The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-01
GRAFT OF COURT BONDSMEN.
FAT PICKINGS FOR THE ONE A
MAGISTRATE FAVORS.
Startling Instance In which the Freedom
OF women was AuctiOned or on the
Court House steps Fifty Held Until
an Acceptable BOndsman Appeared.

It's change OF attitude regarding raids on
d~isorderly houses. warrants now being re-
quired. has made some of the City Magis-
trates wish that a blow Of like character
could be given to the professional bonds
men that frequent their courts. One OF
the largest sources OF revenue in the police
courts comes from the professional bonds
man business and most of the Magistrates
would like to see it wiped out.
II a Magistrate exercises the discretion
that he may legally to accept no one az
bondsman unless the bondsman is entirely
satisfactory to the Magistrate and the
one accepted happens to be- f~avorite
the bondsman can get rich quickly. IL
would also be easy for him 70 show his
gratitude in various ways. 10 10 common
gossip that often as much as 81 900 profit
results from a single days business in this
Line in a Magistrates court.
Putting women Of the street under bonds
for good behavior in a favorite device.
None of these bonds Is ever forfeited.
The taking OF them is the greatest farce
in police court procedure. The bondsman
usually exacts 10 per cent. OF the face of the
bond as his fee-s50 for a $500 bond, 500
for Q 81 900 bond and so on. The famous
pickle trust Of the Essex Market police
court waxed strong in this line of business.
Here is an instance showing how profit
abba the business was in one case in
another court. Friday night, May 8, 1908,
the police Of the Fifth street and East
Twenty-second street stations became UNI
usually busy and arrested all told forty
four women for lettering on the street at
night. along Third avenue chiefly. Police
men Moore, Neumiller and O'Neill were
unusually active. The mex day the women
were brought before the Magistrate sit
ting in the Yorkville police court. He
held them in $500 bonds each for good be-
havior for two months. A smaller batch
was arrested that night n on Sunday
these were held similarly. The women,
fas Is the usual case, had to rely on the
hprofessional bondsmen TO obtain liberty.
All the women we're sent downstairs
20 the court prison. There Is nothing that
a woman Of the street hates so much as
being locked up for a few hours. Hurry
calls were sent out for bopdsmen. Several
responded. Not one would the Magistrate
accept. He said he was going to see IL
he could not clean up that part Of town.
He must have security that would satisfy
him in every respect. He Intended to
have genuine bondsmen.
There was CONSERVATION among the
women and the parasites whom they
support. The bondsmen who had been
doing business in the court had sour
ried in, eager to turn an honest penny.
These were the kind OF bondsmen who
mention in the papers bar and fixtures
on First avenue, worth 5000 or house
and lot on East T~wenty-ninth street, worth
$4,000" which they don't own and never
did own, or the kind hat change their
names in one night because they have
already used their real names too often
and think it time to have a variety of APP
peIlations. The Magistrate turned a deaf
ear to all, saying that he was not satisfied
with the security. He was acting strictly
within his legal rights.
The women and their hangerson were
dumfounded. Sunday passed and the
women were still locked up, more than
fifty OF them. Monday came and the
MAGISTRATE was still obdurate and the
clamor for release grew even stronger.
Rumor soon ran around that a certain aw-
yer was a brother-in-law Of a Magistrate
and that through him alone could bail
bonds he arranged. The lawyer is not
related to the Magistrate. but the under
world has heard that he IL and believes 1t
to this day. Appeals went out to find that
lawyer. .
Soon another rumor reached the ears OF
those in distress that another lawyer could
influence the Magistrate to see the light.
There was a hurried consultation among
the friends Of the imprisoned. The result
was that. a delegation was sent TO see that
lawyer. TIL proper man had been found
at last and a great sigh went up. The lawyer
got a saloon keeper on Third avenue and
the two went TO court. The lawyer pre-
Rented the bondsman to his Honor and the
latter was satisfied at once that he would
be good security. The saloon keeper signed
the releases for more than twenty of the
women. That Of itself was somewhat I'M
usual. At $50 each that would mean a profit
OF 81 900 for the women whom he could
release. He had their freedom in his pos
session.
What happened next has always been re-
Rarded by al who are familiar with the facts
as one Of the most shameless scenes ever
known in New York. The freedom OF the
Outcasts was auctioned OF TO the highest
bidder right on the street in front OF the
court room and almost within the hearing
of the Magistrate. who had held most OF the
women from Saturday until Tuesday, for
that was the day of great deliverance.
The lawyer went right out on the street
shaking the release papers before the gang
Of satellites who had been working to secure
the freedom of the women for three days.
They gather ed around the lawyer and
stretched out their hands for the coveted
papers. The lawyer waved them back.
He was dealing in human chattels and he
wanted the most he could get He stood
on a step, opened a paper. glanced at the
name Of the woman written on 1t and then
he shouted something like this:
Anna Patterson Who wants Anna
Patterson, who wants herr Hurry upl
It's $50 OF she stays in Jail"
Here's the money. Give me the paper
quick" a man responded, as he counted
out the money and thrust il in the lawyers
face. The notes were counted over again
and the paper was handed out with:
Here you are. Get out Of the wayl'
Then came:
sKfttie 'ChampanI Who wants herr
It's $780,"
sI've only got $40, was the reply.
Get out Of the way. It's $50 or nothing"
wont you take $40?"
sNo. It's $50 or she goes to jail. Any
body else want TO give $50 for Kittie Chap
mani"
In two or three cases, when the lawyer
remained stubborn. the prices were raised
from $50 10 $50, 10 $40 and 20 on 70 $50. When
some OF the names were called Oh there
was no response. The sum OF $50 was too
much. The ordinary fee would be- $50 and
the satellites had come prepared TO pay
that sum and had no more. The sale at
tracted a great crowd. The distress OF
-. o--.... 40 ao,,r the Kharfvr nf thnoa