Evening star., 1911-05-27

was found that he was an ex-soidier who
had no previous Bow street record. He
came quickly to smart salute, turned
right face and marched off for the gaol
door, to be turned about by the attendant
and sent stalking in the opposite direc-
tion toward freedom, to the suppressed
amusement Of the spectators behind the
rail.
Records of Prisoners.
Close by the accused during each hear
ing stands court officer with record
book. If Mary smithson has been a
prisoner before the court is so informed.
whereupon, unless she has witnesses who
can break down the police testimony to
Mary's loud and profane talk. and her
refusal to move on when adjured by the
law, she moves to the gaol side of the
court as the heavy gray eyebrows bent IN
her direction.
taking care of the sitting magistrate. He
gave the prisoner. even in the most
trif1ing case the benefit of any reasonable
doubt arising in his mind. Perhaps he
erred on the side of undue leniency. In
one case, where, on the remand calen-
dar. two men were brought before him
charged with being suspicious persons"
he undoubtedly set suspicion on one side
for the lack of convincing evidence, de-
spite the very strong probability that both
men were deserving OF short separation
from society. These We're typical Lon
don street farers of a better grade than
the neck-clothed and capped cockneys.
They had been interrupted by an observ-
ant plain clothes constable in the course
of an exploratory expedition toward the
watch pocket of a man standing between
them looking at window demonstra-
ton in a crowded street. 1nasmuch as
their game was thwarted they could not
be charged with being pickpockets. SO the
familiar old charge Of suspicion" was
written against them. One man made the
mistake Of arguing from the dock with
the testifying constable He got two
months, hard" The other stood silent,
and inasmuch as he had both hands In
his own pockets when the interesting
little group was dispersed. he was dis
charged. Later l was informed by one
evidently familiar with the fraternity that
of the pair he was perhaps the more
clever operator
| Many Are Set Free.
A woman charged with raising a ten
shilling postal note to 35 shillings stood
mute while being held for indictment and
probable conviction. Likewise a shock
headed youth. while the court ascertained
that he was not responsible for the
death of a friend whose leg had been
broken in a wrestling match and who
had died in hospital under the anes-
thetic. These two received their words of
condemnation and acquittal without a
sign Of realization, the one going east to
prison and probably life of sodden
misery in later years with no more token
Of interest than was shown by the other
who went west to liberty.
| The last case Of the day gave an Illus
tration of the great care with which the
ma gistrate examined the testimony. Two
youths were accused Of house entry. One
had been previously employed in the es-
tablishment and had improved his oppor
tunity. it was practically proved to make
| impressions Of certain keys. which he
had duplicated. BY this means he broke
into the premises at night and stole some
| Z or pounds in cash and sundry small
articles of value, while his brother watch
ed outside and later received the loot and
made off with it on his bicyNe. The pris-
oners offered no defense, standing mute
throughout, and not correcting the decla-
rations of the police that virtual con-
fession Of the key duplication had been
given at the time of the arrest. In the
face of this and other discriminating evil
dence the magistrate ordered a second
remand" in order that a search might
be made for the false keys and for the
locksmith who made them before COM
mitting the young men for trial
The whole proceeding at Bow street