The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-21
THE POLICE COURT;
ASTUDY Of HUMAN NATURE
The Judge The Type of Prisoners Who Line up Before
the Tribunal Of Justice and the Audience" Which
is Present Each Day at the Police Court

hearing but is beyond the Jurisdiction
Of the police court judge. and must
be held in bonds and sent to a higher
tribunal
They are Gil herded together. except
for the lucky individual who furnishes
surety, and in the pen they go
Their cases are heard one at time
and each and everyones' story must be
told TO the Judge. and he must decide
on the guilt or innocence. remember
ing that the law requires him to find
the man guilty beyond doubt, or else
must release him.
The Drunks.
The drunks come first. Blear eyed
and tOusled haired, some clad in rags
and tatters. some in fine raiment the
victims of supper with the boys or
night in the tenderloin. They line up
without rank or title John Smith"
calls the clerk. and John Smith stands
up and looks into the eyes Of the
Judge, and at the prosecuting officer.
The officer is called and tells the court
that he found John Smith drunk. stag
gering about the street while his
breath smelled strongly of liquor
John has a chance to plead guilty or
not guilty and the court looks up the
mans record. How many times con
victed, IS he resident Of the commu-
nifty what has been his previous life
has he any family depending on him
does he work regularly. and whether
he is a common drunkard, an occa-
sional jag, or an unfortunate man
who has fallen once from the path, and
not likely to do SO again. All must be
| considered and then the sentence.
| When the fatal word is pronounced.
with a scowl or a sigh or a burst of
tears, he sits down to pay or so to
! jail as the case may be. There is a
| stiHled sob that wrenches the heart OF
| everybody but the judge from the
back of the room. as a mother. a wife
or sister hears that he must go to
/ Jail, and staggers out of the court
room. One after another the cases
are called and when the last drunk
has faced the Judge, they are sepa-
rated, the ones who are liberated
leaving the room with a smile and a
determination never again to face the
disgrace, while the ones who are sent
away. with blackened and saddened
looks. file back to their cells, where
they await the Black Maria" to the
| land"
| Others charged with different crimes
then line up for a fuller recital of theil
woes and the same old story of mis-
fortune. caused by drink and poverty
comes to light Some of the mos
simple little incidents furnish caus,
for a court case, and the most trivia
misdemeanors take up more of TIL,
|
The Audience.
Then there is the audience, the gal
lery of the curious, who are presen
every morning. Morbid curiosit,
brings them to witness the suffering
and the troubles of their fellowman
There is scarcely an intelligent fac,
amongst them. outside of the peopl
who arc there directly Interested il
one case or another. In some court
they have some excuse to gain admit
lance, but they pose as law students
witnesses and attorneys, TO gain ad
mission. With heads bent forward
they drink in every choice bit Of scan
dal, their eyes bulge out when som
thrilling crime is recited, and thei
fists clinch when the prisoner tell
how he was abused by the officer VIII
, | arrested MIN. Iney never are friend
of the policeman. They do no worl
, and they spend the best portion o
their time in the police court Man
of them can tell you not a little abou
law, from their experience in listening
to cases, and the judge has nothing
on these men (and oftimes women
r when it comes to deciding the case.
The Hammond police court varie
little from the general run. 1t has it
t following and although the latter
! very small in point of numbers Their
r are few. But Hammond is fortunat
enough to miss many of the saddles
3 sights of the police court, the absenc
of the slums and the poor district!
e doing away with this altogether. ]
you want to pass an interesting morn
5 ing. or make a study Of human natur,
q go to the police court of a big city.