the midst
of the filth, perhaps an embezzler or
high life evildoer appears from the
brokerage and Wall street districts.
What an opportunity it offers the stu
dent of human nature cannot be COM
pretended. Out ofa given half dozen
cases which are heard there each day
could be thrown search lights which
would reveal stories too pltful, too
awful, too horribly real to be believed.
The writer's business neCessitated
frequent visits to the Tombs and q
humorous occurrance is recalled which
shows what effect the scenes of the
court has upon feminine nerves. An
official well known in the Woman's
Christian Temperance union circles of
New York state, while seeking material
for lecture on intemperance among
the poor, visited the Tombs one morn
ing with two women friends. Through
the courtesy Of the justice-Patrick
Diver, | think-the trio were given
seats inside the railing along the aisle
through which the prisoners are con-
Quoted to the cages beneath after SEN
tence is propounded.
WHERE vERMIN ABoUNDS.
For half hour they listened to the
tales of distress and degradation. When
one of the visitors rose from her seat to
more clearly hear the progress Of the
cases, an officer admonished her
against the contact with vermin
which during the sessions falls from
many of the prisoners and occupies the
cracRs and corners OF the court furni-
ture. The woman drew back with a
startled expression and with her two
companions stood in the aisle with
their skirts raised and drawn closely
around them. Their period of nervous
ness terminated in flight when dirty,
begrimed and filthy old creature, who
was being led to the cells, fell ut the
feet of the lecturer, and after throwing
began deliriously shrieking for saliva
tion. The seeker for lecture material
was carried fainting from the room
and it is not probable that the visit to
the Tombs was repeated.
Court opens each day, including
Sunday, at $50 o'clock, and until an
adjournment is made at 3 or 8 O'Clock
in the afternoon, from 80 to l25 cases
are heard. The justice from list pre-.
viously prepared calls out the names Of
the policemen in rotation; each officer
with his batch of prisoners gives testi-
mony, the culprits also recite their
side of the cases and the squad makes
way for another batch. The number
is so great that the cases must of ne
cessity be disposed of rapidly, and the
order Of proceedings after the officer
has been heard, is something like this
between the justice and the unfortu-
nate
"Mary, what have you to say for
YOURSELF"
well, you see, your honor, I had
just come from-'
"Never mind where you came from;
just"
III had taken Only o wee bit Of
liquor and it went to my head-which
troubles me, since my old man died
you knOw-your honor, if you'll let me
20 this time-reaily, your honor, its
the first time"
''rhar will do; you were here last
weeA; thirty days. NeXtW
ONLY A SAMPLE CASE.
In the dead Of the winter may be
seen woman before the justice whost
head is unprotected save by mass o
gnarled and uncombed coarse hail
streaked with gray, the upper body
hidden only by thin waist aud the
limbs covered with threadbare skirt
and dirty socks. Perhaps the feet may
be encased by slippers, but just as likely
the stockings are the only protec-
ton. During the hearing the woman
has perhaps pleaded with tears in hel
eyes not to be sent to the Island and
has called upon all the saints in the
calendar to bear witness to her limo
cence, but when sentence is pro
nounced she turns into tigress o.
fury and is led away cursing and heap
ing vile maledictions on the head o
the imperIurable justice.
Such is the court and such is ,
glimpse Of the scenes which make {
mans blood boil, and, as he draws {
full breath of the fresher air of Cente
street, make one thankful that h,
exists in more respectable society, nj