Evening star., 1897-07-26
POLICE COURT INSPECTION
Commissioner Wight Pays q Visit to the
Temple of Justice.
Inquiries Made Into the Conditions,
Sanitary and other Ahairs-Sev-
ernI Reforms Hintcd At.

Commissioner Wight spent this morning
in and about the Police Court to better
acuuaint himself with the duties of the
policemen detailed there, and also to get
an idea of the manner in which the officers
give their evidence before the court.
There were eighty-five prisoners In the
cells, and the Commissioner was given
an idea of how these unfortunates suffer
from the bad atmosphere there. He found
the cells and corridors in apparently good
sanitary condition, for "Parson'' Hughes,
the janitor, had given the place its usual
weekly coat of whitewash, and until the
prisoners arrived the place was without
the unpleasant odor usually emitted.
The Commissioner was pleased to meet
Michael Flynn, the big policeman about
whom he had heard SO much, and he was
gratiiied with the manner in which he
gave his orders and handled the crowd of
spectators and witnesses who called. When
the Commissioner reached the building he
was shown about the cell rooms by the
big policeman. who also showed him the
character of the breakfast furnished the
prisoners.
With this part of the investigation over
Mr.. Wight took a seat in the office of Mr..
Pugh, the prosecutor, and remained there
while the officers and citizens made their
complaints. He was very much interested
in the manner in which the officers stated
their complaints.
Large Number of Cases.
The charges filed were unusually numer-
Gus. and Policeman Elliott and the prose-
cutor were kept busy making out the in
formations
In this connection the Commissioner
thinks an improvement can be made, and the
services of the detailed policeman dis
pGnSed with in court. The station keeper,
he thinks, will be able to fill out part of
the informationS at the stations, and these
can be taken to the prosecutor by the po-
liceman in the case. Should this arrange
ment not work satisfactorily, he is of the
opinion that young man, typewriter,
might be utilized to assist.
AS this work has to be done early in the
morning, 1t is possible that stenographer
in the District building may be detailed for
two hours each day to attend to it.
When court convened the Commissioner
went in the court room and listened to the
hearing of the cases. There was so much
noise in the room during the proceedings
that he could hardly hear what was being
SAID until he accepted seat on the bench
with the judge. There were nearly ninety
prisoners to pass in review. Ordinarily
the alleged culprits are herded in the dock,
where they have to stand two or three
abreast until their cases are tried but
there was a change in this program TODAY
and only a few prisoners were brought in
court at a time. Things were bad enough
as the Commissioner saw them, however
ana II is thought that he will favor the
return to the magistrate system for the
trial of minor cases.
Listened With Interest,
There were many policemen in court as
witnesses in the cases, and Mr.. Wight lis
tened with interest to the manner in which
they gave their testimony Some of them.
VINO We're OF duty, appeared with their
coats unbuttoned, in open violation Of the
recent order n ha
cause of the temperature of the disease
creeoing place they We're probably of the
opinion that their infraction Of the r,,les
would be overlooked
There are six members of the force de-
tailed about the court building. and the
Commissioner inquired of the duties per-
formed by each of them, with a view. it is
understood, of decreasing the number. if
possible and have the benefit of their du-
nes on the street. Just what the Commits
slcrer S visit will result in is not known