The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-09
HIS SENSE OF DUTY
BY MICHAEL WILLIAMS.
(Copyrlght.)


 illegal registration." This was the charge which brought Joseph MeGinnis, aged 50, 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 tion officer who had challenged him and his employer and his wife, The latter was a little woman, much younger look ing than the prisoner. neatly dressed. and very pale. Her lips were tightly compressed, and she looked anywhere save at her husband
 McGinnis was disheveled after a night in a prison cell, and was trembling with the after effects of intoxication and with nervousness. He was a slight, meager, short bald-headed man, wearing the overalls of a teamster. His head was sunken on his breast as he stood near the platform in front of the magistrates desk, and his fingers were pluclSing at the buttons of his canvas jacket.
 Magistrate Dwyer was sitting that morning. The registration was proceed ing quietly, there were few arrests for illegalities. and other business that day was slack. Bluff, hearty, good-natured. suspected of undue political affiliations. but much beloved in his district, Magis- trate Dwyer secretly pitied the poor de-
  and who, no doubt, had intended to vote right" at the coming elections. But the magistrate was aware that under the eyes of the deputy from the office of the superintendent of elections, and at this time when the press was suffering from one of it's periodical spasms of sympathy with 'pure politics" and reform" it would behoove him to deal with the of fender In the letter of the law. Besides, the prisoner did not belong to the magis- trate's home district, and none of the powers that be In the world of ward politics had signified any interest In the case. So 1t was in severe voice that he called the prisoner defore him.
 McGinnis started violently, then ad- vanced and stood before the magistrate humhly. He lifted his sunkeR, 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 attitude of dejection 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- ically the oath to tell the truth, the whole truth-and a concluding humble gave his testimony. He had been at a registration booth in the eighteen as- sembly district when the prisoner entered and tried to register. Deputy Burns had at once challenged him, McGinnis being pointed out as he entered the booth by John Pagan, the prisoners fellow team ster in the employ of Beekman, the con- tractor.
 That man has no right to register" said the deputy. He is an ex-convict, and I challenge him.. The prisoner hustled out lively, your honor, beating 1t before I could arrest him-me being in the crowd at the time-an' I didn't find him until last night He was drunk at the time, in Hennessys saloon. That's all know, your honor."
 Deputy Burns,' called the clerk.
 The election official testified that he illegal registration
 "Oh, cut that short!'' exclaimed the magistrate brusSly, having as he would privately say, mo use for stool pigeons of any kind" He continued: "TelPs what happened
 This man, Fagan," said the deputy, pointing to the informer "came to us and said that he knew that former con- vict was going to try to register. Joseph McGinnis he sald, was the former con- vict's name, and the detective bureau had his record. I looked into the matter and found the information was correct Here, your honor," the deputy went on, pro- ducing some documents from his pocket lis certificate from the court of ses- sions showing that McGinnis was convict ed of stealing; and here is a certificate from the office of the secretary of state showing that McGinniss citizenship was not restored Having found this to be so, I satisfied myself that McGinnis was the man now before us, and so I chal- lenged him, as was my duty"
 "Oh lave your duty be! Have ye a witness to prove that this man is the same man as was convicted? Yes? Well, call him up."
 Sergeant Shaughnessy of the detective bureau was called and deposed Yes, this man before the desk was the same Jo- seph McGinnis who had been convicted