The record-union., 1898-10-22
BICYCLISTS ALLOWED TO GO.
JUSTICE DAVIS DID NOT WISH
TO FINE THEM.
Warned to Avoid a Second Arrest
and Officers Recommended to
Enforce the Law.

It was wheelmen's day in the City
Justices Court yesterday, and cyclists
! Of all sizes, ages and colors were mar
| shaled before Justice Davis, and bicy
cles of many makes, both high and low
| grades, lined the lower hall of the petty
| tribunal.
| The strong showing made by wheel
men was the result of an order issued
by Chief of Police Dwyer to his Off
| GERS to arrest all parties who failed to
| comply with the provisions of the bicy
| Gle ordinance, and the names of the
men gathered in, most Of whom lined
up before the Justice, were H. M Good
fellow, Robert Packenham, o. Cook, D.
| S. Killen, E. R. Edwards, Levi HOLDEN,
F. E. Sewell, A. W. Smith, Masahi Tiki
XII, K. Amiyii, J. O. Secord, L. Tozer,
Joseph Frailey and W. ]. Hogan.
OF the gentlemen arraigned, Messrs.
Packenham, Edwards, HOLDEN, Sewell,
Smith, Ukki, Amiyii and Tozer entered
pleas Of guilty. Mr.. Tozer qualified his
plea by stating that while going up K
street he had sounded his bell at Sec
ond, Third, Fourth and Fifth streets,
but that at Sixth street a crowd had
assembled and he was somewhat con-
fused, and while he thought he had
rang his bell, if the officers said he had
not done so, he supposed they were
right.
Mr. Secord was charged with riding
on the left side of K street, between
Seventh and Sixth, while wheeling
down the street He pleaded not gull
ty, but subsequently on the stand ad-
mitted that he had been wheeling on
the wrong side of the street and was
found guilty as charged.
Mr.. Killen pleaded not guilty and
was discharged. The Evidence in his
case showed that he carried a jingle
bell such as is in general use among
wheelmen. Justice Davis said it was
evident that the jingle bells in
use were used only to evade the ordi
nance, and that the ordinance regulat-
ing the matter implied that the warn
ing bells should ring loud enough to be
heard at least twenty-five feet, as it
clearly stated that bells should COM
mence ringing twenty-five feet before
| a crossing was reached, and continue
until the rider was across. While 1t
was in evidence that the accused had
carried a bell, he would not feel like
finding the defendant guilty, but ad
vised him to get a bigger bell. The
Justice said the attention of the Board
Of Trustees ought to be called to the
fact that that portion referring to the
bell to be used was vague. Mr.. Killen
was discharged.
Mr.. Goodfellow, who also carried a
jingle BELL was discharged on the
grounds above stated.
w. ]. Hogan pleaded not guilty and
was discharged. 1t was shown that
he made no attempt to cross the street
and had no intention Of doing SO when
he approached the crossing.
Then those men who sad pleaded
guilty, stood up and listened to the in
structions Of the Justice.
Judge Davis said he did not feel in
clined to impose a penalty, as he sup
posed that most of the parties had
bells on their wheels, though not such
as the ordinance contemplated. Men
who ride bicycles, he said, sometimes
get careless, especially when no attempt
is made by the officers to have them
comply with the law. He could not
recall an arrest made for violation of
a bicycle ordinance for two years, until
the officers got out Thursday night and
made a grand raid.
Between intervals of arrest, Justice
Davis said, bicyelists became careless
which would not be the case If officers
would insist upon their compliance with
the law at all times.
Every night for the past two years"
Justice Davis said, there have been
from twenty to 1000 violations of the
ordinance, and no arrests have been
made until last night. The officers
should arrest every man who violates
the ordinance, and If they pursue such
g. course, in a short time there will be
no more violations"
In conclusion Justice Davis said that
the hicyclists were not altogether to
blame for existing conditions. If the
| officers would see that the law was en-
| forced the wheelmen would observe 1t,
and he intended TO advise the officers
| TO enforce it to the strict letter The
! cases before him were practically the
| first brought under the new ordinance,
and he did not feel like imposing pen
| alties. IT, however. any other arrests
were made he should give no further
warning but would impose fines upon
| every one who violated the provisions
of the law. Judgment was suspended
and the men We're allowed to go.