New-York tribune., 1911-02-12
In Five Months Magistrates
Chief Magistrate McAdoo
Tells How City's Trib-
unals Have Been
Purged.

~vEW YORK CITY has had petty mag
IN istrates for 2SS years. For 2S7 ZIP years
OF that time, either the magistrates
or their courts have been provincial, out
OF date or corrupt. There have been times
when both city magistrates and courts had
all three shortcomings at once
For the last five months of her two ana
seNen-eighths centuries New York has had
a modern and-in the simple. physical
sense OF the word-cleanly system Of mag
iStrates courts. II Is all so new that most
citizens have no idea OF what has been
accomplished, and with the sixth month
has come a political attack on the new
order. "Christy" Sullivan introduced bill
at Albany intended TO abolish the system
Of Capitalization and responsibility which
has so carefully been built up. and to
make the Office of city magistrate once
more electiyc-in other words a political
"jcb."
Chief Magistrate William McAdoo, who.
nccordirs To one of his associates. did
more 30 improve the magistrates courts Of
New York City in two mcnths than every
body else has done since they were found
ed" consented TO tell OF the remakinS Of
these courts Of the common man and the
dangers that threaten them to-day.
Every one" he began, admits the tre-
mendous importance of the magistrates
courts They hear almost quarter OF
million cases year. What is mere, they
arc the only courts Of justice which great
masses OF our people know If they are
found 10 be cheap. corrupt and unjust
hundreds Of thousands Of citizens VIII be-
lieve the government Of our city, our state
and our nation Is no better.
The first reform that was needed was
an improvement in the physical surround
ings Of the courts. They were dirty. noisy
and mean. The courtroOms and their sur
roundings naturally attracted physical
Guh and rottenness. The most shocking
offence was the utter confusion of the
court
Here sat the magistrate. behind high
desk and rail Directly in front OF him
was the bridge. platform perhaps two
feet high. enough 10 allow the witness
the complainant. the complainants law
yers and the reporters 10 lean over the
rail and talk 10 the magistrate. a pai"
of heavy brass lamps rising from the rail
on either side Of the magistrate gave an
excellent chance for hangers-On TO cling
10 the edge of the bridge and catch few
words of what was going on.
The prisoner was not on the bridge but
was stationed beyond il. fanced off by an
iron rail- so that he could rot even lean
forward He was not suppose 10 have
any interest in the proceedings. lie could
peither see nor hear the magistrate. JUS
tice was done IN a sort Of hut or tent OF
tacks big backs Of policemen, crooked
hacks Of shyster lawyers bulged out backs
backs of witnesses. All that the prisoner
or any one i'm the courtroom saw Of the
ms gistrate was an occasional glimpse, due
10 sort Of shaking of the tent when the
judge cracked joke and the backs jiggled
UP and down with laughter.
That was not a dignifed situation for
any one. certainly not far Justice. But
that was only part of the trouble. At
either side of the magistrate. behind the
same rail- there were long desks where
clerks were making out wrts, hearing
stories. receiving fines from pedlers and
drunks and talking with complainants.
Often there would be two or three lines OF
people waiting, most Of them impatient
and many OF them decidedly noisy about
st. The whole place was buzzing and
rushing like a dock when a steamer is
Just sailing fer Europe in summer.