The herald., 1897-10-23
Except in the Hands of
Some C0nstables
THEN HE'S A FEE eETTER
ACTION AS RAPID AS WHEEL OF
FORTUNES
A Burglar With a Record and Fastid-
ious Tastes-End of Legal
Tangle Over a Deed

IF there is a confidence snap more
luscious than the wheel of fortune II 's
probably joker which some constabies
in Los Angeles county are playing quite
often from their sleeves against the pub
Tic A vigorous protest from prisoner
in the county Jail last Thursday against
being detained till yesterday, which
Herald reporter accidentally overheard
has led to the unearthing of scheme by
which constables make good living
with very little trouble to themselves
The prisoner mentioned, who gives
the name of John Buckingham. said he
and his partner" Paul Wright, were
sentenced TO ten-day sentences for va
grancy in Pomona on the 18th inss'
Constable Gilbert brought Wright to the
county Jail on the same day and brough.
Buckingham over the next day, thus Sc
curing double fees. This action also made
IT necessary for Buckingham to serve one
days imprisonment longer than Wright,
although they were sentenced at the
same time. Wright was discharged last
Thursday.
Yesterday morning Buckingham was
discharged from jail and started at once
to look for work. He is rather good
looking and active young man. and be-
fore dark had secured employment
through an agent and will begin this
morning.
Buckingham told, when interviewed
last evening, of young man who was ar
rested by Gilbert while on his way
through Pomona to a job he had been
promised in Redlands. The young man
is now in the county jail for vagrancy.
Justice of the Peace Rossiter of Pasa-
dsna a few days ago sentenced George
Williams, a man arrested by Constable
williams for vagrancy, to five-months'
sentence, although Williams says he had
never had any trouble before in Pasa :
dena, and was guilty of nothing excep;
Of being hard-up. He says he was out
of work, but was looking for it.
1t is quite the usual thing for Gilbert
and the other Pomona constable,
Slanker, TO come to Los Angeles on the
same day with a man each in custody,
charged with the same crime, very often
convicted at the same time upon the
same testimony Thus each constable
gets the usual fees, although one of them
could easily bring the two men Con-
stable Lopez of San Fernando, on the
other hand, has brought as many as
eight prisoners to Los Angeles at one
trip, his last batch numbering five.
Another expedient by which Gilbert
and Slanker save themselves trouble,
accommodate friends and pile up fees
at the same time is putting prisoner
in charge of citizen who wishes to visit
Los Angeles and is willing to deliver
the prisoner at the county jail on some
private understanding with the consta-
BILE.
John Ray and a partner" were ar
rested yesterday by Slanker for taking
some walnuts from a tree. They were
convicted of petty larceny and SEN
tenced to twenty days Imprisonment,
and Barker" brought one man in for
Slanker The other man is expected to
arrive some time today in tow of Slanker
or one of his friends.
This is a pretty good time to visit Los
Angeles on account of the races, and
possibly the friends of Slanker nd Gil
bert know it.
VI luSldICe, HVG Illcu CUHNlCttu VI va
grancy were brought in for Gilbert and
Slanker, one each on the 14th, 10th, 10th
goth and 21st inst The following persons
did the work Of bringing them in:
''Tarry," unknown citizen, Hurt
"Westphap' and unknown citizen. Be
eides Barker" who brought in Ray yes
terday. a well-dressed man, charged
with vagrancy, was brought in fol
Slanker by limerick"
Thomas Anderson was convicted
with his two partners" of vagrancy
last Wednesday at Pomona, and his
partners were brought in to Los An
geles on the same. day. He did not ar
rive at the county Jail till Thursday, and
says he supposes some constable or his
friend wanted to come to Los Angeles
that day, and that he was held as q
''fee getter."
There is story floating around al
Lancaster that a constable there gave a
man 81 to serve five days for vagrancy
When the man was discharged he SAID
50 wouldn't be any inducem for him
to serve another five days. A part of the
point Of the story lies in the fact tha;
the Lancaster constable let a friend
bring the prisoner down and then col
lected mileage from the county for it.
John T. Hancock, 65 years old, was
brought up June 10Th on a ten-days'
sentence for vagrancy from Santa Mon
lea by Constable Meyers He served
his time and returned to Santa Monica
for his clothes, and within three days