The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-11-04
WOMAN JUDGE MIXES
HUMANITY AND LAW
Mrs. Norris, First Day Alone
on Bench, Shows No Sign Of
Sex's Weakness.
LAWYER GETS CALLDOWN
Magistrate Has Luncheon With
Mothers of Two Hayward
Girls Found Guilty.

Miss Alice Smith, who has been pro-
bation officer at Jefferson Market Court
for seventeen years and has seen magis-
trates come and magistrates go, dropped
down for a minute yesterday on the re-
p,r,ers beach in the Woman's Court
and turned an approving look on new
York's first and only woman magistrate,
Jean Norris. who sat In her black ropes
dispensing justice with dignified mieh'
but with a humorous CLEAN In her Keen
gray eyes.
"shes all right" pronounced Miss
Smith 81 like the way she does and
I like the way she talks She sticks
TO the law, but she's human. too. Her
lunchiug with the mothers Of these girl
prisoners now and talking things over
with them-it was a good thing"
That luncheon was one innovation
that the Portia from the Second dis
trict brought into the grim old build
Ing with her. Another was flowers
Those dusty corridors never saw 30
many fresh young blossoms.
The stalwart young attendant who
keeps the gate right in front Of the bar
was completely worn out before court
adjourned trotting to and fro between
the entrance and the magistrates room
bearing the gifts Of blossoms that ar
rived from the Bar Association and
women's clubs and personal friends OF
Mrs. Norris. They made a curious con-
trast to the sordid cases which the new
magistrate, like all that sit on that
bench. found waiting for her when she
took her seat
Two Mothers "Portia's" Guests.
The luncheon was quite Informal Mrs
Norris having as her guests the mothers
<xA Nx..A rls tAI tn hon
Of suspicious character while in COM
pany with two men. The magistrate had
the mothers brought in to see her dur
ing the noon hour II this indicated
womanly weakness on Portid's part that
was not In evidence when she gave her
verdict.
Guilty and placed on probation" said
Magistrate Norris. Whereupon Lawyer
Frank Aranow, who had been defending
Florence and Gladys and had vehe-
mently demanded their acquittal, went
out into the corridor and had a brain
storm, which was considerably compli-
Gated by loud reproaches from one of
the mothers.
1t wouldn't be truthful or kind to say
that it irked Mr.. Aranow and some Of
the other male lawyers to have to defer
to a woman Judge and be rebuked by
her when they raised their voices. They
and all the men around the place were
perfectly lovely" to Mrs Norris. She
said SO herself. But still-well. every
mere man knows the feeling, even though
he voted for woman suffrage and all
that.
Anyhow when Mr.. Aranow demanded
loudly of Thomas A. Smith, the special
officer. who arrested the girls. why he
let the men In the case escape, and
Magistrate Norris instead of being
moved by this appeal to an equal stand
ard merely said suavely: 1T is not
necessary to speak SO loud-neither of
us Is deaf" one couldn't avoid a fieeting
impression that the lawyer muttered
deep in his breast: 'If that woman
on the bench were my wife 10
Yesterday was the woman Magls-
trate's first experience in sitting all
alone. Since last week she sat as a
learner m company with one OF the
older Magistrates. Mayor Hylan's ap-
pointee appeared entirely at her ease
and not at all conscious that she was
a pioneer.
Arbiter Is Neutral but Tender.
The case of the two girls, Florence
and Gladys. was of a sort to make a
woman feel rather badly-young girls,
first offence. mother and old grand
mother there weeping, angry and be-
wildered-but the new Magistrate was
entirely neutral. though there was
something gentle in the way she leaned
down when one of the girls shrank back
from the witnesses chair to which she
was summoned, and said:
Don't be afraid--there is nothing to
be afraid Of"
One of the prisoners In the morning
was a small negro girl who had sue
cumbed to the eternal feminine desire
for silk stockings, and not possessing
the money to buy them had stolen them
from the counter of department store
and had been caught by the store detec-
tive. She was held for petit larceny.
1t would be pleasant to record that the
unfortunates who were taken before
Magistrate Norris showed pleasurable
emotions at having one Of the gentle sex
TO pass judgment on them, but II they
noticed the difference in the bench's sex
they made no sign. To the friends who
came to wish Mrs. Norris godspeed in
her new position-sister lawyers. such
as Miss Amy Wren of Brooklyn, repre-
sentatives OF womens organizations,
Mrs. John Blair of the Women's City
Club and Mrs. Julia Wheelock and
others-it seemed good and appropriate
70 see a kindly womans face looking
down from the bench on those erring
young ones of her own sex.
JUSTICE REFUSES