The independent., 1904-01-14
sour HOUSES AND HARD TINES
Judge Says Stealing IL no Crime-Polies
Court Scenes

hits evening the pastor, Herbert ..
BigelOW, discussed the return OF hard
times, taking for. his text scenes In
the local police court. He said in
part:
Hard times and free soup houses
are with us again. Every day for
months has brought us reports OF
factories closed and wages reduced.
Despite the demagogue.s assurance
of continued prosperity, the depres-
sion which has been predicted is here.
The ugly facts cannot be concealed
even by the papers which have been
preaching for so long that hard times
is democratic malady.
LIKE ROME'S HISTORY.
Our daily papers are beginning to
read like the history of ancient
Rome. The hungry moo clamors for
bread and the political bosses vie
with each other in their .ostentations
charities. Here, for instance, is a
news item:
Councilman Michael Mullen, Of the
Eighth ward, Wednesday morning es-
tablished free soup house at 455
E. Front street 1t was instantly
crowded by poyefty-sLricken people.
with baskets, broken-spout coffee
pots, bottles and tin cans to carry
away solid provisions, soup and cof-
fee."
The condition Of the unemployed
has become so desperate, AMI thieylng
SO epidemic that our machinery OF
justice, which is usually SO relentless
in the prosecution of little criminals,
has broken down. In our police court
we have had the remarkable spectacle
of the callous 3leuth of the law plead
ing for the accused and the judge,
grown mercifui, dismissing acknowl-
edged thieves whose hunger drove
them to crime.
Here is scene in this court A
man is on the stand who was caught
with stolen bread The officer who
arrested him is called as the prosecut-
ing witness. He addresses the judge
But, behold, this Javert abandons his
role of sleuth. He speaks as man
and a brother. Listen:
Judge, there are nearly two hun
dred people down there who are starry
ing. This man Jones is a working
man and not a thief. He was going
to share what he stole with the 9TH
ers. To prevent worse crimes such
as burglary, we must arrest these
men. They are out from 8 o'clock in
the morning for what they can find
to eat A loin of pork was stolen
Monday morning and the grocer told
us not to look for it. Lord knows,
they need it, he told u.s. In the
buildings at 318, 800 and 322 there are
many who have not a cent and who
have nothing to eat"
What is the judges reply to this
policeman's plea for mercy? The
judge is not a preacher Perhaps he
is not a church member. He is a
politician. He is member of the
gang Possibly, he is worse than
many he sends to prison, But he is
not without heart and this Is his ver-
dict:
THE stealing of bread under such
circumstances is no offense."
Another prisoner Is alTaigned. This
is Charles Stevens, a white man, The
night before he had gone to the jail
said he was out of work and hungry
and begged to be locked up. What
crime has he committed? None He
is here to ask the judge lor the priv.
ilege of being treated like criminal
The judge says:
You may go to Jail, and when The
sun begins to shine warm enough. &c
to the iailer and tell him ycu wish tc
be released. ] will docket you as
committed for $50 and costs at YOU
own request"
Later the judge addressed a body q
city officials before whom he defend
ed these strange decisions. why,
said he. nearly every morning at one
and two o'clock, policemen on theil
beats find the men picking potato
peelings out Of ash barrels. Why
gentlemen. even | would not hesitat,
TO fracture one of the zen command
ments II placed In this position
A PREACHERS CONFESSION.
And now listen 10 the words Of 1
prcaeher who visited the politician
soup house "lt Is a sad picture
have been studying this problem o
human misery ali my life. and am II.
nearer a solution than when | be