The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-17
BOOKKEEPING is BAD
1t the Police Station, and Adj
minfstrati0n of the Law
Is Irregular, Says the Report
Made TO the Council.
Coun cilman Skinner Says the Police
Authorities Ought to Be Glad the
Investigation Did Not Go
Any Farther

The report OF the special comm tee
10 examine into the method of conduct
ing the city police. business occupied llas
attention of the city counciimen almost
the entire session last evening
There were some things not in the re
port which the council wanted to know
about
The report was a concise arraignment
OF the methods of dealing with prison
ers by the police. but there was nothing
extreme or denunciatory in the report
The criticism is as follows
FIT is the judgment Of your committee
that greater regularity and more atten-
ton TO sound business principles are
needed in the conduct OF the police DE-
partment. The reports of the judge
should show fully the exact condition
and disposition of every case Whlch
comes before him.
Eve recognize that the Judge should
have the most liberal discretion in deal
ing with Offenders. but it is not believed
to be good practice to assess fines ana
then in effect. to exercise the pardonin2
power by RENTING those fines and dis
charging the prisoners II is believed
that reprlmand and caution. ana ais
charge ia those cases which do not war
rant punishment will be as efectual
and much more regular and satsfacto-
~ practice, than the Formally OF
neaVy fine and its instant renllsSlO ION OF
tenders who deserve punishment should
be vigorously held 20 perform their SEN
fences. unless released in legal man
ner.
I'VE believe that the practice of the
police officers in releasing prisoners up
on part payment. or without payment,
and promise of future payment and
committing sentences, entirely unwar-
Eaateu by the law, and calculated to
bring the law into reproach.
The question whether it is adVan-
tageous or not to the city to pay soc a
day for boarding a prisoner should not
be the test in determining whether a
vlolator of the law should be punished.
If, in the Judgment of the court punish
ment is deserved. the sentence should
be executed in good faith the officers
seeing TO III that reasonable labor is per-
formed.
we are strongly of opinion that a
great Improvement could be made in
the method Of working out fines. and we
recommend, II the city attorney shall
be of opinion that it is legal that the
breaking of a cubic yard of stone be ia
ken as a day S work; by this means the
city viii be reimbursed for the cost Of
maintenance. and the prisoners by dill
gent work, enabled to reduce their SEN
fences materially
Councilman Nettels explained that
When the committee made its investiga-
tons and he would have been q bic ~
explain some things
Councilman PattisOn moved that the
report be printed in the minutes
councilman Stephenson said thar
printing the report might leave the I'M
preston that there was crooked work
When NO one believed there was any.
Councilman Skinner said:
These people ought to be thankful
that we Went no farther. I ha5 . 80 ~
ference with the jailer and I noticed
that one man had been fined SIS ana
had worked only four days. and on one
report it appeared that his fine Vas
paid by work asked the jailer how
that came, and he said the CHIEF came
in after the man had worked four dazrs
ana ordered him released. and that was
all he knew about it, That is the -
they do business down there.
was carried T