The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-01-02
Crusade Against Professional
BOndsmen Begins To-Day in See
ond District Police Court.
COMPLICATIONS MAY FOLLOW.
Under Present Rules, Police Must
Accept a Bond Unless They
Know That Surety Of
fered Is Bad.

The order Of Judge wlslizenus OF the
Second District Police Court. that persons
I'm the habit Of going on bonds in the court
be allowed to act as surety only for the
amount for which they qualify. IL likely TO
cause complications making It difficult TO
carry out the order. which goes into effect
to-day.
Most Of the bonds. excepting IN cases
that are appealed. are taken by the police.
before the cases get into court. II a bonds
man qualities for a certain amount. the
police have no right TO refuse TO accept him
as surety on a bond. in the absence Of in
formation as TO the number OF bonds which
he has already signed. II they did they
would run the risk OF being charged with
oppression In Office. The result Is that the
police accept as a bondsman any one whom
they know TO be good for the amount Of the
bonds which he has signed as far as their
information goes. and II Is expected that
they will continue to do so.
To ascertain how many bonds a man Is
on. II would be necessary. when a bondsman
presents himself at a police station to
bail out n prisoner, to communicate with all
OF the police stations In the city. TO ascer-
tain II the man Is on any bonds in the diff
ferent stations. Il would also be necessary
" aSftItdln now many appeal bO1uS ne II
on. which would have TO be learned from
the courts. When a case Is tried in a police
court the bond given to the police expires.
A new bond has TO be given to the court
In case OF an appeal. 1t would be neces-
sary. therefore. for the three police courts
OF the city TO furnish daily TO the diff
ferent police stations a list Of the cases
appealed. and the persons who signed the
bonds.
When cases come before Judge wislize-
nus. and a continuance is asked, he has the
right to declare the bonds not good. In
the event OF the person accused not fur
nishing another bond, the question will
arise. What is to be done with the prisoner?
procedure would be for the Court TO
order the Marshal to tax charge OF the
prisoner.
The Marshal. however, is a bonded officer
and has to be satihed that the proceeding
Is regular before he can obey the Courts
order. If he transgresses the law he IS
liable on his bond IN an action for damages
notwithstanding the order OF the Court.
A case OF this sort occurred in the First
Distrlct Police Court when Judge Peabody
occupied the bench. A couple Of prisoners
were brought before him, clients OF the
iate Attorney jefferson ID. Storts. A con-
tlnuance was asked for in the cases. JUICE
Peabody refused TO accept the bond that
mad been given. and. in the absence Of
another bond, ordered the Marshal to take
charge OF the prisoners. The late Emil
Thomas. who was Marshal at the time. re-
fused 10 obey the order of the Court. and
the Judge was obliged to allow the bond to
stand.
The result Of Judge w~islizenuys effort 10
see that proper bonds are given will be
watched with much interest, in view of the
difficulties 1t will entail. One result. how
ever. will be that 1t Will operate to diminish
tne number OF c-ontinuances. Persons who
fdDnOt furnish 1nnfhnr h1-l - m.
not test the authority OF the Court will
have to go to trial.