New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-10
BLINDED BY NEW COURT
POLICE CAN'T SEE WOWEN.
Magistrates 4mazed By Fesc Arrests
Since Night Sessions Began.

That the police are not so vig1lant as before the
establishment Of the night court in making arrests
of women for soliciting, is the belief OF the Board
of City Magistrates. after examining some inter
esting comparative statistics submitted 70 ". py
Chief Clerk Kennedy yesterday.
A detective often had half dozen or more ar
rests of women to his record for single night
Time was, also, and that not so long ago mat
dozens of women were arrsigned in the various
day courts. In the week from July 3 70 july 81
inclusive-that preceding the opening of the night
session in Jefferson Market-forty-seven sucn OF
tenders arraigned in the day session OF the
same court In the period Essex Market had
fortyeight such cases and Yorkville ike nuihOer
When the night court was proposed It's advocates
pointed out that its special benefit would De IN
wlplng out the source Of income OF the proiSssiola
bondsmen- It specially provided that women
charged with soliciting should not be adnhtteo 10
bail. but arraigned as soon as possible But win
their knowledge OF New York and its conditions
the most eager opponents of the professional bonds
man and his calling never imagined that the court
would be the success that the figures turned IN
yesterday would show IL TO be-
Mons Of the magistrates, for instance thought
that the establishment Of the court would be sucn
deterrent to women of the street that iaIse
corps OF ynx-eyed detectives would be able TO as
cover between p. m. and 2 g. m only tnree
women who were doing things which hfty 70 a
were doing before August and the opening OF the
night court
But. as President House Of the Board Of City
Magistrates said yesterday afternoon, Figures
speak for themselves If it could be proved that
in Riding the streets OF these women, he had no
objection to make. but somehow other il seemed
peculiar that whereas 1S1 arrests of women Tor
soliciting had been made in the week from july
% to July 81 only eighty-four arrests should have
been made in Manhattan and The Bronx the fol-
lowing week. the first of the night courts sessions
OF course, there isn't much doing In the Dali Inc
for the professional bondsnen nowadays. but the
/ magistrates wondering what that has TO do
with the police. Perhaps soliciting is not being
practised 6 assiduously the streets since the
night court was opened, bit President House was
I STT1 1rk hz he al liOc- off n
number OF such arrests in one week He had thls
/ TO say the subject:
LAS to the condition of the streets and the pro-
lection of the public in the streets. that is mat
entirely for the consideration Of those charged
with the control Of the Police Department 1t was
charged, both before and after the night court
bill drawn, that the arrests OF women were
made not because the women were guilty, al
though I convinced that in practically every
case they were guilty, but because they were abls
TO pay a bondsrnan ar the station house. II was
further declared by the friends Of the bill that
upon the opening Of the night court the arrests
/ Of these women would be greatly diminished
II cannot say that there is less soliciting on the
streets than before the night court was opened
OF course. large numbers OF women may be ar
rested from time 10 time the street TO throw
( presented But 7 afraid the renaissance Of
vigilance the part Of the police will come little
TOO late TO carry weight with the public These
surprising figures are all the more remarkable,
considering that It is in July and August that the
greatest number Of arrests are made for solicit
ing"
interesting in themselves and tell the story OF
what the night has done tor the professional
! bondsman. The night the new court held Its first
session In jefferson Market twenty women were ar
raigned. The night the number fell 70 twelve
the third night only five were erralgned. The next
| night the number went down 10 four. anc on Au-
gust ; the total Of women arrested for soliciting
was only three August there were i've and the
| next night only four.
| From August TO August s inclusive seven
! women al told arraigned in Yorkville court
| charged with soliciting. Most Of these arrests
| were undoubtedly made at night and in SUFFICIENT
time 10 have the vrtscners arraigned in the night
/ court but Magistrate House said he was unable
! to explain Why this had not been done.
! President House said he would ask Acting Police
! Commissioner O'Keene 10 change the first para
| rraph Of General Order No. -. issued August
| ? SO that all women arrested after the closing OF
| the dav courts might be brought 10 the night
! court no matter what the charge lodged against
| them From a humanitarian point OF view alone
| he said he thought this should be done and that
| point had been urged most strongly in support
! Of the bill at Albany.