Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-09

Sd6IdHt dn ldle person without visible
means of support and liable to become
| a charge upon the District of Columbia.
Guilty or not guilty?"
But John Doe said not single word.
He merely blinked the other eye.
The police who arrested John, the silent,
sad he was an old-timer, and had been
| before the court many times before. but
there was something about the atmos-
phere of the police stations and police
| court that reduced him to silence as
awful that of the Sahara desert.
He can talk all right when he's dry
| for drink, or when he gets real
hungry" said the cop who nabbed John
| He car put up the prettiest game of
talk ever when he is panhandling the
public"
And He Answered Not a Word.
The judge gazed earnestly at John Doe,
and in a stern voice demanded:
"Why did you beg on the streets of
this city?'
| The absolute silence that came az re-
ply was only broken by the voice Of the
court in passing sentence:
You must furnish bonds in the sum of
$500 or go to the workhouse for six
MONTHS
The human clam walked slowly back to
| the cages. A few minutes later Doe
was engaged in A heated argument with a
fraZzled and heavily bewhiskered turnpike
statesman on the merits and dement's of
the tariff bill.
Judge Doesn't Like Oratory.
Doe" had scarcely left the courtroom
| when the bailiff summoned two other pan
handlers to the fore of the pen. They
are white men, but their personal ap-
pearance suggested that they had been
up against a losing game Of some sort.
Unlike their predecessor at the bar of
justice. they were the most fluent kind of
takers. When charged with begging the
spokesman made reply III the language or
the turnpike tourist:
Yves not guilty, yer homer. Yer sees
it was dis way
The bailiff cut off their flow of language
and informed the pair that their time for
oratory would come later in the proceed
ings..
The men answered readily to the names
Michael Martin and Alexander Tanning.
Policeman Bradley testified that resi-
dents in the vicinity of the Catholic
University complained to him that the
men were begging from door to door.
Martin declared he had gone to the door
of the monastery and asked for drink
of water. As to begging for other things
1t was Impossible. he remarked with an
air of injured innocence.
Bonds In the sum Of 500. or two
months in the wcrkhouse, was the final
argument of the court.
Lost Mind or Acquired Gimp
She's losing her mind, judge" was
the plea made in the Police Court today
by the parents of Frances Johnson, a
young colored woman.
Frances was charged with using pro-
fame language. The parents insisted that
one of her insane Authorizations rang
along lines of profanity. Judge Kimbail in
analysing the plea came to the conclu-
| sion that the girl was sane and rational
enough except when she looks upon the
ruby red or white gin. and then comes
the disposition to swear like trooper.
The parents admitted that Frances had
cursed them. but charged it up to
their contention that her mind was slip
ping away from her. Judge Kinball is
the matter by f1ning the girl $40
Razor ''toters'' had another practical
son handed out to them in the Police
Court today. Reed Adams. colored. was
searched by the police a razor. sharp
enough to split a hair, was found con-
cealed on his person. Policeman Coffin
exhibited the weapon to the court
ITS a fine of 500 or nine months in
solitary confinement" was his sentence.
Fine Exercise for This Horse.
IT was just exercising the animal your
honor" was the plea of Richard Butler,
colored when he was arraigned before
Judge Kimbafl. charged with driving a
horse nearly to death.
1t was shown in evidence that Butler
took possession of d horse and buggy
owned by Harry Schtigal. The owner Of
the team testified that the colored man
had driven the horse from II o'clock Sat
urday night until 10 O'Clock yesterday
morning without giving the animal rest
or food A fine of $25 or three months
In the workhouse was Buffers sentence.
Had "Booze" and Doodle" Too.
Another entry in the pan-handling
class WIS made by the clerk of the
court when he called Justify for Will
liam Heck. The prisoner, who bore he
appearance Of a man who had been out
for "a good time" bobbed up in the
pen, and in the language of the sailor
man. replied:
AYE. aye. sir: I'm here.
You'll be down yonder soon" sug
gested Il fellow unfortunate who had
made himself acquainted with Heck's
case.
This fellow is rara avis said the
cultured cop who had made the arrest.
Notwithstanding the fact that he had
So and a quart of booze in his jeans. he
was pan handling along the street TO
beat the band. I pinched him after he
had stopped several citizens and asked
them for money"
Smoothing of the kind" remarked Heck
with Chesterfieldian grace and a wave
of his hand. THE cops wrong when
he said / was begging. He was right
when he asserted l had a liberal supply
OF booze and Doodle. With booze and
Doodle in my clothes why should I beg.
ask sir?''
The reply of the astonished court was
brief and to the point: Bonds in $500
or three months In JAIL
Mild hammered for 100 Years.
With an air Of injured innocence Mamie
Smith. a venerable colored woman. de-
clared:
Il amt nebber sed hard word, jedge"
She gave her age as 100 years. and was
arraigned on the charge Of indulginR In
profanity? The complainant was Isabel
Chew. one of Aunt" Mamie's colored
ne ghbors.
The aged woman told Judge Kimball she
was born in Maryland and came to Wash
ington with her father In 1863. The case
was dismissed and the court ordered that
she be examined as to her mental condi.
ton.
Il have been a member of the church
since / was nineteen years of age, and
therefore do not curse" was the plea of
southwest, when arraigned before Judge
Kimball charged with using profane Ian
guage.
The policeman in the case said he found