The times., 1899-03-28
POLICEMAN TOO oFF1c1ous.
Innocent Man Locked Up
and Charged With Vagrancy.

1
"Respectability and honesty, 1t would
appear do not prevent persons arrest by
the police of Washington for vagrancy,'
said District official to Times reporter
yesterday. The speaker, although not con-
nected with the Police Department, is in
such position that all cases tried in the
| Police Court come under his observation.
The discussion regarding the present Dis
| trict vagrancy law was occasioned by the
! trial of a well-dressed and seemingly re-
! spectacle young man, who gave his name
as John E. Carlson. when arraigned In the
| Police Court yesterday, charged with be-
| ing vagrant He was arrested Sunday
night by Policeman Hospital for no other
reason than that he was seen walking up
and down the sidewalk in the vicinity of
the arsenal. When the prisoner was search
| ed at the stationhouse he was found to pos
sess s35 in cash in his pockets. besides
being tastefully and comfortably dressed.
| He was also the possessor of
several valuable pieces of jewelry.
When the prisoner took the stand
in the Police Court yesterday it
was found that he spoke English with
decidedly foreign accent. When ques-
toned by Judge Kimball the prisoner said
he was a native of Norway and had only
been in this country three years. On
landing in New York he went West and
worked on farm in Iowa. Not liking the
Western climate he decided to try and Sc
cure position on a Southern plantation.
In this way he came to Washington on his
way South. He arrived last Friday and
secured room in Pennsylvania Avenue
! boarding house. On Sunday he went out
to see the city and in some way lost his
bearings and did not know the way to his
| lodgings. When he did find his stopping
place, however. IL was SO late that the
house was closed for the night
He then wandered around looking for
some place TO stay, but again became lost
and found himself in front of the arse
nal gate.
Here" said the prisoner. 81 was arrest
ed by a policeman and locked up" The
young man was catechZed very closely by
the judge and answered all questions to
1 the entire satisfaction of the court. The
case against him was then dismissed
This is not an isolated case by any
means" said the official, ''of arrests made
/ by the Washington police. only this ;ime
! the prisoner was fortunate in not being
| sent to the workhouse.
The police of Washington seem unu-
sualiy vigilant," continued the official, lin
arresting inoffensive persons. while, as the
] public well know. the perpetrators of sew
| eral of the most heinous crimes ever COM
mitted in the District are yet at large.
/ Ch oSSOuht vi tHtiE iudUtllty 10
| criminals they seem to think it their duty
| to arrest every person who at the time is
| unable to give an account of himself hop
| ing in this manner to stumble across a
! guilty party. When the prisoner Is taken
| to the station house. IL nothing is found
| against him, the policeman, rather than
| have the party liberated, enters the charge
! Of vagrancy opposite the unfortunate's s
name. In the Police Court the next day
| the policeman testifies to having repeat-
| edly seen the prisoner lettering on the
| streets or of having on several occasions
] been drunk, and the victim is usually
| given from fifteen to ninety days in the
workhouse.
Another reason so many arrests are
made by the police" continued the official,
| ''is that the more arrests made by an off,
Ger the better is his standing with the
| heads of the department.
several days ago that helpless woman
dragged herself to his door cold winter
night and asked him to help her. She said
that there had been a robbery in the vi
cinity where she lived and that the police
| had threatened to ''vag' her unless she
told them something about it. The wom-
an said she knew nothing of the robbery
and was in fear of being "vagged.''
| A well Unknown Police Court lawyer stated
publicly several weeks ago that if Christ
was brought before the court charged
| with vagraney he would be required to
give big bond or go to the workhouse.