Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-11
.USEOTOTHEuMEuGH
Police Court Device Has No
Terrors for Josephine.
HAS BEEN MORTALLY SOBER
Somewhat Abashed, However, by
Courts Wonderful Memory.
JOHN BEVERLY Is VERY MEEK
Nothing to Say When Under Ac-
observation-disclosures Objects
to Appellatiou.

| I'm wise to the linlelight."
| This remark was made by venerable
Josephine Cannon when she stepped up
| to the gate of the Police Court pen to
make her response to the charge Of being
| d vagrant.
| At tie same instant a great glare or
electric light struck Josephine full in the
face Judge kimball had touched the
button and his searchight was In action.
1t may he explained that the judge. in
order to fully identify the culprits that
are daily brought before him, has IN
stalled on his desk an electric light nj
ted with a reflector. Whenever there 5
any doubt in his mind as to whether
| prisoner has been convicted before ne
| simply touches the button and the lace
| of the defendant stands out In the cleo
| trio glare as prominently to the gaze OF
the court and spectacle as toe cancer
doing her terpsichoreau stunt In the iime-
light of a modern stage. 1t often nap
pens that the unfortunates endeaVor 10
escape severe punishment for their snort
cominss by pleading the first.ofensc act.
But Judge Kimbail has been on the
bench, of the Police Court nineteen years
and claims 10 ltdNt oil tAeAi'sA~
for faces.
At Least One Hundred Times.
So when he turned the limelight full IN
the face of the woman his honor re-
marked:
"Oh, it is you. Josephine.
..Yis yer higlness, it's the same, but
I've been u1ortally sober for the three
months past"
You have been before me on similar
| charges before
"Yis. sir, I've been here before, spoke
Josephine, having in mind the linelight
in which she was bathed from toes to
| crown.
YES remarked the court, slowly and
| with impressive emphasis. you nave
| been here at least one hundred times.
! This time l tried the water wagon
| and stayed on top three months, put l
| finally fell by the side of the road the
| woman explained as Policeman Essex
| took the witness stand.
Josephine has been drunk for the last
! two weeks" he said. and she had only
| been out of the workhouse on liberty
| about two days.
An said the bailif, as his honor
| turned of the lirneieht, that explains
| Josephine's three months of sobriety.
! She has just completed a ninety-day term
| on the farm. where the strongest they
| give is the good old Potomac water ana
| pale-face tea"
Josephine turned her face cageward as
| the court ordered her commitment to the
| care Of Mr.. Zinkhan. who will see that
Declares He Was Snoring.
| Not word have l to say declared
John Beverly. as the rays OF the search
light played about his coffee c"lored
countenance.
Policeman kreamer informed Judge
Kimbail that Beverly was a ''vag" and
for some time past had adopted as his
hot weather lodging place the darkness OF
night when the policeman. attracted by
his sonorous snoring. investigated and
pla red John under arrest.
Beverly tried to 'tell the court some
thing about the weather conditions being
against comfort to indoor sleeping. His
explanation was cut short by the impost-
ton OF a sentence of $40 fine or thirty
days on the shores OF the Eastern branch.
Not in Hayseed Glass.
Policeman Ward objects to being called
"a country cop" or words to that effect.
| Thomas James, a native of the British
West Indies. who was a prisoner In the
pen today. Is somewhat short on his Eng
fish education. He s. charged with
being sorderly, the specifications alleg
ing that he re erred to Ward as country
policeman. thus ruffling his official dignity
and his peace of mind. This acton of the
West Indian. in the eyes OF the policeman
| constituted disorder.
When James was asked If he had any
| thing to say his face was frightened by
a sort o. hands-across-the-sea smile, and
he explained in broken English that he
had warned one of his friends against
loafng around corners.
"Eef you do So said James to his
friend, de constable will rest you an
put you in de prison house,
Policeman Ward was In earshot at the
| time and heard himself referred to as
constable" According to the cops Lex
icon the word constable means "a country
policeman" He teit insulted at being
placed in the hayseed class and promptly
arrest.
After Judge Kimball had heard the tes-
| tiinony his comment was summed up in
two words: Case dismissed"
William Becomes Peniteut.
tenance OF William g. Lansdale Of 7O4
| New Jersey avenue. Lansdale was quite
| nervous from the effects Of too much the
| night before. and the glare Of lighi made
him twitch and twist. He was charged
with being q habitual drunkard, and in
the flash OF the searchl ght he became
! penit ent. He promised the court that he
| would refrain from DIR mixing and would
| take q firm seat upon the water vehicle.
With his assurance and further orders
! ing In perfectly hoozeless co1dition.
Lansdale was allowed to depart
Veteran With a Thirst.