The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-29

There are about q, GOO arrests made in
he District of Columbia during the course
OF q year and yet with the exception of
those Immediately interested but few of
this great eity's population have any idea
Of the manner in which prisoners are
| handled, fed. and cared for. or how they
! are eventually brought before the judges
/ who are to pass upon their cases and either
! liberate them. II the charges are not sus-
/ tanned, or pass sentence upon them. In
the latter case they are either fined or
sent 10 the workhouse or Jail, or, if the
: charge is a serious one they may be re-
I leased on real estate bonds pending an in
! yestigaGon by the grand jury.
/ Several Of the great railroad companies
! publish notices in their folders, and other
( literature, advising passengers that in case
Of dispute with a conductor they should
! comply with his demands and take a re-
ceipg for whatever money they pay him.
I ana the proper officials Of the road viii
| see that the passenger is dealt justly by.
! This notice might well be paraphrased for
the benefit of these who may have deal
Z ings with members of the Police Depart
mGRt If 2 policeman once lays his hand
/ on a person and tells him be is under ar
/ rest he may as well so without question,
/ for the chances are that he would be ia
I KEN. II Il lOUh inc entire DOllCG ioiCG 10
: do So The prisoner may be as innocent
/ Of all harm as he was the day be was born,
but he Is a prisoner and. with but few eX-
ceptious, 1t IS for the judges OF the Police
Court 10 pass on his guilt or innocence.
An arrest having been made the police
man takes his prisoner TO the nearest pa
troll box and telephones for the wagon In
addition 10 the telephone connecting with
the staJionhouse of the precinct in which
the box Is located each patrol box con-
tains a mechanism similar 20 = messenger
call By means Of which not or emergen-
Cy call or a request for a wagon or an
I ambulance can be sent If the conditions
are such as VIII not permit OF The use OF
the phone These calls are usually re-
+ sp0Ided 10 very quickly and in a short
time the prisoner is standing before the
sergeant's desk at the stationhouse- Here
an exact entry is made on the biotter as
10 the time OF his arrival his name. age,
EaCe and nativity a record is also made
as to whether he can read and write, If
he is married or single and. after the
charge appears the name OF the COM
Dlainant and Of the policeman who made
the arrest He is then searched and all ar
ticles Of value OF weapons Of any kind are
put away fer safe keeping after record
has been made of them.
The prisoner may avoid being searched
If he as the money to deposit as collateral
for Ms appearance IN the Police Court in
the morning 10 answer the charge that has
been preferred against him. Failing 20
secure his release he is sent back TO a cell.
OF PERHAPS If he gives evidence OF rot be-
ing CT the criminal class he may be per-
mitted to stay in one of the witness rooms,
which are comfortably furnished and more
Or less cheerful. compared with the cell
surroundings. II the prisoner is d woman
or child IN" telephone is used 10 call
vehicle from the House of Detention 10
Z 49, oh
Is we'll cared for until she IS wanted in
court At the House Of Detention and at
all the stationhouses two meals day are
served 10 such prisoners as may be IN the
house at meal hours. Good, subs1.J;iai
food is served, and plenty Of il, by regular
caterers in the vicinity Of each house, wbe
receive - cents for each meal furnished.
The regulations require that every oppor-
tunity shall be given those under arrest
TO communicate with their friends. The
usual method Is TO telephone TO the pc
lIceInau On the beat where the house 10
which the message is 10 be delivered is
! located End he notifies the friend
IN the early morning the work of trans
/ ferring the prisoners tc the Police Court
I for trial IS begun, and frequently the
/ black Msria' as the van is popularity
/ called, has to make many trips to the
! various stations before its work is com
/ pieted. The specially constructed van
/ tiCn is used exclusively for that institu-
! ton and the transfer OF its prisoners.
! Promptly at $50 o'clock each morning
! the occupants OF the cells are taken 10
/ the courtTooms, and the work of the day
/ begins there. In the lower courtroom,
! presided over at present by Judge Scott
| the District cases are heard such as pro
/ family. disorderIy conduct, vagrancy.
! cruelty TO animals. violations of the liQ-
/ uor law, and of police regulations. The
! greater portion Of cases come under these
/ heads, and the cases are called IN the
1 order In which the papers or infoTmations
may reach the Clerks hand. Judge Kim
/ ball IS now presiding over the United
| States branch of the court, and all OF The
more serious charges are heard by him
Before the court opens, the prisoners
! are ushered into space that is rallied
| oft from the rest of the room, and is pro
| vided with benches. This space is ia
| miliarIy known as the pen" and it is
! here that the prisoners are detained I'M
! til their cases have beea disposed Of.
| The defendant in each case is called 20
! the rail by Mr. Potts, the Clerk of the
] Court who reads to him the charge. and
! follows it with the usual queries wheth-
| er guilty or not guilty, and whether the
| right 70 a jury trial Is waived or de-
| manded- In the latter case bonds must
( be furnished to insure appearance in
] court for trial when wanted or the pris-
! oner IS committed to jail to await his
turn for jury trial. All cases get a
! hearing before the court adjourns for
| the day. There are no holidays in the
! Police Court, and every day presents the
usual grind of cases. with occasionally
| an unusually large number to vary the