The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-10-12
Real officer Refuses to Drag
Witness From Her Chair
Before Judge.
GIVES LECTURE ON REALISM
Informs Director That Court
Officers Don't Act Like
| Those In Pictures.

A motion picture director and a
very famous actress received a
shock day or two ago at the Fort
Lee. n. j., studios that are the CEN
ter of Eastern motion picture ac-
tfvity. The shock, 1t Is the hope of
most picture patrons. will do both
OF them good and will result In a
sener way of staging picture plays
In the future.
The actress in question Is noted
throughout the country as studio
artist who Is called upon to address
literary, artistic and uplift organiza-
lions as a woman of broad intelli-
Kcnce and understanding. She was
appearing In a picture play as the
defendant In divorce suit. She
was on the witness stand In part OF
the scene. The company with which
she was appearing was fortunate
enough to secure the services of a
real court bailiff to serve In the
scene. When the leading woman
had finished her testimony. the
bailiff very courteously led her from
the witness box to her seat.
She turned on Mr.. Bailiff and with
much wrath demanded that he for
get she was Nine. Blank and treat
her as he would treat any witness.
MY dear Madame / have shown
you only the courtesies we show
every woman who takes the witness
stand. whether she is a millionairess
or a pickpocket"'
Bailif Speaks His Mind.
The director was as furious as the
leading woman. The best motion pic
ture traditions required that the bail
he MI hU ha
arm, jerk her out OF the witness
box and jam her into a chair.
The bailiff, in this particular case,
plain how It would be impossible for
any respectable court anywhere to
tolerate the sort OF conduct that Is
seen in most motion pictures. This
bsiliff who had also been a police
man. spoke his mind quite freely.
Please don't keep up the sort OF
thing that has been shown In pic
tures-because 1t really hurts the
pictures" he said. i've seen burly
policemen on the screen snatch men
from the arms OF their wives and
hurl them into patrol wagons or into
cells. Nothing like that happens In
real life. A policeman doesn't as
sauit his prisoner unless the prisoner
starts something. Policemen don Z
even use handouts except on unruly
or dangerous prisoners.
II saw a play not long ago where
the hero was a district attorney. His
wife pretended he had poisoned her
just to teach him a lesson. Officers
who knew him quite well were sent
to arrest him. Out they came with
their handouts. two of them SELLING
his arms and wrestling with him
when they made the arrest.
THAT sort Of thing isn't done. Mr..
Director. II isn't necessary In the
first place. and In the second place
a policeman IL a human being and
more often than not sympathizes
deeply with a respectable citizen he
Is forced to arrest by taking him
from his home.
IF you want me to be the bailiff
IN your court scenes, I'll be glad to
DO Il. But I've got to be the same
kind Of a bailiff I am in this court
every day of my life, because l
z. : know how to pull the rough
The i. In thirty years service as a
the Ere nan and a bailiff In the state
Dre hav. Jersey I've never learned 1t.
-. don't know where you'll find
s.opp sliceman or a bailiff that ever