The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28
Bail in Cases OF Arrest for Minor
Ofienses.

Tho case Of Vice. President DAWSON
Of the First National Bank directs at
tentlon to an outrageous custom which,
Of all abuses Of similar nature from which
our citizens suffer, is perhaps the most
exasperating, namely, that Of imprison-
ing an individual arrested in this town
for a trivial offense until determine
ton OF his case can be made by q police
magistrate.
In no other country in the world, we
believe, not even whore respect for the
rights OF the individual Ii not over great,
do such practises obtain as In the city
Of New York. In such countries, as in
England, the Intervention OF the police
in small matters il made by means Of q
summons to appear before . minor
court, and it Is found that this practise
is just as effectuai in enforcing the law
as an actual arrest by a police officer.
Under the practise with us any citizen,
even the most reputable and distin-
guished, can be hailed To police station
for some petty infract.on OF the NUM-
cipal ordinances, placed in filthy police
cell with beggars, criminals and outcasts,
and so detained there until he Is taken
to police court, unless he satisfactorily
arranges the question Of bail. II he
happens to be arrested in the late after
noon or evening his plight may be mag
ined, as there will be no session Of
police court until the next morning
Our police authorities here have uni
formly declared that the custom Of
"summoning' prevailing in other lands
to which allusion has been made could
never be adapted to this city. Admit
ting that this assertion is correct, and
that arrests are necessary in case Of
violations OF the law OF the kind de-
scribed, it will be seen that the most
shameful part of the nuisance in ques-
ton hinges upon the discretion the po-
lice sergeants have so long enjoyed in
the matter of taking bail For q long
time it was the custom Of those SER
geants, with absolutely no legal right
whatever, to insist upon real estate bail
in all cases in which they we're authorized
to take bail at all, this custom, of course,
playing directly into the hands OF the
professional bondsmen, whose villainy
has 80 often been exposed. The police
are now directed to accept cash bail or
any other reasonable security; yet they
seem to endeavor to evade the directions
of their superior officers as much as they
can, and to maintain the old source OF
revenue to the professional bondsmen.
1t is a matter of daily occurrence for the
police sergeants in this city to refuse
any other than real estate bail in cases
of poor, ignorant people who are brought
before them, and all orders" from head
quarters will not apparently stop the
abuse.
The truth is that, if it is found to be
necessary in our city to arrest people in
stead of serving them with summons
in these cases, there should be in session
throughout a good portion Of the night,
as we'll as the day. q certain number of
police courts 1t would not be necessary
to have all the police courts open. but
such number OF them that anybody
who was arrested at any time could be
brought within relatively short period
before proper judicial tribunal Until
provision OF this sort is made we shall
have an endless continuation Of such
incidents as the case OF Mr.. DAWSON
and OF ignominies equally distressing
perpetrated upon other citizens.