New-York tribune., 1907-08-02
NIGHT COURT OPENED.
JUDGES HEIR a52 CASES.
Professional B0ndsmen Present to
Note Success of InnOUdtiOn.

The all-nght court opened in Jefferson Mar..et
last night. II was an event unique in the city's
history in many ways The squalor and glitter
of the life of the Tenderloin at night was never
shown better. All sorts and conditions of men
and women were there, from the dignifed magis-
trates in their gowns to the cheaply dressed.
bold eyed prisoners. of whom there were 162 up
to II o'clock who had been arraigned, with
ninety stu waiting.
The courtroom crowded to sunocation
when Judge Whitman, of General Sessions. to
whose efforts the passage of the night court bill
was due. raped his gavel for order at two
minutes past 8 o'clock. As he did so the sound
of the rap drowned by the sharp bark OF
exploding 1ashlight powders. and the click of a
dozen cameras heard With Judge Whit
man sat Magistrates House and Barlow, who at
1910 o'clock relieved Judge Whitman There
were also present Commissioner Bingham,
Deputy Commissioner Hanson and Magistrates
Walsh Wahle, Kernochan and Corrigan.
Down in front was full delegation from the
Essex Market Bar Association. and Joe
Levey. the Duke of Essex street. in a brand
new suit. who came down from Orange County
Among the interested spectators in court was
one Flamm, who is known wherever women who
fight shy Of the law. or try TO. gather. He is
called the chief OF professional bondsmen and
his interest in the success of the court Is in
tense.
1t was established to put him and his kind out
of business. and Judge Whitman q magts-
trate preached the evil of the bOndsnen in every
court and in every other place where he could
get hearing Mr.. FIamm had nothing TO say
last night and neither did his friend Mr.. Loe-
wenstein, who has represented more keepers Of
disorderly houses and inmates OF the same than
any jefferson Market lawyer.
The first man ARA gned was Joseph Policy, Of
no particular nationality. who peddled without a
license. His case was quickly disposed Of.
One Of the first women to be arraigned was
Sadie Fleming, the negro woman in whose COM
pany the Rev. DR. Mears was found the night
that he arrested while Stunning
trip. accident which led 70 his unfrocking.
She and another negro, Clara White, were
brought in by Detectives Tom McManus and
Culhane. of the old Tenderloin station for
soliciting Both sent TO the workhouse.
Two Jewish pushcart men were arraigned-
They had been obstructing the highway. Sud
denly there was great cOmnOtion in court. and
Louis Zeltner, president of the Wireless News
doomed up in front of Judge Whitman.
Your honor they friends of mine" walled
Louis. please to let them off, Judge Whit
man shook hands with the urbaue Louis. who
will laud the memory of that -handshake down
to his chidren's children. The Judge. cut the
usual fine IN two, fixing the penalty for each
man at 81.
Then came man who interested all the
magistrates. He was blind. Judge Whitman
remarked that he would have 70 send him to
the Island again. The judge added that every
magistrate had done so at least once As a
matter OF fact, Magistrate Crane always dis
charges him and Magistrate Droege has not met
him yet. So Charles Zerkowitz started for the
Island on a cumulative sentence.
Dora Megner was brought up. charged with
homicide In connection with the murder Of Katie
Teitschler. and was held for the coroner The
woman tried 10 hire room at the Teitschler
home two weeks ago, and was elected She is
alleged To have threatened to get even"
Patrolneu Tucker and Gallagher. OF the 5th
street station, made the arrest Frederick E
Goldsmith appeared for the woman
w g G Wiley. q Catskill manufacturer, was
the first auto speeder arraigned. He gave
Patrullnan Mckinley diamond ring as secur-
ity but Judge Whitman told him 10 appear
at special sessions this moTIng and take his
ring back
Two negro women were the first prisoners OF
the class the court was created for TO appear.
They were old offenders and both went 10 the
Island. \ young woman who said She broke
the law because she had no other way Of living
came after them, and she was put on proba-
ton. though she wasn't sure she could be good
With fifty cases waiting 10 be tried. Magis-
trate Barlow, TO the Indignation OF Commits
sioner Bingham and Deputy Commissioner Han
son. took a half hour recess at 123o. Both the
Commissioner and his deputy watched the court
proceedings last night with growing indigna-
ton and 1t is said that they. with most of
the others present last night, gathered an idea
that the magistrates were not over enthcsi,StIc
over the new scheme. When the recess was
declared Deputy Commissioner Hanson said
that the way in which the new court was being
run was a farce> and not only that, but a
menace to the city As the magistrates have
decided on only one court for the present when
an arrest is made In Wakefield, for instance
the patrolman bringing the case downtown VIII
have TO be away from hts post most OF the
night II an arrest is made in City Island, the
patroIrnan will be lucky if he gets dowTsown
before court Closes Commissioner Hanson said,
furthermore, that it was a scandal for tho
rrlasistrates to hold only court and TO force
the police TO leave such outlying districts un-