Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-22
IT ADMITS CT NO DEFENCE.
Attempts to Justify Heavy Costs
OH Account Of Tramps
are RidicuIed.
SYSTEM is BUT AN EVIL CUSTOM
Results of Adhering to Bad
Precedent Shown by, the
Charges of the Chief of
Police--Tramps at the
County Jail.

Only ridicule and contempt greet at.
temple 10 advance legal Justification
OF the charges for committing tramls
70 jail and providing food and lodging
ior them, as presented to the Levy
Court by the mssor of New Castle and
the sheriff of the county. The taxpay-
ers believe that they have been rayinp
tribute on charges uncalled for and i'm.
proper. They feel that the time has
passed for the offering of EXCUSES, and
that the time has @ ome for each official
20 render a service in the interest OF
the public and not in the interest of
MS pocketboos, simply because some
predecessor worked for the later object.
One taxpayer said today 1.-THE whole
thing seems to he contagion,' The
present chief Of police, being so new
~ office, you can show the nature of
the contagion, for he mas already fallen
o victim. II they are going to follow
custom. it has come to be a custom for
banko to be- robbsd by their cashiers,
and 50 cashier can Justify himself for
robbing bank
The reference to Chief Of Police
Massey grew out of the publication
showing that he had received about
$500 for committing prisoners and pay
ing oar fares to New Castle, whereas
the law says a member of the police
department shall receive only his
salary. Citizens believe that such
money, for Commitments and so On,
should be turned into the city treasury.
Inc county court passed. upon the
question of the right of policemen to
collect witness fees some years ago. A
son OF Tax Collector John j. Dopeberty
and several other boys had been arrested
and disposition Wac made OF tie case
winch involved thu payment of the
costs by the prisoners. The attention
o. the court was drawn to the pro.
Visions that the receipts of members of
tne poiice department for their duties
were limited to their SALARY; and the
court ruled that State detectives could
not collect witness fees; that notice
officers testifying while on duty. could
not collect witness fees, and that police
officers not on duty could collect the
fees.
In discussing the subject Of the
sheriff, g defence, a large taxpayer re-
marked that the defence was that the
present sheriff was doing the same
thing as his predecessor.
Invisible, numberless legions'' was
the term applied, by another to the
hordss for which the sheriff charges
bill.
The people Of the city of New Castle
are becoming alive to the dispersion
placed upon their historic town by the
stories of the hosts of "vagrants'' no
are entertained at the Jail. Thew
talk Oh forming a shotgun brigade to
keep the unwelcome visitors without
the city gates.
John Vallette, who was an acting
warden under Sheriff Taylor, was called
upon the other day by tramp, who
said he had spent the night in New
Castle Jail. The tramp asked for some.
thing TO eat, saying that he had had |
neither supper nor breakfast. Vallette |
gave him food and the way In which |
he>ate u, verified his statement TINT |
he wSs,huEgry. The incident NAV throw
some light on the assertion that men |
are Lodged over night who get no food |
and yet for whom the county pays board. |
IL Is proposed in New Castle to start |
a subscription list for the raising of
money to secure the running down of
evidence that might be OF assistapce to
the attorney general in his Investigation
OF the Levy Court. So there are two
objects before the people of the CITY.
the stopping of the tramp nuisance and |
the prevention Of further "grafts''
upon the county.
Restaurant people in this city are
getting interested 10 the large fieures
for the board of prisoners, and one
restaurant keeper declared today that
he could feed the prisoners and make
money on the basis of the charges,