Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-04

the Workhouse. "Theyre not badly of-theres that
stew they get" says one. "They come down the river
looking twice WELL" remarked another.
They discuss the old alphabetically and seem to
agree that Magistrates should have the power of COM
hitting to homes for the aged. They discuss the
days when they had to take their prisoners mile or
SO by handcart they discuss the methods of magis-
trates past and present and to agree that meth
DDS are quicker than in other days. They argue,
too as the proper method of treating wealthy pris
oner being of the opinion that 1t is logical that
clerical jobs should be theirs others that the easy
positions should be given to youngster who has
but made a slip, "and that them others should get
the manual work, and, furthermore get it good"
But one, being curious. must leave such seductive
discussions and move out through the passage where
the yellow gas flares out unprotected and pass the
officers in line waiting for their penned prisoners to
be ready the legal wheels when they fabricated
again.
In past the barriers at the end are the prisoners
They range along the stone tagged corridors, and be-
hind their thick bars may be the color decora-
tons of their interiors, an arocious lower half OF
chocolate color, vlanous upper half of green. Upon
the benches which edge the walls of these pens sit
listless who smoke, perhaps-unwholesome look
ing creatures in careless attitudes-whie others pace
up with something of the monotony of Gagged
animals Their faces those of the professions tina:
pass before the Magistrate beared and pasty, lined
with the broken downward seamings of vice. Be.
yond in other pens are showily dressed women, OF
practised smiles and CHASTITY faces.
1t is now one o'clock, and the two raps announce
the Court more. Cavanagh has put aside his
honest napkin and is again the rigid official Of COM
handing voice. The showily dressed women now for
a time seem to have the CALI and they pause momen
tarily before perhaps, six months stoppage in tho
Workhouse
Now it is that Miss McCoster, the woman proba.
ton officer becomes active. 1t has been her duty
during the day to look up remanded cases. She is
little sweet woman with whitening hair, and the
SOrdid sights which vocation brings LETT her
sympathies untouched. The badge she displays is
one used all for good.
'eYour HONOR said she, with regard to a young
woman accused of intoxication, her story is true
she is not a bad girl" The girl, whose face was
discharged.
Joyous Responsibility.
Another who followed was of different type. She
was in that stage of exhilaration which might be
termed bubbling Her smiling eye looked on every
thing with a joyous responsibility. She rigidly
casped a large bundle underneath her begrimed cape
and gave vent to her statement in rich, round tones
1--WE got good man as lady ever had, judge
Your Honor "a favorite appellation, by the way)
land he earns SIS week. I'm a respectable woman
Judge" The Magistrate, however, opined that man
so afiuent would be well fitted to pay fine of S..
A man follows An unmstakable look of disgust
overspread his features at his sentence of five days in
the Workhouse. HE was hoping for thirty" whis-
pered an observant policeman to friend near by.
And in the officers themselves lies great deal OF
human feeling "She's ashamed of herself, judge"
whispered kindly fellow who had made the arrest
II think So" said the tractabe Judge, and let her Off
The unconscious humors of the Night Court
many. 1.-The gentleman was locked up with"
one passing reference of unconscious humorist
"sThis man was boss after wife died." the
uncalculated jewel of another.
man was charged with soliciting aims HE
asked for five cents to buy drink" asserted the
policeman. II didn't, Your Honor" the scrupu
lous reply II said nice lunch" Imagination stag
gers at the nice lunch which five cents would pur
chase in New York nowadays.
A further mendicant again corrected policeman
81 didn't ask him to give me nickel, Judge" he
said. II merely asked for loan. Il knew he was an
officer in plain Clothes and so thought him to be the
proper person to ask just wanted carfare." One
would think that such imagination should be rewarded
with more the Workhouse, but this, aas its
only prize
A negress on being told to put up her right hand,
promptly raised her left. She corrected by
painstakng policeman, who guided her to the correct
motion "Ah could remember nah right from
nah left alough ah en- member most anything else,
ledge Your Honor" she said earnestly
But it is late The benches emptied; the
string of prisoners is exhausted The clock points to
three in the morning and the Court finally rises The
Magistrate bustes off, and the court officers
civilian garb and travel to the Bronx and other dis
tant regions.
In the Night Court human society at its
lowest The drftwood of the is here. 1t is
times grotesque, but more often sad and as one
goes from it all carries away visions of mis-
shapen heads and hollow cheeks and lines that 20
down, down. down.