New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-08-01
TAKES POLICE TO TASK.
Magistrate Crane Discharges Thirty
four Prisoners.

There vas a scene OF general disorder and
much excitement in the Jefferson Market police
court yesterday when Magistrate Crane dis
charged thirty-four prisoners. men and women,
because there were no police officers to make
complaints against them.
The majority of the prisoners we're charged
with disorderly conduct. One against whom a
charge Of burglary had been made came near
getting out OF court. He was detected and taken
back for arraignment later.
Magistrate Crane arrived in court about $50
o'clock Six or seven policemen were ready 10
go before the magistrate. and their cases were
quickly disposed Of The magistrate waited
fifteen minutes for the other prisoners.
Where are the officers in those cases?' the
magistrate asked when he learned there were
thirty more prisoners. There were no officers in
court TO respond.
Bring out those prisoners the ma gstrate
ordered The men and women were hurried out
in single file and stood before the magistrate,
There were more women than men. The women
were women Of the '-Tenderloin'
The ma gstrate ordered the bridge officer to
get the name Of each Of the prisoners. This
done, Magistrate Crane wrote them on sheet Of
paper, and as each name was recorded he said
to the prisoner:
You are discharged
This formula was gone through until thirty
two or thirty-three prisoners were discharged.
Among the prisoners discharged in this way
was a man arrested on Saturday night by Pa
trolrnan Rath. of the West Thirtieth-st. station.
on complaint Of Michael Wasserrnan. a ''cabby. -
who charged that the man had not paid him 50
for driving him and woman from the Waldorf
TO house in Fifth-ave. near Seventy second-st.
The man gave MS name as George B. Mechen.
and his address as No. 80 LeXington-ave.. where
he does not live.
On the way to the court policeman met his
prisoner OF the night before dancing up Sixth
ave. He took her back to court, only TO learn
what the magistrate had done.
SiKth-ave. IN front Of the court building pre-
scented strange picture for a Sunday morning
Two Italian pedlers were among the discharged.
and from twenty 70 thirty friends held a cee-
bration in front OF the courthouse
Soon after $50 O'Clock the plain clothes men of
the "TenderloIn" station, who had made most Of
the arrests, arrived in court TO arraign their
prisoners. Magistrate Crane told them he was
willing to hold court open a reasonable length of
time after 8 o'clock 10 oblige the policemen, but
that on Sunday morning the cases TO be dis
posed we're 10 be disposed of before o'clock
Eight o'clock was the hour for policemen to go
TO court and prepare their complaints and not
10 and 1870 o'clock The magistrate also called
several ''Tenderlon' detectives to task for max
ing arrests on insufficient evidence particularly
in cases Of women
Captain Cottrell of the "Tenderloin'' station
said he would investigate. IF the magistrate
had asked last night that the officers report
unusually early this morning /. would have had
them ali in court without any trouble" the cap
tain said. That is the usual procedure The
men in most instances have only few hours to
get breakfast make a change Of clothing or take
a bath. and hurry TO court Many of them do
not sleep at all before arraigning their prisoners
And policemen are human"