The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-18
FAIRCHILD WHEELER'S DAY IN COURT AND
 WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM
Talkative Lawyer Did not Help Case of BridgepOrter Fined for AntO
 Speeding.
"Thafs Funny" Observed D. Fairchild When Costs Were Taxed at $4.."Ihey
 Charge Only S2 in Bridgeport" i"
 Said He.

The first conviction for automobile speeding on evidence obtained by motorcycle policeman was reached in Hartford police court, says the Hart ford Times. when D. Fyairchild Wheel CT, of the Bridgeport Land & Title Company, was fined s10 and costs for running his automobile down Asylum avenue Sunday at an improper speed. MT. Wheeler was arrested by Motor cycle Policeman Whitehead after the latter had chased him all the way speedometer registering forty-five miles an hour while he was catching him and from thirty-five to thirty seven miles an hour while he was sim defended by Charles Welles Gross, who spent almost an hour on the case,
 bringing in MT. Wheeler's past history as a modelA automobilist; the fact that his car couldn't much more than creep
 if it wanted to; that the occupants were so influenced by speed that they
 could carry on pleasant conversation
 about the residences on Asyplum ave- nue; and, most of all, that the police
 man did not warn the automobilist
 when he first saw him. The, argu-
 ments were good-but the policeman
 had speedometer. There are cer-
 tain ways and customs in police court
 world like everywhere else and 1t would pay susceptible automobilists to
 make a few trips down there occa-
 sionally so as to learn what to do
 when they get 'pinched.'' If they haven't the time to learn police court
 ways by personal observation just
 study this simple compendium which
 has been prepared for the use of au-
 tomobilists with sporting proclivities:
 First-Go into court, all alone, with
 a canvas duster over your arm and a
 look of genial good nature on your face.
 1@1x
 can. If not, tell why not in three
 words of not more than two syllables. Third-Don't abuse the officers. F'ourth-Don't abuse the officers. Fifth-Don't abuse the officers. Technicalities and elOquence are great things but they have their place
 and that place isn't the police court no
 matter whether you have stolen pair of shoes or speeded H0,00O motor car. As one of the representatives in the legislature used to say, That may be very good law but it ain't common SenSe."
 Talk is cheap. says the proverb,
 but not in the police court, and, when l a lawyer takes over fifteen minutes for a $10 case, one reporter begins to | figure with another on the back of an envelope and says, '"This- is costing
 him just 21, cents minute. to say
 nothing of the lawyers fees. But to return to the automobile case.
 Motorcycle Policeman Whitehead | was standing at the corner of Wood
 land street and Asylum avenue. Sun day afternoon, talking to Bicycle Po- | liceman Keefe when MT. Wheeler came down Asylum avenue from the west, going at what both policemen testi- | fled as fifty miles an hour. At the top of the hill a street car was waiting | while another automobile was coming | north on Woodland street. Without | slackening speed, according to the po- | licemen, MT. Wheeler's car passed to the north of the street car so fast that | the other automobile was obliged to | turn into the avenue on the other side | to avoid being struck
 Did you. by any sign, warn NIT. | Wheeler that he was breaking the l law?" asked MT. Gross. severely. ply. 'I caught him."
 MT. Gross rose to his feet raised his finger like a pistol. and looked the | policeman square in the eye while his | attitude became that of an averaging | angel. Do you mean to say.'' he thunder | ed, 'that you allowed that man to pass | him?' | "I cut out after him. That's what we've got the motorcycles for.'' What? You deliberately allowed him to break the law and then caught
 him while doing it?''
 Did you warn this man he was | breaking the law" the attorney asked of Policeman Keefe. . "I couldn't. the trolley car and the | other auto were between us.'
 After court MT. Wheeler paid his fine
 and costs-s4 and something. | That's funny" he complained, they
 only ask s2 for costs in Bridgeport |