The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-31
POLICE WORK In SUMMER.
Hot Weather Causes an Increase in
the List Of Offenders.

Court officials Attribute This 10 the
Fact That the People Get Out Of
Doors To Carry on Their Mischief
and to Ignorance of Regulations.
Probably nowhere in the District is the
effect Of hot weather more noticeable
than around Police Headquarters and in
the Police Courts While the rays Of the
sun and the heated atmosphere are de
pressing 20 policemen judges, clerks. and
bailifs. and weaken their energies, their
labors during the torrid waves. are inva-
riably increased, the rule being the hotter
the weather the more the work
The members OF the crowd that daily
gathers around the Police Court Building
10 see prisoners take the vans for the
District jail and worlzhouse after convic-
ton. perhaps have not tried 10 figure out
why il was that during the past three
weeks they have seen the usual daily
number Of van. passengers more than dOu-
bled- The explanation is that hot wealth
CT causes more violations Of the law.
In cold weather the work OF the police
map IS materially Iightened- The reason
Tor this is plain. The great mass Of hui
manity is lowering around fire behind
closed doors If petty offences are COM
mitted they are hidden. and an arrest fol-
lows only on complaint Of somebody. and
not because the offence was witnessed
by an officer OF persons upon the streets
Thus thousands Of cases Of disorderly
conduct, vagrancy. and fighting escape
the notice Of the police ana courts in win
ter that would be almost sure 20 receive
their attention were they TO occur in hot
weather. because there are a 100 chances
In. a
come 20 light out Of doors.
When a fight or a disorderIy act takes
place in saloon OF private place. few
/ people care to swear out warrant for
! the offender ors offenders; hence they fire.
[ quentIy escape the police.
In winter Il Is claimed by court officers
who have served for years, and who ought
20 know whereof they speak. the number
I OF police cases tried daily win not average
( one-fourth that Of summer. Every day
/ during the recent hot spells the dock in
| the District branch Of the Police Court
/ has literally been jammed- This condi-
[ ton did not prevail I'm the United States
branch Of the court 20 as noticeable a de-
gree. though there too, a much larger
amount of business was done, than is
usually the case The difference is eN-
planned IN the fact that In the United
States branch OF the court a more seri-
Gus class Of offences are given attention.
while in the District branch justice Is
dealt out TO Migrants Of different kinds,
such as beggars, drunkards. women of evil
life, crap shooters. and other disorderly
persons Here, tor are heard charges Of
violations of the police regulations gov
erniug ulotormen on street cars. aUtomO-
bile operators. bicycle riders. coachmen,
cart and wagon drivers push cart men
nUisauces. and on many other subjects
looking To the peace and quiet and general
welfare of the District.
The great bulk of the increase Of the
work Of the police and the courts that
attends hot weather is charged 10 petty
offenders. The parks az an hours day
and night. during sulrry times, are alive
with people trying 90 get an Of the breeze
. that is stirring. Trespassns is conse-
quenuy a common thing. and draws the
guilty into court il the park watchman
sees them
Not infrequentIy some Ilw-abidiug citi-
zen gets into court on this charge. In
such cases the arrest is The result Of the
ignorance of the offender as 10 police
f. regulations governing privileges iu the
parks
on the other hand the parks are Ravens
I for the professional l0uuger and the man
who wants 10 sleep Off a drunk While
I this class OF men have learned from ex-
perIsuce what the rules about lyiu- on
the grass and benches are. many take th-
chance of oversJepp.uE them and nearly
always get caught Then the begsar. the
corner io4fgT. tie wler-ru-atr." and
the many dinereug typos ~ idicrs who are
glad 10 stay Iu doors 4u winter are almost
constantly on the. streets or iu the auh-ic
Tt-eIE. lions Il summer. and furnish IN
abundance of material on which the police
and courts can work
One day during the hot spell of two
. Wf-ri Ks there 100 arrests these
about - persons forfeited collateral The
rest appeared In court o. stand trial The
I aggregate ~ The co'lar~rgl given uD N
this day was considerably over 500