The Washington times., 1905-02-13
PhTHOS At CASES
IN POLICE COURT
Snow and Ice Law Hard
Upon Some.
TILLY BECK FIN E D $5
Friends and Neighbors Contributed a
Dollar Each to Help Her
Pay.
BECK FINED SIS

Something akin to pathos was injected
into the snow and ice cases heard by
Judge Scott today. Those persons who
had deposited 81 or 81 collateral very
wisely remained away from court, and
lost only the amounts they left at the
stations to insure their appearances in
the Police Court. Negro women who
had no collateral to deposit were allow
ed to come to court this morning.
One policeman stationed at the Tenth
precinct who does duty in the extreme
northwest section of the city above the
Fourteenth street car barns, has abb, 1T
& dozen cases against the poor resi-
dents of the little shanties on Fifteenth
street extended. There are no pavements
or asphalt streets in that section of the
city, but he had the negro washerwomen
and cooks into court fer not throwing
ashes on the snow or cleaning it off.
The negresses said the policeman call
ed at their homes, inquired as to their
names, and as he was leaving the house
remarked. This snow is getting kinder
slippery out here
At this warning they said they got
out their little stove shovels and did the
best they could to get the snow off. but
they did not think hey had the proper
tools or the strength necessary to get
the frozen flakes off the dirt walkway.
Judge Scott asked the policeman why
he had not arrested some of the
wealthy persons living in the vicinity Of
the women, and the policeman said he
had warrants for residents who Were
neighbors of the judge.
Tilly Beck said she had done every
thing within her power and means &c
clean off the snow and several witnesses
corroborated her. There seemed to be
| no intention to violate the law and il
comparison the woman had done as
much as Mr.. Barnhart, but Judge Scott
fined her s..
! by no means the most fragrant that had
come under his observations.
| Il know [ can.i retorted Judge Scott
| but / don't intend TO 10 it. I'm not
here for that purpose. She'll pay So
Other negro women in the court room
who had accompanied Tilly, contributed
extricate herself from the tolls Of the
| law.
Case of Asa Goodman.
The case of Ada Goodman, another
negress. who lives in a house near ths
one occupied by Tilly, was entirely
similar. She said she came from AT
! lanta, Ga. where they have very little
snow and no law making II compulsory
| for the tenants to clean off the snow.
/ She informed the court that the police
| ;nan did not warn her until after hi
| had procured her name and was start
| ing away. She then took her coal shove
and worked for some time and cut tht
| best path she could with her limited
strength and inappropriate utensil.
I The court assessed her S5, which was
scraped up as <Tilly Beck's had been
/ No other cases were called TO trial
! When no collateral was deposited. ant
| the person did not answer in court Mr.
| PUgfl ordered Clerk Lum Harper Il
send the warrants back TO the station:
| from which they came
In the case of F1ayina BarI.hart. 6
| rroofreader in the GGoyernment Print
| ing Office. continued over from Satur
day. and stubbornly fought, it wa:
| shown that path had been cleared bJ
| schoolboys employed by Mr.. Rarnhart
| and the charge was dismissed,
/ In remarkiug upon this case Judg'
| Scott said: There are thousands o
persons who make no effort to clean of
the snow. / believe the police would dt
| better to procure warrants for such of
! tenders, instead of man who hai
! shown by cleaning off a path four fee
| wide that he is willing to comply will
| the law-or poor waSherWomen ant
servants.