The herald., 1897-04-11

| One fell to wondering Wnetner Jonil
Burke, considering he had paid the pen
atty for his drunken orgies had gone
! to work for his family, or whether. in
some low resort he had forgotten his
; BAIL and was preparing for another
disturbance of the peace" another ar
rest and another opportunity to put
up bail"
Other names were called by the judge
which sent the bailiff again and again
10 call in deep tones the names of those
who, "out on ball." made mo response,
men who, having forfeited bail, escaped
TO offend again, to pay more nnes 10
swell the city Golfers.
John Huntley," called the judge A
| tall, thin, angular boy stood up. His
! eyes were very, very blue, there was
bit of down upon his upper lip, and his
light. wiry hair fell over'a low, receding
forehead.
John Huntley, it is herein charged
that you willfully, unlawfully and felonl-
ously did take, steal and carry away
one hat valued at s1.50 from an estap-
! hshment on North Main street. Are you
guilty or not guilty."
mot guilty" faltered the boy.
| Are you ready for trial?"
| YES"
Officer McGill came forward and was
sworn He laid his hat down on the
railing which divides justice from
crime He parted his coattails carefully
and seated himself in an easy attitude,
leaning forward anl looking confiden-
TALLY at the judge.
your honor" he said, upon Satur-
day afternoon a man yelled to me on
North Main street that this feller had
stolen a hat. He pointed to i'm runnin'
across the street. I headed i'm off.
Just before 1 got i'm he pulled this ere
hat" indicating with his head hat
that lay on the desk marked s1.50, ''out
from under his arm and flung it down.
He run plump into my arms and
hauled i'm in. This is the feller," nod
ding towards the boy.
Does the hat belong to you?" asked
the judge.
TT belongs to Mr.. Cohn," said officer
McGill.
One or two other witnesses were called.
There was no doubt as to the guilt OF the
prisoner.
He paled and flushed. He looked like
a rat caught in trap. There was no
mercy; this was the place for justice.
Are you ready for sentence?" said
the judge.
NO" said the boy.
Sentence set for tomorrow at
o'clock said the Judge
VIM Stanford was next; forlorn fig
ure in a brown sweater, a discolered,
ragged coat a battered hat, held in a
pair of trembling, loose-jointed hands.
You are charged said the judge,
with being intoxicated on Alameda
street at o'clock last night. What have
you to say for yourself? Are you guilty
or not guilty?"
Guilty" muttered the prisoner.
A policeman came forward. His blue
uniform was spotless, his star shone
brightly.
Your honor" and he, too, sat down
II found this man last night beastly
drunk on Alameda street"
WAS he quiet?" asked the judge.
VERY quiet" said the policeman, dry
ly; very quiet. He lay in the gutter,
dead drunk"
The lawyers smiled. The reporters
smiled. A scarcely audible laugh went
around the room, even to the last col
larless man in the row of spectators
next to the wall
The humor of the situation struck
every one.
Someway the thought of the extraord-
mary quiet of a man in a drunken
stupor in gutter at midnight was in
tensely funny.
But the humor did not strike the
wretched creature whose bloodshot eyes
roamed weakly from the judge to the
audience, from the audience to the torn
and battered hat.
Ten days" said the justice, sternly.
william Richardson "
This time a man arose inside the rail
with the lawyers. He was not one of
those in the pen. The man was fash
ionably dressed Faultless linen, hat
late style, a long, handsome overcoat
enveloped his figure and a pair of kid
gloves were in his hand.
A policeman sworn explained half au-
dibly that William Richardson had been
found noisily and boisterously drunk al
Buena Vista street Saturday night.
A lawyer stepped forward and ex-
piained something in a low voice.
Have you anything to say for your
self?" asked the judge.
Your honor" William Richardson
said, 1T is my first offense. l am guilty.
l drank a number of times and lost all
consciousness of what l was doing"
The policeman explained further that
the prisoner was violent, and noisy, but
had finally succumbed to the officer
All the prisoners craned their necks
to see the fashionably attired man who
was violent, and noisy, and drunk, on
Buena Vista street on Saturday night.
There was whispered conference with
the clerk.
Someway he did not seem half so wick
ed as the man sleeping in the gutter
on Alameda street, the same night. More
whispered conference, an exchange Of
papers, and VIM. Richardson departed
with his lawyer.
Judge Owens went on with the
batch of drunks" quickly. There was
rapid reading of the complaints-it was
like a second rate theater, with no waits
and no drop curtains He gave fines or
0ays with unsparing justice, disposing
of a sad. thin ia ced. boyish drunk" and
an almond-eyed "Chinee" with $40 or
ten days alike, the former receiving his
sentence with pallid nervousness, and
the latter with Stolid indifference.
The prisoners did not seem to under
stand the etiquette of the police court.
They had to be told by the bailiff to
"stand up" and when once up they
stood bew1ldered by the complaint. the
rapid setting forth of the detail by
the policeman. the sentence by the
Judge, and only sat down when again