The evening times., 1899-11-02
FOR 4 NEW POLICE COURT
Congress to Be Asked for Money
. rsS-.
to Build One.
The Present Structure Said to BE En-
tirely Inadequate and n Menace to
HeaIth-Witnesxes and Jurors In
cOnvenienced-AB Better Way of Re-
ceivinE Prisoners Greatly Needed.


| ures that Congress will be asked to con-
slider upon convening in December will be
one appropriating money for new Police
Court building. AS often as this subject
has been agitated before the Commission
| ers, nothing has yet resulted, and today
the old structure, which was considered
out of date twenty-one years ago, when
| the Government converted it from church
| into a court house, still stands. Now.
however, 1t will probable be replaced with
a modern structure.
Last winter. when the proposed new
city hall was under discussion, Judge
Scott, of the Police Court, addressed let
ter to the Commissioners, setting forth
the necessity for a new building. Shortly
afterward he was requested to call and
confer with them in regard to the ques-
tion, and, although no plans were drawn.
many suggestions were made, which will
facilitate matters considerably when the
appropriation is finally made.
One of the proposed sites for the new
building which seems to meet with popu-
lar favor is the centre Of Judiciary Square,
directly back of the city hall This. 1t Is
thought, would be easily accessible to all.
anu NOuiu nave the duucu au'oheooS ~
being near to the records.
An unsightly feature in connection with
the present Police Court is the landing OF
prisoners on the sidewalk in front of the
building. They are brought up every
morning from the jail for trial. and there
is always a curious crowd waiting to see
them.
Both Judge Scott and Judge Kimball
recognize that this is at present a neces-
tt.ac
curiosity OF those morbidly inclined. but
exposes men who are not yet guilty in the
eyes of the law to the possible ridicule OF
the bystanders.
This unsatisfactory method of handling
prisoners will be entirely eliminated In the
proposed new building by the addition of
an enclosed courtyard, where prisoners can
be landed with perfect safety and without
unnecessarily exposing them to gaping
crowds.
The present Police Court building is en-
tirely inadequate to meet the constantly
increasing demands upon it. The impure
atmosphere of the courtrooms and the alb
sence OF modern plumbing is probably felt
more by the judges and clerks of the court
than others whose duties compel them to
be present. Judge Scott is perhaps. the
more fortunate in this respect, as he pre-
sides upstairs, where the ventilation is
courtroom, too, is larger than that on the
lower -foors and hes. the advantage of two
more windows.
In the lower court, where Judge Kimball
metes out Justice. the conditions are made
worse by the proximity of the retaining
cells, where the prisoners are held TO await
trial after being brought from the Dis
trict Jail. These unforturates are not kept
in this place over night, but the two or
three hours that they remain is long
enough to convince those in the adjacent
courtroom that speedy disp 81 ion OF their
cases is at all times desirable.
The prosecuting attorneys Offices are
small. and it is complained are in no way
fitted for the preliminary examination of
witnesses. Often the rooms are so densaly
packed by witnesses and those having busi-
ness TO transact that every inch of the
space Of % feet by ) feet allotted them is
occupied.
When a case is called the witnesses on
both sides are requested to "step outside,
please" They then have the alternative of
standing on the stairs and in the Railways
or occupying bench in small closet
by courtesy called witness room. until
they are called.
The jury rooms, two in number. are in
better condition, although it sometimes
happens that the jurors find their apart
ments occupied by witnesses. When this
occurs the proceedings of the court are
interrupted.
1t is thought that the coming session of
Congress will see the necessity of appro-
priGting a sufficient sum of money for the
erection of a courthouse beftting this
branch of the government. strong effort
Will be made with this end in view.