New-York tribune., 1910-09-02
COURTS UNDER NEW LAWS
Police Do Little to Help Green
Attendants in Their Work.
MAGISTRATES HELP OUT
Mr.. McAdoo Believes That
Everything Will Run Smooth
ly in a Few Days.

4 ~ s-i eS . ~ w
| DESPITE the fact that the attendants were
| somewhat green al their work, there was
| no serious difficulty experienced in the va
| rious police courts and in the Court OF
Special Sessions when the new inferior
| criminal courts act went into force yes
| terday.
The greatest inconvenience was that ex-
perienced by the striking cloakmakers ar
rested by order of Inspector McClusky on
Wednesday night. when they started to
hold a meeting in front of one of the cloak
making factories about midnight Seventy
four men and eleven women were brought
down from the West 30th street police sta
ton at 7:30 a. m., before any of the new
attendants had put in an appearance at the
jefferson Market police court The women
got inside the hall. but the men had TO
stand out in the rain for nearly an hour
Then they were taken inside and crowded
into live cells
The three attendants assigned to the
court took the various places assigned to
them but the policemen who were there to
arraign their prisoners made no effort to
give them any assistance. though it had
been announced that Commissioner Baker
would assign men TO help out the attend
anus U1tlf a Su11c1enI nUfflDeF n2d Deen
appointed by the magistrates to do the
work
Two patromen were assigned to each
court to serve warrants, and they attended
strictly to that part of the work and gave
no help to the attendants who being new
and without uniforms or badges, found it
difficult to preserve order in the crowd
which had gathered to witness the trial Of
Of
Magistrate House surprised when he
saw the big crowd. bat he undertook to act
as crier or bridge man, for the bridge still
exists. though it is doomed to disappear
with the new order of things. As the
| magistrate has been i'll of late, Chief Clerk
McCabe insisted on relieving him of his
trouble, and he called the witnesses and
did the work usually performed by the
bridge officer. In this way the work was
carried without serious trouble, though
there were some delays
In the Morrisania court Magistrate Cor
rigan appointed himself to serve a warrant
when Herman Steinkamp came in and ex-
planned that he had heard a warrant had
been issued for his arrest. It was all over
family row. he said. When the complain
ant did not appear the ma gistrate narOIed
the prisoner. and advised him to come back
to-day. please do come back, for I don't
want 10 have to appoint myself to go after
YOU" he said. There was a light docket
the work progressed with a fair degree
of snoothnesS
Magistrate Eernochan found no attend
ants at all in the West Side court when he
reached there. hut when he ascended the
bench and asked whether there We're any
attendants, two turned up from among the
own prisoners, but when there was dis
turhance in the crowd. the lawyers who
practice in that court undertook to keep
order, and succeeded fairly well.
Six keepers from the Tombs and Black
wells Island were sent by Patrick A Whit
ney. Commissioner of Corrections, TO look
after the arragnment of prisoners in the
Court of Special Sessions. Three process
servers were assigned TO the task of keep
ing order. Justice Olmsted remarked how
ever. that the Police Commissioner would
have to establish a post to- control the
crowds IN the corridor
In all the districts Of the state except
New York City" said Justice Olmsted +the
Sheriff appoints court officers. Here the
Jail is under the jurisdiction of the Com
missioner of Correction, and he should do
what the sheriffs DO in other districts. The
new act provides that whenever applicable
the provisions of the Code of Criminal Pro-
cedure shall govern our court and Article
29S says that the official in whose custody
the prisoners are must bring them before
the court and take them away again"
Chief Magistrate McAdoo. in a state
ment issued last night said that the new
system had not had a fair trial
Everything ran smoothly TODAY in the
nf DoD0ectia ~
Yorkville court" he said Give the new
system a fair show and wait until it is
really started Many of the new attend
ants had never been in such court be-
fore. They are excellent men and when
trained, instructed and disciplined will, in
my opinion, exceed expectations"
Police Commissioner Baker issued
general police order yesterday instructing
the force as 10 their duties under the new
law He explains the provisions of the
new law providing for the domestic rela-
uons court the separate night courts for
men and women, and for the identification
cards (which Will secure immunity from
summary arrest for violation of city or
dinanCes. He also calls attention to the
provisions of the new law which provide
that women arrested for immortality must
have their finger prints taken. and must
also submit to examination by woman
physician of the department. and may be
removed TO hospital.
The mems court, formed under the new
inferior courts law. opened last night in the
lorkVille court building, in East 57th street
In addition 10 the court attendants there
We're only three persons in the courtroom
when Magistrate Appleton appeared tc,
oren the session. During the evening ten
cases Of trifiing Importance were heard