Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-23


wives were buying their turkeys and |
chickens for the Christmas dinner The
many stands were heaped high with me
representative bird and the good things
that usually go with it.
This is too much for me-" protested
the Owl. feeling Of his empty stomach.
LET us hit up some free lunch. I'm near
starving
1t was only "a step to the nearest saloon
and soon we were filling up on cheese and
crackers. Our hunger satisfied. we turned
to look over the place. The bartender,
with an eye open for Christmas business,
had strung double row Of holly wreaths
along the greasy mirror behind the bar
One or two gaudy signs wished us a merry
Christmas from the walls. The place was
ns.ea with o customers. many Of them al
that cheers. One young fellow, dressed as
working man, stood leaning against the
bar for support, as he upbraided the bar
tender In naudin tones. second later
and the man in the white apron was SHOW
ing him to the street. We followed him
out
That's the way some people celebrate
Christmas" said the Owl. while on the
other hand that's the way he should be
observing it,
He pointed to young man and woman
who were approaching from the Avenue
The woman was pushing baby carriage,
while the mans arms were piled high
with bundles. The faces of both wore
locks of supreme happiness. The maudlin
fellow was supporting himself by the aid
Of an electric light pole few feet away.
across from the market we were aecosted
by fat policeman, who embarrassed the
Owl with several pointed questions. he
wanted to know who we were. where
S.-A ND Tho yxy0r
companion waxed eloquent in explaining
to the official that we were only taking
in the Christmas sights, but the Fellow
was skeptical. The encounter ended with
him assisting us down from the patrol
wagon in front Of police precinct sta
ton.
Here's where we view another seq
ment of Christmas life" said the Owl.
philoSophically, as we were marched In
front of the brass rail. Even here the
Christmas rush was on. There were two
cases ahead of us. and the fat policeman
killed time by going through our pockets
and asking uS If we had ever owned
investigating the family history OF q
drunk. He didn't have much success. as
the unfortunate one was SO far gone he
could only mutter. Finally the sergeant
gave it up. Turning the bIotter. he
blamed the whole affair on John Doe and
the prisoner was carted back to regions
beyond to sleep it off.
Then came our turn l was going to |
make short speech on the injustice OF
our arrest. but there was no chance. The |
man behind the rail must have had an
important engagement. for be certainly |
finished with us quickly. He wrote the
names we gave him-"John Jones" and |
"Bill Smith"-on the blotter as II he had |
never heard them before.
What charger" he inquired Of the po-
liceman.
Suspicious characters"
Find anything on them
only this" and the policeman held up !
batch of cheese and crackers which the
owl had taken from the free lunch count |
er and placed away for a rainy day.
The cell was dark and damp, but we
made the best of 1t. The Owl found some
cigarettes. which the policeman had over
listening to the melody Of sound about
us. Some fellow in the next cell was
trying to bet himself ten million dollars |
that he would have Maj. Sylvester dis |
on the other side the drunk was snoring, |
and just a bit down the line some one |
was raising his voice in the tuneful notes
of "Alexander's Rag Time Band" Now |
footsteps and policeman would appear |
to thrust some one in a cell and then go |
out again.
Hours passed; the singer had tired of |
his own voice, the drunk was still snoring
and the man with the grudge against |
Maj. Sylvester had wandered into dream |
land, when laid down and tried to make |
myself comfortable.
The next morning we made a meal Of |
coffee and sandwiches and discussed our
prospects Of being forced to remain in |
Washington for thirty days. About an |
hour later all Of US were marched out |
on the street and assisted into the big |
prison van that stood at the curb. Only |
the drunk was missing.
All and all, We were a motley collec- |
ton of humanity. A couple of colored |
youths kept up running fire Of oaths. |
Next to the Owl and myself sat an Old /
man who had been mixed up in some |
overzealous celebration. His bent form /
and white hair seemed strangely out Of |
place. Near him was young fellow |
about twenty years old. who Kept biting |
his finger nails and telling how many
thousand dollars he would give for an /
ounce Of cocaine. This was the young
man who was going to break the major.
Arriving at the Police Court, after a /
long wait, we were ushered into a line
behind an iron grating and the wheels Of |
justice began to move. The docket was |
filled with cases that morning, but the |
judge was equal to the occasion and they |
were disposed Of with a rapidity that |
demonstrated that the judge was IA
millar with human nature.
The judge looked us over keenly and
then turned to listen to the officer tell
what desperate chaps we doubtless were. |
~
Anything to say?' inquired the Judge
to the OWL MY pal stepped forward and
told his story in a clear. straightforward
manner. He explained how we had beat
our way from the west and had stopped
over in Washington to see IL there was
anything open in his line. The Judge asked
him a few questions. and then l came
forward with my tale
lease dismissed said the Judge. and
we stood overcome with joy. Another
man was ambling forward to hear his
fate, and we hustled toward the door. 1t
was good to be outside breathing the
free air once more, and we lost no time
in getting away from the neighborhood
Of the courthouse.
That Judge il a gentleman" declared
the Owl. Gee, expected thirty days at
least. Now. II you've had enough OF the
Christmas season. I vote that we make
south. That fat cops got an eye on u.s.
and don't want to butt into him again.
Come on
We begged breakfast from a good wom-
an up the street, and tonight the Owl and
will he shedding toward the land