Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-11
TOO SMALL TO BE IN COURT.
Justice Crutchfield Tired of Having
Infants Before Him.

Justice Crutchfeld Tired of Having
Infants Before Him.
The ridiculous scenes which so often
occur in the Police Court reached their
climax yesterday morning, when two
children. hardly large enough to wear
pants, appeared as prisoners at the bar.
The little boys sat on their fathers
knees, and bowed and laughed and
rumpled their ace-trimmed collars. which
had doubtless been arranged on them
only an hour before, and seemed highly
pleased with their surroundings.
Only the sons Of Messrs. Rolfe +.
Glover and James Grigg appeared, as
DR.. c. A. Mercer answered for his two
boys, which he considered too young to
bring into a court. The appearance of
the pair was enough, however. Tor the
Justice. and giving long sigh, he or
dered them to be put upon the lawyers
desk when their cases were called. There
they sat, dangling their feet In the most
unconcerned manner.
THE TESTIMONY.
Officer b. A. Poiteaux, who reported
the case took the stand. and testified
that he had been sent to Mrs. Rawlings,
of south Third street. When he saw Mrs.
Rawlings and learned the tender age OF
the boys he told her they were too young
TO report He was, however, asked 70 re-
port them.
The following letter from Mrs. Rawl-
ings, who did not appear In court was
read:
Hon. John ]. Crutchfield. Police Justice:
Dear Sir,-I am summoned as wit
ness in your court to-day to testify In
regard to a window in my house being
broken during a rock-battle in front of
my house.
Permit me to say / know absolutely
nothing of my own knowledge. / was
not I'm the room at the time; did not see
the window broken nor any Of the boys
who threw the rocks. My testimony
would consequently be incompetent, and
| II will be useless for me to appear, espe-
| cially as my informants have been sum-
moned as witnesses, and VIII ten you
| all they told me. have heard that these
| charges are made upon my Information.
| If so, / would be very glad to have them
withdrawn. as do not know the parties.
| ana aid not desire any arrest to be made
| in the beginning.
Begging, therefore, to be excused from
Mrs. ]. RAWLINGS.
Two small boys, who were called as
| witnesses. testified that number or boys
OF about the same size as the prisoners
had thrown pebbles at each other on
| Third street the day the window In Mrs.
pawlings's house was broken. One OF
tho boys who threw pebbles was Mrs.
| Rawlings's son.
CAPTAIN GUIGON SPEAKS.
| At the conclusion Of the testimony,
| CAPTAIN A. b. Guigon. who CHANGED TO
| ~ a. the courtroom, arose and addressed
\ the Court:
~ am going to make myself Obnoxious.
| be said "by volunteering my services
| as counsel for the defence and as amlcus
curjae." He then directed the attention
of the Court to the youth OF the prisoners,
who. he declared. were not the boys
against whom the community ana the
newspapers complained.
."These are the boys that one or the
oaners SAYS / ought to send to the re-
| formatory," interrupted Justice Crutch-
field.
cantain Guigon, continuing. said he was
satisfied that he voiced the sentiment OF
the community when he averred that
these boys were too small even to be
brought into court, and he asked the
Justice to discharge them.
Captain r. f. Frayser and Mr. J. Gar,
land Pollard likewise demonstrated
against the bringing Of infants into
court.
Justice Crutchheld then read from
Mayo the law defining the age at which
children are responsible for crime. and
after rubbing his eyeglasses. said: !
| dismiss the case against the TOUR IN
fants. / intend fining boys who throw
rocks In the street. continued tne JUS
hood will be double. but ! don't want any
more infants brought in my court"
GAVE HIM THIRTY DAYS.
| ha country
prisoner In the Police Court yester
dav morning. He was charged will
stealing a pair OF cart-wheels from Ihad
Talley. When the testimony had beer
concluded the Justice asked the coioret
farmer. what time do you plant cornF
I'm April" replied the man in hfgh-boots
Like an echo, the words. Thirty days
came from the lips OF the Justice. whicf
Giles Jackson counsel for the defence
thought was light enough.
Two young criminals stood facing Jus
tice Crutchfeld. with tears In their eyes
and their mothers at their sides. The,
were charged with breaking into Car No
1891 OF the Chesapeake and Ohio rail
road, which was standing at the foot o.
Second street. on the James-River Divi
sion track. The seal OF the car Lad beer
broken and caddy Of plug tobacco stolen
One Of the boys was caught with tn,
tobacco. and the other with hatchet
In brief but feeling little speech Jus
tice crutchfeld sent them both to tn,
reformatory. at Laurel. and assured theI
parents that II was the best thing to b
done.
HAILED FROM PHILADELPHIA.
Jasper Meredith. negro OF an unusua
dark hue. made his debut In n,
court. He was charged with being
suspicious character. Where ere yo'
FROM nisser w.,, zane rns.l 1. "a pnisos s
from before you went Northy' "Oh, Ts'
horn IA Lo51iss county. aoh9 ~