Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
,0LD-TIME STORIES RET0LD
Reminiscent of Days When Judge
Smell Presided in Police Court.
WOMAN, REVOLVER, REVENGE
And the Court Imposed Nominal
Fine-Messenger Boys Linn
burger-vag Reclaimed.

ascending the bench yesterday morning,
and this is the reason: He had caller
in his private office back Of the court
room-a gentleman who was a newspaper
reporter doing Police Court work away
back in the time when the boys used
to pick blackberries on the paths of
Mount Pleasant. He was telling the
judge of one or two things that happened
in those old days, and the judge was
Interested.
Thirty or more years ago." said the
visitor. when Judge Smell was on the
bench here. there was one of these cases
that pop up periodically, a case where
a woman shot at man in retaliation
for the circulation of reports about her
character. The man and woman lived
over near the navy yard, and both were
fairly we'll known out that way. He and
she were pretty thick for long time,
but finally she told him to lock the
door from the outside and not to take
his hat off to her any more. He was
very sore, naturally, and told some pretty
bad stories about her. Some of them
came back to her, and she was not long
In making up her mind what to do.
She bought little revolver. one OF
these pearl-handled things. that look pref
ty and shoot crooked. She followed the
man down the street one afternoon. and
when she saw him turn into cigar
store she sent boy in after him. lie
came out on the sidewalk, and the woman
turned her head away. closed her eyes.
screamed, and pulled the trigger. Some
how or other. the bullet hit the man.
making an inconsequential flesh wound
somewhere on the leg.
Charged With Simple Assault.
1.-The police knew pretty we'll what the
ill =; 70
make out charge of simple assault
against the girl. When the case was
called nearly Everybody from East Wash
ington tried to crowd into the court
room. Judge Smell heard the evidence.
and some of the stories that this man
was said to have circulated were pretty
bad. When the case was closed the
Judge delivered a hong and impressive
Grafton about the majesty of the law.
and delivered his opinion as to persons
who took the law in their own hands.
1T looked black for the girl, but there
was a gasp of delighted surprise in the
courtroom when he fined the girl just
one dollar!
Il was reporter then and was sitting
near the clerk The judge called me to
him and whispered: Have your boy
pass the hat in the crowd to raise that
fine right away. Here's the first contri-
BUTTON and he dropped an old-fashioned
copper in the hat. Well. there was a
| whole lot more than the amount of the
girls fine dropped into that hat, and the
man and the prosecutor looked sick as
they filed out of the place.
las lenient as the Judge was in this
case. he was humorously stern when a
| certain Office boys lunch came near get
| ting the Office boy a sentence for con-
tempt of court.
odor Was Disquieting.
ut was my copy boy: and a chap named
Fitzgerald. then a newspaper reporter
and I used to send him out for oul
lunches. One day the boy came back
with two bags full of stuff for US and
something for himself He violated cour,
etiquette by sitting under a table. out
of reach Of the judges eye, and MUNICH
ing away as If he was about starved ia
death. Very soon there was notice
able and disagreeable odor pervading the
courtroom.
1.-The Judge glanced toward the crowded
prisoners dock and shifted. Then he
looked all about his desk and shifted
He shifted at the clerk, he shifted at the
bailiffs. at the marshals and at the men,
bers of the bar, who were also shifting
and making inquiries. Court was sus-
pended for a few minutes. while several
court officers tried to run down the scent
Finally my copy boy was hauled out from
under that table, his cheeks stuffed with
a tremendous bite of a sandwich. And
that sandwich-whee! 1t was made OF
the most overdone lmburger cheese that
boy out in hurry. the windows were
opened and the boy was sternly told never
to come back again.
Pity for $1,000 vag.
Another time that Judge Smell did a
characteristic thing, as I we'll remember
was in connection with a man 1 used to
call the en-thousand-dollar vag. He
was a chap who was steady going enough
until some one died and left him just
that sum of money 1t was too much for
him, and the pace that he started out or
left him stranded. badly battered from
drink, and with habits that finally, landed
him in the gutter and in the workhouse
time and time again.
1t was a Christmas eve when one OF
the mans relatives came to me and said
this chaps old grandmother. who had
always been with the grandson every
Christmas since he had been born, was
grieving pitifully because her favorite
would eat this Christmas dinner at the
workhouse. 1 knew all about the case
and that night the relative and / called
on the judge and explained the whole
matter to him. With us we had a rail.
road man who offered free transportation
to the far west and job to the fellow
If the judge would let him go free.
ITO make 1t short. that old grand
mother and her grandson had dinner to-
gether the next day. The railroad man
was as good as his word and the younr
| man went west. He Strengthened up re-
markably, became prosperous business
| man. and every Christmas wrote letter
of heartfelt thanks and greetings to
Judge smell: tie died some years ago
with all of his bad habits thorouphlv