The Washington bee., 1910-12-17
THE POLICE COURT.
Howard Graduates on Hand With the
Law-The Veteran Janitor Not
Cared For.

The Police Court of the District of
Columbia IS, in many respects,
unique institution, and is deserving of
a higher rank in the local judiciary
than is generally accorded it. The
presiding justices, Pugh and Mullow-
ney, are we'll qualified for the positions
held by them, both being we'll versed
in the law, and hold the scales of
justice evenly balanced as between
/ rich and poor, white and black, all
getting, according to the evidence,
equal and exact justice. 1t is not gen.
orally known that the Police Court
of the District of Columbia is the only
Police Court in the United States
where the right of trial by jury is
accorded the defendant.
| There are two branches of the Po-
| lice Court; one known as the United
States branch, where violations of
| United States statutes are tried, and
the other is the District branch, where
offenses committed against the Police
and Board of Health regulations, etc,
are tried.
The judges alternate annually in
presiding over the different branches
of the court. At present Justice Null
lowney presides over the United
States branch, and Justice Pugh over
the District branch The cases in the
United States branch are prepared by
| u. s. District Attorney Given, whose
office is located in the southwest cor
ner of the third floor in the Police
Court. On the floor above, in the
same corner, is the office of the Dep
uty United States Marshal Ada
cent to the Marshaps office is y. s.
| Special District Attorney Cobb's
| office. The Police Trial Board Oc-
cupies a large room on the same floor,
and it IS in that room where officers
have to go through the same ordeal
that they subject others to. The Pro-
baton Officers for the Police Court
also have comfortable quarters in the
same building The only one who is
not properly provided with comfort
: able quarters is the old veteran jani-
, tor, Jim Hughes, who, when in the old
| Court House, received allowance on
. salary by reason of living quarters in
| 1.-THE old Webster Building, but whose
; salary now is the same, minus the
quarters.
Uncle Jimmy" as he is affection
, ately known by all doing business
5 with the Court. receives less pay
than the matrOn, whose chief duty
= consists in distributing few face tow
p els.
! There is another attractive feature
about the Police Court; to wit, the
: Illegal lights, those who constitute the
regular force, and lesser lights, fresh
, I II TTr1,yarci+1y The rao,,-
t lars are early on the ground, some
. with morning papers containing q
t marked paragraph of some notable ar
| rest; others receiving tips" from Off
r GERS and rubber-sole interviewers as
f to pending cases. The Howard grad
e Iuates are always on hand with the
j authorities, and stand ready to instruct
the Court on the law. In this they
are humored by Justices Mullowney
and Pugh, who remember that they
\ were in early youth ready to accept ;
seat on the bench in the Suprem;
n Court.
h 1t is a noteworthy sight to see emf
e nent counsel enter the court room
: with cigars at least six inches Ions
v protruding from their mouths anc
/ ,conversing with the Clerks of TIL
: Court without removing the same.
v Human nature is strong among TIL
practitioners. A few are devoted t.
d their profession for the honor, prid
and fair livelihood; others, and the.
are largely in the majority, are 70
the dollar, as they invariably ask thei
clients, How much money have yor
= or how much can you raise?" befor
t making inquiry as to the offense O
e which they are charged. For stud
r in human nature and frailties, the Pc
) lice Court has decided advantages owe
a any place in the District.