The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-01-26
HERE IS ONE EVIL.
Civil Justice Lynn Points Out a
Defect in the Law.
He Thinks the Courts Jurisdiction
Should Be Increased.
The Glass of Litigants in the First
Judicial District.

The First Judicial District Court Is the
oldest civil Justices Court in New York
city.
1T was originally created in 1862 and
| for many years was the only court OF
the kind In existence, Many eminent
men. including subsequent Senators, Con
grossmen, Mayors and Recorders were
Judges in the early days OF the court.
The court Is now held In the upper
part of the old Superior Court Building,
at the southwest corne- OF Chambers and
Centre streets, in City Hall Park. The
| lower portion of the old building being
used by the Fire Department an odor of
the stables now peryades the courtroom.
The Judge In this court Is Wauhope
| Lynn, who commenced his second term
on Jan. /, and will hold office for the
| annum. He has already been Judge for
two years, having filled the unexpired
term of Peter Mitchell This gives Judge
Lynn II total salary OF $4,000 for the
| eight years he servI" as Judge.
There Is an air of cleanliness about
| the First District Court, the white walls
| one of the hospital or poorhouse. The
entire second floor is utilized by the
court officials, excepting a corner room.
which IL occupied as sleeping apartment
|
ard Croker
Louis c. Bruins, Clerk of the Court,
receives a salary of 5000 pei, year, and
taches, who are paid for their services
| by fees collected from clients.
There are few complaints made as to
the conduct OF this court, and only about
one hundred suits and cases are now
pending before Judge Lynn. There are
two trial days, on Mondays and Fri
| days, when court convenes at 1920
| ~ al nj matt
When an Evening World" reporter
visited the court yesterday. special at
tention was paid to the question whether
the poorer people in the district were
receiving proper attention at the hands
of the court. and whether any improve
ments could be made for the benefit of
the poor people whose legal differences
are adjusted In this court.
Judge Lynn was found In his private
office. sitting under the shadow of a
large framed photograph of Richard
Croker. AS to the conduct of his court.
the Judge said:
81 am careful to make a distinction
between the ordinary actions brought
the poorer people. We insist that these
cases be tried within day or two. and
Il defendant asks for an adjournment.
! make 1t a rule to impose a fee Of 81,
for 1t is unfair to bring, q man into
court for three or four different occa-
sons on an s. or 50 case.
court differ from those in any other
New York court. for the reason that the
landlords In this district are not small
property holders like those on the East
side. Our landlords are wealthy men
and corporations, and they are very in
dulgent, especially in these. hard times,
Trinity Church owns fully 9ne,ffth
and great deal In the Fifth Ward
Then there Is the Aston estate, and both
OF these parties are very, indulgent witt
Il
= move against tenant until he Is foul
or five months behind In his rent.
"One OF the most indulgent landlord
in New York is Ward McAlister. Will,
the newspapers have paraded him as ont
of the Four Hundred nothing has evel
been said of his charities He owns prop
erty in Greene and other streets In thi!
district, and never, commences sui
against tenant until he Is four or fiv'
t months In arrears, and then McAlliste
usually gives the tenant more time.
II have no other office and no othe
l private business. and devote all my tim
to the work of this, court. am her
a trial days are Tuesdays and Fridays
and when my calendar gets crowded
/. hold court an additional day In the week
= AS rule, our cases never last longe
g | than two or three weeks.
5 eve now have about one hundred case
: pending. Tomorrow Is court day, an
/, we will dispose OF forty or hfty cases
n other courts and lawyer never wen
k away from here without getting a hear
ing, , ,
i hangers-on in this court. and In thi
e again we differ from other courts. Som
of the leading lawyers of New Yor
@ come here as the representatives of larg
= firms and corporations.
Now, l want to call your attentio
to something which Is of material benef
When ne this count ssS was al ' estabished
jurisdiction as to amount involved, wa
o. This amount was then Increased lot I
iio, and In l716 was Ga hFed at ;ZS; STAIN, IN iSo
$3.50. with the power OF removal to tn
y, Court of Common Pleas In all cases ir
volving over 500.
e. corrected. A corporation having cas-
:. In this court involving over 500 can r.
4 move the case to the Common Plea
II stead of having speedy trial. the cas-
:, Is then tied up for years, which Is reall
= n defeat of justice. and q practical enc
r. ing OF the case.
II have seen poor people leave tn
J. court in tears, because their cases ha>
l. been removed to the Court of Comma
Pleas thee to be dragSed n nSmS &c
y With us. however we are naturally con
i PEELED to take personal interest In II
and hold SPEEDY y, trial r,n, courts
a the matter OF amount was increased
. $500, without the power OF removal;
" would greatly relieve the court OF Ike
ID rrds. Speedy relief is what is d.
/, manded In these courts, and / hoI
- the coming State Constitutional Coz
ie vention Will take some action in tn
Of matter"
% The First District Court is the on
court In the United States which
really out of its Jurisdiction. The Fir
District extends from Canal street
the Battery and from Broadway to Il
North River while the court is actual
located in the Second District at Il
= corner OF Chambers and Centre street
II n citizen resided in the court buildir
he could not bring an action In the Fir
District Court.
ID The First District Court, under the a
~ which created II, must necessarily
" located in City Hall Park, and when 4
IL old building at Centre and Chambe
&c street is demolished, as is proposed. Il
IL court will either be compelled to I
move TO the Supreme Court building
'h else hold its sessions out of doors
er the green sward of the park.
TO st. Joscph's Lyccum Entertainmei
The eighteenth annual entertainment and
Se ception OF st, Josephs Lyceum will be held Il
lie evening at Central Opera House, Sixty sever
hirI Rev