Evening star., 1900-09-20
INTERPRETERS WERE PUZZLED.
Pumped the Prisoner in Many Foreign
Tongues, but Found He Was Irish.
From the New York Times.


Tongues, but Found He Was Irish.
From the New York Times
A stranger who had dropped into the Cen
ter street police court one afternoon last
week might have thought that he had dis
covered a dramatic representation of a
scene at the tower of Babel or a school of
modern languages where all the instructors
had gone crazy and We're talking at once
in all the languages they knew.
A small, swarthy, frightencd-lookingm man
was crouching In the witness chair. staring
al all the official and several unofficial and
| volunteer interpreters who were jabbering
| excitedly. The small man was Mike Cos
| tello, who was arrested the night before
| with a party of Italians who were inter-
! rGptcd in the midst of u general fight in
| Eldridge street. Each of the Italians had
| been placed uron the stand in turn. and,
| through the Italian Interpreters, questioned
| as to his part In the fight. Costello came
| last and was addressed by the Interpreter
| in Italian.
The witness gave no answer to the ques
| ton but only shook his head and waved his
hand in puzzled way. After two or three
| more questions in Italian, which elected no
| reply, the Interpreter gave the witness up In
| disgust, telling the magistrate that he was
"He must be French" said the magis-
trate; is there anyone here who can speak
| French?'
| IDere Ia no regular Erench interpreter at
| the Center street police court, but several
| Frenchmen in the audience volunteered
| their services. All their French. however,
| did not bring an answer from the witness,
| who only sQuirmed uneasily in his chair
| and looked appealingly to the magistrate
| A volunteer German Interpreter who came
| next only succeeded in causing the witness
| to look more bewidered than ever. An
! other interpreter then took his turn ard ad-
dressed the witness in an impassioned ha-
| rangue which sounded like a buzzsaw 60
| ing through a knot. The witness looked at
| the rapidly moving mouth and black beard
| in terror for few moments, and finally.
| placing his hands over his ears turned
| away with an expression of agony on his
| face. Several other interpreters, encour-
| aged by this sign of intelligence started to
! This was too much for the magistrate, who,
| jumping mp from his chair, ordered them
| all 10 keep quiet.
| why on earth don't you answer any
| questions?" he shouted to the witness.
What language do you speak anyway"
| Sure. these guys wouldn't give me q
| cfanst,' said the witness. Il don't speak no
| largwitch at all. l didn't want ter say any
| ting tell they got tro' with their 1abberin' I
can speak when git a chanst all right and
when don't have to listen to lot Of dago
talk. but I'm wise guy and don't git ar
rested for contempt OF court interruptin'
court officers. See?'
| This answer which was delivered with
great rapidity, caused disturbance among
the interpreters who eft the court room
hurriediy. The magistrate however heaved
deep sigh of relief
Il will discharge the prisoner" he said
| Il think thCt he has been sufficiently pun
| ished in this court room for any offense he
may have committed