The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-24
POLICE COURT NOTES.

Police Judge Clad Hamilton received
kick" this morning from a local
coal dealer in regard to his system of
releasing small children arrested for
stealing coal. In his communication
the coal dealer says that he has been
Systematically robbed by these small
thieves, who shorten every car in the
yards from 500 to $500 pounds, and that
he knows positively that they do not
steal to keep warm, but for the market,
and sell at least tWO-thirdS of all they
steal. He thinks the court is radically
wrong in letting the small offenders off
without a fine.
1.-THE gentleman is right, to a certain
extent said Judge Hamilton in dis
cussing the letter, but he does not
take all the circumstances into consid-
Grafton. 1t is not the right thing to
fine these children and make them
serve time in the city prison with hard
ened criminals. There should be a
Juvenile court established, or they
should be prosecuted in some court
with jurisdiction to send them to the
reform school. The reform school is a
poor place but it is much better than
the city prison for juvenile offenders.
1t is so refreshing to get gentlemanly
kick containing no abuse, that l am
going to answer the writer of the let
ter and state my side Of the case"
Christmas presents for the poor are
arriving in large punches today, and
Mrs. Thorpe is keeping the patrol
wagon busy. Several barrels and boxes
came in yesterday and this morning by
freight, and numerous bundles and
smaller parcels have been arriving all
day. Mrs Thorpe and the ladies of
the Social Settlement are working
overtime. They were working in her
office at late hour last night, sorting
and arranging the toys, clothing and
other donations. Mrs. Hendricks spent
the major portion Of the night in pop
ping corn, and delivered several bushels
of toothsome flakes at the matron S
poor childrens Christmas are better
than they have ever been before in this
city.
The police made five raids last night,
and three of them were water hauls, -
nothing being found to warrant ar
rests. The Royal, at 10 Kansas ave-
nue.: Otto Anderson's place, 222 Kansas
avenue, and the Chesterfield joint were
not caught with the goods The Ma
tional joint at 7os and Fred ROSS place
at SIG furnished the grounds for four
arrests. T. Heery and Thos. Hamilton
we're arrested at the National, where
a bottle of whisky and key of Schlitz
we're found Fred Ross and F. H.
NE,1rnhv were arrested at SIS and three
KEGS of Schlitz captured. The Schlitz
people seem to be getting the worst OF
Ida Porter, colored, was brought in
last nipht wearing a before Christmas
jag, and fined So in police court this
morning.
A stove. which was stolen from Oscar
Swayze at 22O East Tenth avenue, was
found in Goldberg's pawn SHOP yester-
day afternoon by Detective Ross The
stove was stolen Tuesday morning
but no one seems to know who stole It
Two jointists, F. o. Gill and Geo
Klauer, were tried in police court last
evening for maintaining nuisance
Both of them were discharged as soor
as the court discovered that the only
evidence against them was "boozy
smell connected with a pail of water
found in the place when they were ar
rested about the first of the month. Or
the strength of that alcoholic scent the
officers cleaned out the place, taking
among other things a spread of picked
pigs feet on which the defendants were
preparing to dine when raided. Klauel
wants his pork extremities, but there is
a DOOR chance of his recovering them