South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-21
HI SIBLEY VISITS
POLICE COURT AND
SEES JUSTICE DID
Mistakes Attorneys for vagS,
Bumps Into Policemen and
Gets in Wrong With Judge,
But Otherwise Has a Good
Time.
BY Ill SIBLEY.

tatOr. j didn't want to do, because 1t
| involved getting up in the morning
| long before my usual hour for greet
| ing the day. However, it was orders
and had TO be done. so with the com
| bined efforts of an alarm clock, the
! telephone girl, eXacting members of
| the family and Herb PaxtOn's little
two cylinder squeejink which grOwls
under my window every morning at
the hour Of seven, L managed to get
awake and stay awake long enough to
robe myself in the habiliments of civ
| iliZatiOn.
At the office journalist Vaughn took
me in hand, and under his protection
we arrived at the police station while
the morning was yet young.
We entered the desk sargent 'slroom
1t was full of people. Looks like
we are going to have big session" l
observed. What are these fellows in
for-grand larceny, or mebbe just va
grancy?"-they seemed 10 have a
hungry look in their eyes.
Those amt prisoners" explained
Vaughn, impatiently, those are law
yers."
"Oh!" 1 said. Under the circum-
stances il was about all I could say.
However, / hastily buttOned my coat
over my watch, put my wallet in an
inside pocket-there were "a couple OF
stamps in the wallet and / couldn't
aHOrd TO lose IneTn, because udu
some letters to write. Feeling some
what nervous in that gathering with
only one policeman in sight, l started
through the dOor-Naughn at my
heels-and brought up in the cell
room.
l heaved sigh of relief. felt
safer there.
Hi Backs Up.
But only for moment, for dis
heveled culDrit thrust a grimy paw
through the bars and asked for a
match. a fellow asked me that ques-
tiOn once before on lonely street
and before we parted i had given him
my 'jewelry and fountain pen, so L
backed out precipitately and fetched
up against something not quite as hard
as brick warehouse, but just as un-
Welding and about as big. 1T was the
front elevation of a tOwerin~ police
man, who eyed me with an expression
like a cat contemplating the nutrluVe
possibilities of a captive mouse. with
Vaughn hanging onto my left arm TO
reassure me. l fled into the court
room, the only retreat left.
Inside the rail were "a score or two
Of curious spectators. l started TO
take my place among them, but
Vaughn said. Here you. we're going
ing the court room with sweep OF
his hand.
That was gratifying. went over
and picked out a comfortable chair
behind a desk. 1T was up on plat
form and would give me a good view
of the proceedings. 1 was settled
comfortably, prepared TO enjoy the
novelty of seeing the impartial dis
pensatiOn of justice, when an austere
young man came up TO me and said,
HIN. excuse me-but i believe you
have my chair"
Now they say that you never can
keep anything for yourself unless you
show some spunk, so / decided TO ex-
pertinent right there.
Your chair? l think not--I got
here first" I retorted, with a fine show
of indignation.
I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to
vacate. anyway" he continued, gently
but firmly.
Something about him impressed me
with a vague idea that he might be
right. but l determined to make an
other bluff, anyway, so | said:
well. who are you, anyway
I'm the Judge" he returned mod
estly. "the reporters desk is over
yOnder"
Phewl I got up quicker'n a wink.
mumbled an apology and retreated in
confusion.
Presently officers, lawyers, bailiffs
and what L supposed at the time was
the jury, but learned later they were
the prisoners. filed into the room.
Court convened.
The first prisoner was called. Judge
Warner ss-qpeSuoned him brlSkly
and with dispatch.
Calls Prisoners Up.
Frank Morris, shabby. somewhat
detected. but nevertheless bearing
many evidences Of being a man
humbly answered questions. He
-fr1a
when il was red-fguratively speak
ing. That in itself is a gr9-5 enough
offense. Anyone who has the temer-
ity TO tackle certain brands Os red
wine in the pursuit OF happiness
ought 10 be rounded up. Ii is the
most unsatisfactory way to-that Is,
I should say-but 10 get back To the
point, Frank was ordered 10 leave
town and seemed pleased with the
prospect.
James Studley. peddler. seems 20
have got mixed up in his bookkeeping
when making an account-or rather
falling To make an account with his
employer. but 1 forgot the details be
cause Of an argument Vaughn and l
gOt into later going over our notes.
Nauehn claimed ne was peddling
onions and ! said they were apples.
This is the logical time OF year 20
peddle apples and ] insisted that we
got tO get nothing but facts when re-
porting court proceedings When
last heard from. Vaughn was still
clinging 10 the onions In the mean
tirn4. the outcome of Jim Studley's
case hangs in the balance.
Harry Franklin. next prisoner on
the docket went TO wedding and
helped himself To liquid refreshments
until ne had all the cargo ne could
hold: his scuppers were awash and his |
rudder iammed and in that crippled
condition he navigated directly into
the arms Of a policeman. who towed
him into port-Otherwise the police |
station Having ornamented the po-
lice court on several other occasions. |
he was returned 10 his cell 10 cositate |
on the WAGES OF gin.
Which is about all for this morn
ing.