The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-27

custom since the establishment Of the
police court
This the mayor objected to. He said
"A Jo1nt1st IS given every opportunity
to get out on bond while a poor man
who is arrested and thrown in jail is
obliged to lay there until the Judge
comes to hold COURT No bond should
be accepted, he maintainedf until the
prisoner had been taken before the
court personally and had been docketed
according to the law. The mayor SEEM
to think that the jointists got the easy
end Of thelaw while Migrants and others
the convenience of the court.
H. +. Doran, attorney for Judge Ma
gaw, admitted that the judge was not
following the strict letter of the law.
which, from its long use, had been ac-
cepted as law. He held that under the
existing circumstances it was impossi-
bic to conduct the police court in ac-
cordance with the strict letter of the
law, and therefore the judge should not
be held amenable. He held that the
Judge could use his discretion in the
matter of requiring and accepting bond
and that the fact that no bond had been
forfeited was evidence that he had used
due caution in all cases.
During the discussion the committee
called for the judges docket and the
daily register which is kept by the po-
lice. The uses of the books were ex-
planned and Mr.. Swendsonj asked why
the docket kept by the judge was not
posted up to date. The judge explained
that he had been too busy issuing war
rants and attending to regular work
since the raids had been commenced on
the jOintists. The committe wanted to
know if the judge had allowed prisoners
to go out and get their own bond. He
explained that he had.
II even let prisoners go on their own
reeognizance,' said he. 1.-THE matter of
bond is left by law to my discretion.
a nh toll he 1ui lo1-
If bond is returned with certain
signature to allow the prisoner to go.
OF course I am careful to explain the
matter to the TALLER. 1 do this for my
own convenience
The committee asked a number of
questions relative to the business of the
court and after discussing the matter
for two hours IL developed that the
same manner as it had been for years.
The committee decided, however that
it desired further light on the subject
and asked the judge to be present at a
meeting to be held Monday night
when the matter would again be taken
up.
Just before the meeting adjourned
Mayor Drew said there was another
thing he wanted investigated, and that
was concerning a report he had heard
that a sack full of beer pumps had
been taken from the station. He asked
the judge if he had ever given an order
pumps, and also what the custom was
in regard to the return of parapherna-
liza taken from places supposed to be
joints?"
The judge said that he had never
given an order for the return of more
than two pumps and that he knew
nothing of that part of the business
The. jailer kept that record Chief
Ramsey started to explain how that
part was managed, when the committee
decided that they were hungry and the
came to an end.
The committe is spending q good
share of the time today in going over
the records and looking into matters at
the station. The members are not sat
isfied with the manner in which the
business has been conducted and may
suggest a different method of doing
business. OF course they know all
about how a court ought to be con-
Quoted for none of them are lawyers.
In the future the attorney for the
jointists will be obliged to write his
bond, for the mayor has ordered all the
bonds, except a few emergency cases,
taken from the station.