Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-25
CHRISTMAS EVE AT THE STATION
Even stern Justice ReIents for Minor
Onenders.


Offenders.
esanta Claus. welcome" blazed from
the big arch at the city hall; hurrying
but g~ood-natured crowds thronged Six
teenth, Farnam, Douglas and other
streets; In thousands Of homes children
tried in vain TO go TO sleep that they
might awake early and find It Christmas;
everywhere the holiday spirit was in the
aif and the people were gay, for It was
Christmas eve,
And yet not all the world. There was
one place where those who visited for a
longer or shorter time found little to re-
MIND them, unless by contrast, of what
Christmas eve should mean. At Eleventh
and Dodge streets In an old building once
used as a school house, but now the Cen
trial police station, the derelicts, the
flotsam and jetsam OF the city, gathered
in .by the law, spend the time as best
they may, thinking. perhaps, Of other and
happier days when this season meant
something more than an iron cell and a
police court % n4
''Ch ristIaas eve" said ,'Ratsy'' Havey,
the desk sergeant, as the telephone In
formed him that the patrol wagon was
wanted az Fifteenth and Dodge. Christ
mas eve, he repeated, as Patrol Conduc-
tor Fahey came back with a plain
drunk' christmas eve,H murmured a
forlorn Individual brought IN by two de-
~tectives -and booked as "a suspicious
Oh aracterg" "Chfistmas eve" said two
women OF the street, brought to the sta
ton by a big bluecoat. = yThis is not the
first time / have been here" said one of
them. but l do hate to be 'pinched' on
the night before Christmas; perhaps we
can get someone TO bail us out"
Then the telephone bell rings. This is
a way the telephone at the station has,
II rings throughout the twenty-four
hours on calls of many and varied sorts.
This time " Is a woman who calls. us
this the police station? Well, l want you to
find my husband right away and send him
home. He has no business out this late
and it's Christmas BESIDES
More calls for the wagon and more men
are brought in to be locked upon charges
Of widely varying natures. Drunk" drunk
and. asleep on the street" suspicious char
acter.'' drunk and working a drunk, -
begging on the street." drunk and dis
turbing the peace by fighting are some OF
theeharges most often seen on the big book
where the record of those unfortuhates is
kept.
Throughout the evening visitors Of many
soTtb uEOp mg SOHe % inquire hDOul prs
oners, some to chat with friends on the
force. business men. saloon keepers, actors
newspapers men, all sorts and conditions
drop in TO pass the time o. day and
wish the station officers Merry Christ.
masss'
In comes an officer with a drunk" He
Is half sobered as he realizes where he Il
and ne begs to be allowed to go home, fol
- -. AZ - .L4la..- az ,.A AN.z $50
til he is sober enough to go home and LEI
him CO." says the captain, ITS Christmai
eve, you know" ~
Then the midnight whistle blows. Christ
mae" says some one. The two women
waiting in the captains office for q frienC
to get them out, begin to cry softly.
win you girls behave II I let you go7'
asks Captain Dunn. They are only too glaC
to promise. as they dry their tears.
All right. let Sem out" he orders, ST.
Christmas eve, you know"