The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-11

Mr.. Cleveland informs a correspond
est that he is only waiting" SO are
others.
duSf a Word or Two
OF CdSudl Mention
The bill recently introduced in the state
senate by Senator Miller of Berks, pro-
viding for the disposition of costs in cases
of misdemeanor and sul~ty of the reace
instituted before Justices of the peace or
aldermen, where insufficient evidence is
produced to warrant the magistrate to
hold the defendant to bail to appear at
court, and commonly known as dis
charge cases" will, If it becomes a law,
mark an important change for the better.
The number of petty cases that are
tried daily throughout the county where
the defendant is discharged for want of
evidence" and the county becomes liable
for the costs incurred has grown to such
alarming proportions that immediate leg
islation is necessary to protect the interest
of the taxpayer. When it is understoo
that the county pays on an average of 200
of these cases every month"; the costs of
easily seen what it costs the county for
these cases, the majority of which are
trumped up, and the remainder so trivial
in character that they should never have
been instituted.
Under the present act if John Jones ina
gines that John Smith has done HIM an
injury he goes before an alderman or jus
tiCe and makes a complaint, the magis
trate issues a warrant for the arrest of
John Smith and he is summoned to APP
pear to answer the grave charge of having
slapped the said John Jones twice upon
the right cheek and by so doing did the
deponent a bodily injury" After hearing
the evidence the magistrate is of the opin-
ion that the testimony is not sufficient to
hold the defendant and he is discharged
and the county must pay the costs IN
Cured. The aldermans costs will be as
| follows: Information, so cents; docket en-
| try, 20 cents; warrant so cents; oaths, 10
| cents each; subpoena, % cents; additional
names on subpoena, 10 cents each; hearing
| case. 50 cents. The constable will present
| the following bill: Executing warrant, 81
| serving subpoena, 80 cents; twenty miles
| travel, 81. So that the injury to John
| Jones cheek has cost the dear taxpayers
of the county about SO. John Smith goes
| on his way rejoicing that he has been
vindicated, the alderman and constable are
congratulating themselves on the way
| business keeps up and John Jones sneers
| at the goddess of justice because she was
so blind she could not see the imprint OF
John Smiths hand on his right cheek.
Senator Miller's bill will, in a large meas
| ure, put stop to cases of this character,
| as it provides that the prosecutor shall
| pay the costs of the case or give security
| to pay the same in five days, and in de-
| fault thereof to be imprisoned for not less
| than ten nor more than sixty days.
| The result will be that those who feel
| that they have been done a 'grievous in
jury" will consider the matter carefully
| before they make complaint and run the
risk of having, in addition to the injury
costs to the amount of $5 or So placed upon
| them To the taxpayers of this county II
| will mean a saving of about $4,000 year
] to the commissioners office It will save
much time and labor that are now taken VI
in recording and paying bills Of this kind
Senator Miller's bill is endorsed by tht
county commissioners throughout the
state and our own county commissioners
give it unqualified approval.
.
Does this city need an active Society fol-
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
No one having witnessed an incident tina
occurred a short time ago on prOminen
resident avenue on the hill would answer
in the negative, for, while brutality tC
helpless animals may sometimes be eX
pected from ignorant people, it is high tim
that such a society be put in aggrcssiv,
| operation, when an apparently intelligen
man displays a brutality that is about OF
| a par with the acts of an American Indian
when trying to amuse himself by tortur
| ing his Captives in war The inciden
which reflects the need of a Society for th
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wa
| witnessed by several of the neighborS o
the chief actor, and Indignation has beel
: rife in that vicinity since. 1t appears tina
| at4fgT
from the side door of his home with
small pug dog-that most insipid ant
| harmless of all canines-under his arm
= He advanced a step or two down ston
, sidewalk and raising the dog over hi
head, he threw him to the walk with sucl
force that a dull thud was plainly hear
2 many yards away, and that told a
t plainly as could a surgeons examination
;, of broken bones and internal injuries. Th
throw was sufficient to render the dog
: legs useless and as, with piteous hoWls
he foundered about until death came, Ii
master stood by looking ON with a hal
Joyous face, as though .gloating over tn
agonies of the animal.
It's all in the eye. The man who ca
see about eight looks ahead is the ma
y who is going TO win. Micawbers neVe
5 succeed. Manager George Il. Davis is III
f man in mind Nearly decade ago ne say
!
=, fic then consisted of about six milk wag
y ons, was destined to be the heart OF the cit
+ or adjacent streets. He proceeded to tax
z advantage of the opportunity his raT
| foresight afforded, opened an amusemer
place on n small scale, nurtured it by jud
cious business methods so that it nigh
p; | keep pace with the growth of the localit
e and now he has firmly established a firs
| class amusement place that is maxim
more money for him than either {
the other two immensely more eXpensiy
ones Manager Davis has good eye.
S Miss Floy Crowells appearance here {
q the rockingham brings to mind a goo
story on her debut in this city six yeal
5 ago. Unlike at present she had her ow
company. Her advance agent was
wooden-nutmeg Yankee from some plaS
= down near New Haven, He had not bee
. doing the best of work and Miss Grove
= was much dlspleased at most of the a
u rangements he made. When she arrive
Il in this city and discovered that he ha