The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-14

The City Magistrates OF this town
passed on la, O25 cases in the last calendar
yoar. No other city in the world, with the
possible exception OF London, has such a
record. or these $4,000 cases the Magis-
trates had absolutely final Jurisdiction in
more than 102, 900 cases. II il because
Of the number OF these cases hat
the police courts Of the city are known as
the courts Of the people. Nine-tenths Of the
criminal procedure OF this city, 1t has been
estimated. is done in them.
There were more h %, 900 cases in the
Jefferson Market our alone last year, an
average Of $50 q week or more than rs a
day. Court is In session usually three
hours in the morning and three hours in
the afternoon, a total OF six hours or 24O
minutes. To pass ON 20 cases in 24O min
utes means about three minutes and a
fifth for each case. To glance at a
complaint. hear what the complainant has
70 say and sign ones name from three to
five times in the papers Of zach case is the
task that the City Magistrates have to
meet. The wonder is, according to many
of those who have studied the system,
that numberlees cases Of injustice are not
done. The wonder also exists, according
10 these experts, that with all the haste
there is not greater corruption than is now
known to prevail in the courts. To get
competent Magistrates the salary was
placed at $1,000 a year Inc the term of
Office was made ten years.
THE RECORD OF TEN YEARS.
The present police court bench was re-
organized in 1896. 1t has finished a record
If ten years and the last report Of the Board
Of Magistrates shows the kind OF work these
Ma gistrates have done. The average
yearly increase in the cases In the courts in
the last ten years has been 1881. The in
crease Of last year owe that Of the preceding
year was 1883 cases. So effectively were
these courts organized at the start that in
four years after the first year Of the decade
there was a yearly decrease in criminal
cases in the city. Then the tone Of the
bench changed, through new appointments,
and in one year there was al increase of
II per cent. in the arrests and an increase
Of 20 per GER in the number OF arrests for
~felonies. The report of homicide cases
shows an increase OF 90 per cent. in one year
and an increase OF $50 per cent. over the
average growth Of such cases for ten years.
Burglaries have increased ~ per cent.
In the second year of the decade the in
crease in the number of arrests was only
200 in one year. Then the arrests began
to decrease, as the report shows, until in
1900 there were 10000 fewer persons ar
raigned in these courts than in 1905. In
when there were more than IS, 600 fewer
prisoners than last year. the fines collected
we're ST.. 900 more. On homicide charges
last year there were arraigned 500 persons,
or more than 10 week. In 1894 there were
only $40 such cases. Up to last year the,
increase in the decade had been l40 from
the smallest number recorded in any one
year, 40 that the real increase in these cases
amounted to $50 per cent. For burglary
there we're S33 moro persons arraigned last |
year than the year before, or 1857 as against |
! PA, the increase being 27 per cent. For |
grand larceny there was an increase OF 300
arrests.
The TYPICAL POLICE COURT.
To handle this great number Of cases
the equipment Of the courts is far from |
adequate. For the most part the police
are held in rooms about sixty feet
long and from twenty-five to thirty feet
vide. One end is completely rallied of
by a series OF desks. in the centre OF which |
Magistrate sits. On either side Of
are the clerks, six to eight in number.
in the place is the pen where
the prisoners are kept until arraigned.
the bench and the court room.
a double row Of about q dozen long
are placed, is railing, which screens
III a place about ten feet wide. This
space opens into the runway to the prison
Directly in front Of the Magistrate is a
platform about eighteen inches high, three
wide and from six to eight feet long.
A railing runs along the outer edge OF this
and down on the floor against that railing
The prisoner is arraigned. The platform
Is known a. the bridge. Il Is packed at
every hour Of the day with police, court
witnesses policemen and reporters.
The prisoner at the:bar has great difficulty
at times even iLe ,eeing the judge. The
confusion in the place Is distractina and
The commonest thing heard in the courts
Is the Magistrate pounding on his desk
and shouting for order.
All the clerks are kept busy drawing
the papers in the cases before they are
to the Magistrate and in record
lng the disposition he has made Of them.
benches outside the railing are crowded
With persons who are to be witnesses, with
hose out on bail and with friends or rela-
lives OF those arraigned or those seeking
warrants or summonses.
Business begins in these Ill ventilated
and crowded courts at Q A. NJ. Half an
hour before hat long lines OF prisoners
been marched into the open space
the bench and clerks have been
busy making out the papers. Where
nave made arrests they must
the cases to the clerks and ave
The crimes classified. There is a roar in
he court almost like that OF street traffic.
Suddenly the sergeant in charge of the
police in court shout
Hats OF"
ENTER n MAGISTRATE!
The Magistrate has left his private room
and walks to his place. At once the bridge
choked. There Is a prisoner
six or eight feet ava at the railing and
hall hidden by the crowd. The papers are
before the Magistrate. He glances at
hem and saysl
aWell2"
The policeman or other complainant
begins TO tell his story. In nine cases out
ten the prisoner never hears what is said
about linn. He bends his head and cranes
neck, put so far as hearing the testi-
nony. he might as well be bach IN the pen.
u he hires a lawyer he Is likely TO hear
The attorney raise his voicc-the police court
likes to show that he IL giving some
return in lung power for his services
then the Magistrate usually waves the
away in front OF him and says sharply
TO the prisoner:
What you got 10 say2"
The prisoner often starts to talk. II
he b not ratified he can get In a word or
Two. and II h IL intelligent he can say few