Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-30
OFFENDERS INCREASE
Views of Judge Scott Of Dis
trict Branch Police Court.
CASES OF MINOR GRADE
OPPOSES ESTABLISHMENT OF
WHIPPING POST.
Prosecutor Pugh Discusses Prevalence
of Crime-Statistics Given
Review of Conditions.

Judge ~ rles f. Scott of the District
branch of the Police Court is of the opin-
ion that the offenders who appear before
him are on the increase in number. The
lesser offenses, said Judge Scott are very
frequent. The minor offenders include the
men who have Reg of beer sent to their
homes and imbibe to their hearts content,
and Immediately afterward start general
row, with the result that every one of the
family is brought into it.
If these men frequented saloons, the judge
believes. it would be the lesser of the two
evils, for the reason that their families
would not brought into any row that might
occur.
II do not believe the whipping post should
be established here, for Furnishing wife
| beaters l think it would be a backward
step. The defendants in such cases should
be sent to some institution and be made to
work. their wages going toward the support
of their families"
LAS to the violations of the smoke law
| said Judge Scott, there are comparatively
| but one or two cases where formerly there
| were ten or fifteen. The law, as construed
| by the Court of Appeals, will be carried
| out in this court, when good cases are
made out"
One Cause of Delay.
! The lack of an amendment to the smoke
| law. said Judge Scott, fixing limit as to
| the time the smoke must issue from a
| chimney stack to constitute a violation of
| the law! has had the effect of causing a
| delay in the prosecution of the cases, as
| the attorneys all claim that minute or
two minutes does not constitute viola
ton of the law. They insist that when the
law was framed the makers did not have
in mind that SO short period should
constitute a violation.
I'd, holt tbn -,Nnn of n.
mobiles should be limited, as they are ex-
! tremely dangerous and almost as noiseless
as a bicycle. The police regulations fix the
| limit at six miles an hour on streets where
there are car tracks intersecting; where
there are car lines, twelve miles an
| hour, and outside of the city limits fifteen
| miles per hour. Judge Scott thinks these
! limits should be reduced to four miles on
| the car lines. eight miles on the streets
with no car lines and ten miles -eutside the
limits, so to reduce to the minimum the
elements of danger.
1--WE ere very much in need of a new
Police Court building said the judge
land 1 think a large building could be
built to cost about $500 600, with plenty Of
room for offices for the court officials, and
placing offices on the upper floors, which
could be rented to lawyers, thus bringing
in a revenue. This can easily be done, as
the revenues of these two police courts are
sufficient to pay for a fine new building in
a few years.
some STATISTICS SuOWu.
The Judge showed some statistics to the
effect that from January to December,
1902, there were 1927 cases tried in his
| branch of the court, and $1,000 collected
| in fines. For 1908, during the same period,
Is 935 cases and $50 900 collected.
1.-The witness rooms in the present build
ing" he said ARE in such condition that
would deter me from keeping a good AL
derney COW or fine horse in them" said
Judge Scott.
My court should be relieved of the bust
ness of the juvenile branch he added,
land the judges salary should be raised.
This fact has been recognized by the Com
missioners and the Senate committee. An
appropriation has been recommended for
this purpose at each of the past four ses-
sions of Congress, but the recommendation
has been killed in conference by two of
the members of the House committee. who
cannot be convinced of its necessity
Views of Mr.. Pugh.
Mr.. James L. Pugh assistant District at
torney, who is the prosecutor in the Dis
trict branch of the Police Court agrees
| with Judge Scott's statement to the effect
| that the number of persons charged with
! the smaller offenses is constantly increas-
| ing. He believes in a strict observance of
| the smoke law, and the prosecutions to be
as severe as in any other offense upon
the statute books. Mr.. Pugh says he has
| insisted upon high fines in all cases COM
mensurate with the case made out
IF you trf1e with law said Mr.. Pugh.
people very soon regard the breaking of
that law as a trif1ing offense, and 1 be-
lieve that has been the case in the matter
J of the smoke regulations" Mr.. Pugh be-
| leves the cases in which the carrying of
concealed deadly weapons is charged is
on the increase in the District He was
esked his reason for the belief. and said
Simply an insane desire of persons to go
about the streets prepared to wreak VEN
geance upon their fellow-man at mo-
ments notice.
Opposed to Whipping Post.
Mr.. Pugh was asked this morning for his