Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-09

McGinnis. aged fifty. before the
magistrate sitting in one of the
New York police courts.
Around him were the witnesses, the po-
liceman who had arrested him. the cleo
ton officer who had challenged him and
his employer and his wife. The latter
was little woman. much younger look
ing than the prisoner. neatly dressed and
very pale Her lir.s were tightly COM
pressed. ard she looked anywhere save
at her husband.
McGinnis was disheve,ed after night
in a prison cell. and was trembling with
the after effects Of intoxication and with
nervousness. He was a slight. meager,
short. bald man. wearing the over
alls of a teamster. His head was sunken
on his breast as he stood near the plat
alo his fingers were plucking at the but
tolls of his canvas jacket.
Magistrate Dwyer was sitting that
morning. The registration was proceeding
quietly there were few arrests for lille
salities, and other business that day was
slack. Bluff. hearty. good-natured. sus-
pected of undue political affiliations. but
much beloved in his district. Magistrate
Dwyer secretly pitied the poor devil who
had been brought before him. and who.
the coming elections. But the magistrate
was aware that under the eyes of the
deputy from the office of the suoerintend-
ent of elections and at this time when
tie press was suffering from enc of its
periodical spasms of sympathy with
pure politics and reform ii would
behoove him to deal with the offender In
the letter of the law. Besides the pris-
oner did not belong TO the magistrate S
home district. and none of the towers
that be in the world of ward pcli.ics had
signified any interest in the case. So it
Was in severe voice that he called the
prisoner before him
McGinnfs started violently then adj
vanced and stood before the magistrate
humbly. He lifted his sunken. bleared
eyes and glanced quickly at the arbiter of
his destiny. and then his head fell back
on his breast. and he remained in an at
tltude of detection and. submission. His
wife. who had been seated without the
railing. changed her place to a bench
nearer the desk. and bent forward to lis
ten AS she drew her shawl closer about
her throat her hand shook
Policeman Schwartz, mumbling mechan-
lcally the oath TO tell the truth, the whole
truth-and concluding mumble-gaXe his
testimony. He had been at a registra ton
booth In the eighteenth assembly district
when the prisoner entered and tried to
register. Deputy Burns at once chal-
lenged him. McGnnis being pointed out as
he entered the booth by John Pagan the
piISoHtT lelOW teamSter IN the employ
or Beekman. the contractor.
That man has no right to register
said the deputy. He is an ex-convict. and
] challenge him. The prisoner hustled
out lively. your honor. beating 1t before !
could arrest him-me being in the crowd
at the time-an l didn't find him until
last night He was drunk at the time, in
Hennessey's saloon. That's all / know.
your honor
Deputy Burns" called the clerk
The election official testified that he had
been instructed to watch out for illegal
registration
''Oh. cut that Short" exclaimed the
magistrate brusquely. having. as he would
privately say, mo use for stool pigeons of
any kind. He continued: Tells what
happened"
<<THIS man, Pagan" said the deputy
pointing to the informer. came to
US and said that he knew that former
convict was going to try to register. Jo-
seph McGinnis. he said. was the former
ronvict's name and the detective bureau