The Philipsburg mail., 1899-12-01
ON FALSE ARRESTS.
SOME CHAPTERS DEALING
WITH JUSTICE.
Law Abidiag Citizens Are Never Safe
From Arrest and Are Often Punished
for the Crimes Of Others-A Pal dom
able Crime. v

Every year large number of peace
able and law-abiding citizens are ar
rested and imprisoned for crimes of
which they are about as guiltless as
the proverbial babe unborn. This is
not, perhaps particularly pleasing
reflection for those timid souls to
whom the machinery of the law is full
of vague and majestic terrors, and who
would probably be transfiXed with hor-
ror if one fine day they were tapped
on the shoulder by gentleman in blue
and requested to accompany him to
the nearest police station. To be
placed in such position as that just
described is at all times painful and
irritating, but when the offense for
which one is roughly arrested happens
to be the grave crime of "wilful muir
der" the horror of the situation is in
tensified. Yet cases of mistaken iden-
tlty are by no means rare in this con-
nection, and whenever a crime of this
character is committed aad the crimi-
nal manages for time to elude pur-
suit, certain number of innocent peo-
pie are pretty sure to be arrested on
suspicion. Some years ago, when the
brutal murder of a Mr.. Gould IN rail-
way carriage filed the public with hor-
ror and Indignation, an acquaintance
OF the writer, who CHANGED to possess
some physical resemblance to the MUIR
derer, at that time still at large, was
arrested in this way and detained for
some hours before he could prove his
sensitive man and the shock of the ar
rest and subsequent detention caused
him serious illness, from which he
never fully recovered. In the case of
crimes of heinous nature it is, per-
haps, pardonable if justice, in its pur-
suit of the evil-doer, occasionally runs
the wrong party to earth. But where
the offense is of less magnitude it GER
tainly seems desirable that greater
care should be observed to avoid er-
rors of this description. There is a
story told Of judge who was once ar
rested on suspicion of having burglari-
GUS designs on the house OF friend
The police officer charged him with
lettering with felonious inteot, and the
prisoners description of himself as
Judge was received with grin of sar-
castle derision. At that moment an
old offender was brought in who hap
pened to catch sight Of his face, which
he had good reason to remember. You
here" he exclaimed with unfeigned
astonishment. well, this beats cock
fighting" The rogues unsolicited cor
roboration of the judges declaration
saved the situation. and he was al
lowed to depart in peace.
A well-known member Of the sport
ing world was removing from his late
dwelling to another in the immediate
neighborhood. The rest of his goods
and chattels had gone before in van
loads, but his silver trophies, prize
cups, etc., he packed into a portman-
teau and carried personally. 1t was
late in the evening when he left the
house, and the street. which was a
long, leafy avenue, was quite deserted.
He had not gone very far on his way,
however. before policeman stopped
him and demanded to know what he
was carrying. He revealed the ar
ticles, and explained that they were
his own, but the officer had his
doubts" and conducted him to the sta
tion, where he was kept in durance,
pending Identification. 1t is not every
day one is accused of burgling his own
property.