The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-13
JUDGE FEAGIN IN PHILOSOPHIC MOOD Incidentally He Fines Three
 Men Fifty Dollars LECTURES AN OLD MAN Two Girls Are Mildly ReproVed. "lsnt He Dear?" Said One of
 Them-Union Men Should
 Obey the Law.

Judge Feagin of the Birmingham police court was in a S5O-hning, philosophic mood yesterday. He fined three persons who came up before him $50 each, and punctuated the fines with some straight flung Anglo-saxon words of warning and advice.
 Judge Feagin's first victim was an old man named Stedman, who runs the New York hotel He was charged with running the hotel in d manner not sanctioned py law. Two young women and as many vo1.ng men were in court to prove that the hotel had been perverted into lm- proper uses Both the women were young and one was beautiful. Stedman was neither beautiful nor young. He told the court he was 70 years of age. Because of his advanced age. he invoked the mercy of the court When his counsel came to speak the plea for mercy on the same ground was repeated The lack or per 1 sonal pulchrtude was not mentioned either by the defendant or by his coun- sel. The defendant was an old, old man. trying to earn a livelihood. Wouldn't the court be easy on him? That was the 1 plea of the defense.
 The court would not be easy on Sted- man. He was old enough to know bet ter. reasoned the court Besides he was oorruptlng young people, and besides this, too. he was of Teutonic origin
 "You are of Germanic origin" said the court, after Stedman had talked iu | broken English for while. Some of our best citizens have been German | Americans Their names are writ large in the history of the country. It was | German who stood by Washington's side at Yorktown. Germans fought vaiantly on both sides in the civil war. Germans have contributed a great deal to the in- tellectual life of the nation. Many of our foremost scholars have been Germans As member of the Germanic race, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for conducting such a place as this"
 Thereupon stedman looked around the court room till his eyes fell on the two young women. At the bidding of the court the girls stepped up to the rail.
 "Girls, girls" said the judge, softly "This is no place for you. Think of it. just think of it-iust think of what this means
 The girls eyes met the judges and theirs fell.
 Stedman chuckled to himself, thinking that each of the women would get a $50 fine.
 "I'n have to fine you girls" continued the judge '1'n put minimum fine on you of one dollar each" Judge Feagin went on, as he made the entry on the ledger
 The girls smiled and began to dig up their pocketbooks. Stedman looked sore. as if to say:
 "One dollar for them and $50 for mel"
 Judge Feagn read the old mans inner thoughts.
 "You ought to pay these girls fines" said the judge. You ought to do as the gamblers do. When a gambling house is raided and it's patrons are arrested and fined, the proprietor of the place all ways pays the fines imposed on his pat rons. These women were your patrons and you ought to pay their fines" Stedman didn't see it that way. The girls glggled and made for the l clerks desk. Once there they passed up. one S2O yellow back, the other a S5 note pulled off roll thre enches in diam- eter.
 l McElreath. the clerk, came pretty near having a connipton fit when he caught sight of the wads of money flashed by the two women It took McElrath ten minutes to get the change Then the girls walked smiling out of the court room.
 When they got out in the corridor one of the girls said
 Isn't he a dear?" meaning the judge.
 ''He looks mighty good to me" said No. 9.
 | In the meantime the Judge was rushing the docket Two men charged with fight Ing and doing malicious mischief gave accounts of what had happened. The row | had started over question of trades unionism. One of the defendants was union carpenter, the other a union printer. Each had violated the law. the court de- cided.
 l Don't you men know" said Judge Feagin that in thus breaking the law you union people do your cause more harm than everyone else does? The spirit of violence Is the curse of unonism. Union men, as a rule. are lawabiding, but a few men like you bring your organiza- tions into disrepute. You injure it great | ly You should understand that the coun- try will never countenance violation of law. Cant you see that? I'll fine each of you $5O."
 And he did so.