The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-04-05

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y s&Hta sr-------- Aasts
THE ALLEGED HUMOROUS
POLICE COURT REPORTERS AND,
THE uNFoRTuNATEs.-A number
Of papers In the United States, includ.
Ing two at Pittsburg and the same
number at Wheeling, day In and day
out, write up police court In an alleged
humorous style. These papers, as
well as'any other publications. have a
perfect right to do so II they see iii,
and such writings may be entertain.
ing to a part OF their Subscribers, but
It's q safe guess that not all the sub.
scrtbers by any means read such stuff.
"a veteran newspaper man OF West
Virginia once said that he had never
been able to see the news value. the
humorous part nor the entertaining
feature in making fun Of a poor devil
who has been locked up on a charge
OF drunkenness or the like and then
his wrong act heralded through the
public press.
The speaker is probably correct in
the estimation OF the majority OF the
people. How any one can see any.
thing funny by writing and reading
about a man who.has violated the laws
OF God and mar and is brought to
police court the next morning to an:
swer to his transgressions? The good
Lord only knows that 1t Is bad enough
for a person TO be arrested and Jailed
because he has got intoxicated or had
a fight and jerked to jail is bad
enough, and in many cases-probably
the majority Of them-the Individual
reels bad enough as tits and his hope
Is that his friends-for there is no
man regardless Of how wicked and
cruel who has no friends-will not
hear of his p%redicament and that IL he
can get out Of the difficulty by paying
his fine that he will "straighten up."
But this Is not the case; his friends
10 hear OF It and In nearly every time
they get the news through papers that
publish that kind Of rot. which prob
ably causes the man to again 30 bad
because he feels SO remorseful over
the public exposure.
This Is one thing certain, that the
writing up of men who have got drunk
and arrested does not make better eli.
lzens OF them. A reporter in this
state went so far as to say that he
believed that by exposing such men
that 1t would make them ashamed OF
themselves ana that for fear OF fur.
ther exposure they would not. nut
themselves in position to again be ar.
rested for drunkenness or flghtinIg? or
such like That argument has about
as'inucli ring Of sincerity to it as there
Is harmony In a Chinese tom tom.
There is nothing I'd such talk and Il
i ;a%fre1ection upon the ability OF the
listener for one TO think that because
"a newspaper has EXPOSED a mans iii.
tie petty wrofgabecause he has acted
indiscreetly, that.'that man will he.
come a better citizen. Reports or the
police courts Of large and small cities
throughout :he United States show
that about forty per cent. tofithe men
arrested for drunkenness are those
who are down and out, and 1t appears
mat there is no n to give them a
helping hand to get onto their feet.
It is this kind OF a poor soul whom the
reporter. knowing him to have no re.
course. writes up as II he were most
human: that he is some kind Of a
Deast different from the rest Of hu-
mainly. The reporter goes on in his
alleged humorous style to tell how he
looked as he stands before the Judge
and the kind Of poor English he uses:
then he puts funny expressions in the
mouth Of the Judge. which in the ma.
]orlty Of cases the Judge said nothing
or the kind. concluding the hearing
OF the poor unfortunate by saying that
ne was given so many days "in the
works."
II there is anything humorous about
making: light Of a mans downfall the
American bump OF hufnor has rot
twisted-and badly twisted. Is there
anything funny to see a once worthy
man ruined by dissipation Of any kind
standing before n Judge Of the police
court without 4 friend to- heip him.
without a relative near to whom he
might appeal and his whole body shak..
Ing with misery. his mind clouded, his
throat parched and his very, soul, ready
70 cry out that he be given his free.
aom after spending n night in a foul.
il'smelling cell? In the majority OF
cases this man is sent back to Jail or
70 the w%orkhonse to do time and of
ne is TAKEN suffering both mental and
physical anguish. While on the other
hand. II he Is, discharged and he hopes
the matter of his arrest. has ended
ana oil is well, he is mistaken, for the
alleged funny police court reporter
VIII write him up, telling the public
al about the charge against the unfor.
tlnntn md Nha liftln daIni1a 81 L..