The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-03


Reduced in Rnnk-A. Gouard Makes
Second Appeal to the Commits
xfonrrS About Lightiug Facilities.
! The necessity of erecting new polio.
/ Court Building. or pf changing the court
/ system of the city. has been impressed
l upon the minds of those who have visited
/ the court during the present year Is
/ p.ciauy during the hot weather have Jh,
/ Inadequate facilities for dispensing jus
! tlcc In the Police Court been Illustrated
I from day TO cay IN the crowded cuuJi-
/ ton of the rooms and Railways and I'm
3 the sitting atmosphere of the premises
/ Major Sylvester has for several years
( advocated a change OF system rather than
/ the enlargement Of the present court
/ house. He believes that IN, best interests
! of the Police Department as well as the
! prompt administration of Justice demand
/ the inauguration OF the magistrate system
/ of trying police cases daily IN the police
/ stations. This plan would scatter the
/ hearings of the ordinary cases among
/ the several precincts. would save the
/ crowding of the docket through the morn
| ing hours AT the central court. and would
/ obviate the ATTENDANCE Of the policemen
/ at the court when they should be- resting
/ or upon their beats.
In speaking of the matter today Major
1 Sylvester stated that i'm his opinion he
change to the magistrate system WIS
! the only thing Jo properly relieve the sit
uaton- Tie thinks that the present meth
/ Cd. which appeared best when the CITY
!. was much smaller than now and when
! the working of the system did not put
I such strain upon IN, department as
/ now. should De- abandoned. and the pres
/ ent Police Court changed into a higher
! court for the trial OF cases by jury and
/ cases appealed from the magistrates.
According TO Major Sylvcster's idea.
! there should be M SiStrate appointed
I for each precinct. and they should be au-
| thorized 20 hold court twice each day.
1 forenoon and afternoon. for the trial Of
cases coming up ia the various precincts.
( The magistrate would have authority 10
| pass upon an misdemeanors and minor
cases. where the defendant did not waive
| examination and demand d jury trial. The
/ latter cases Would be- tried in the cen
/ tral police court. as now.
The advantages OF such a system. ac-
cording 10 Major Sylvester would be the
much greater facility given to the trial
D of cases Arrests made during the night
would Be- disposed of al the morning hear
/ ing. without the necessity OF the prisoners
( leaving the stationhouses. The witnesses
would be at hand and their testimony
would be given I'm the majority Of cases
with only a few persons present. instead
Of in a crowded courtroom with hundreds
of loungers and curiosity-seekers. Those
under arrest. i'm cases where they were TO
/ be given their freedom. would be- saved
the humiliation Of being taken through
the streets in tho patrol in the daylight
and OF being forced 90 run the gautIet Of
curious ey IS At the courthouse when they
arrive there.
But the greatest advantage from the
standpoint Of the department. Major SNl-
vester thinks. would De in the ease with
which the polio. man making the arrests
could be called 70 give their evidence and
go back again 10 their beats or 20 their
beds. as the case might he TWO OF at
most three sessions of the court each day
would cover an the arrests made and the
court docket would all the time be up
with the station hlotter-
r W. Duttou. Chief Engineer Of the
Fire Department has forwarded To- the
Commissioners recommendation that
Private J. A. Walsh. of Engine Company
No. Q, De- reduced 10 the rank OF watch
man and transferred IN Engine Company
No. p Mr.. DuttOu also recommends that
Waterman r. +. NCkerVtr De appointed
private, vice Walsh reduced IN rank.
\ Gouard. of 73a Fourteenth Street
northwest. recently asked permission TO
have his house. ar No. 20 O Street north
east. connected with the city lighting ser
vice. The matter was referred 20 the At
torney for the District who submitted an
opinion to tho effect that the Commits
siorers were without authority 20 grant
the request
Mr. Gouard has written again 20 the
Commissioners rrIatiy- 20 the matter.
stating that ne has consulted with his at
torney. and that he has been advised that
the Attorney for the District is mistaken
and misuHdorstauds the case.
Mr. Gonard requests that the matter be
recOusidered with a view to having the
opinion Of the Attorney in the matter
modified.
Alvey A Euee, Acting Secretary Of
State. has forwarded 10 the Commission
ers number Of reports on the municipal
government Of Birmingham England
sent here by the consul al that point.
These reports were requested by the Com
mlSsiOuers IN order to obtain Information
as 10 police, building. and sanitary rcFula-
tious. with a view 10 the adoption of sim
liar rules for Washington.
The Commissioners have approved a
recommsnI atiUn Of the Health Oficer that
Dr Hubert Young, sanitary and food in
spector. be directed 10 proceed to the va
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