The New York herald., 1921-12-28
FREQUENT HOLDUPS
LAID TO BOND EVILS
Continued from First Page.

duction almost prohibitive. The pistol
is one of the greatest evils in America
"As to suspended sentence, trust the
public will not confuse suspended SEN
tence with probation. In these courts,
where we can only convict for minor
offenses, we put great numbers Of peo-
rie on probation with excellent results.
A probationer has to report at stated in
tervals to the probation officer. who is
at once guardian, counselor ana friend.
"In the magistrates courts no one is
put on probation until a thorough, filed
examination OF his case and his charac-
ter have been made and a report in
writing from a probation officer given
to the magistrate before sentence. When
he breaks the terms of Ills probation he
is at oncs arrested. He cannot be dis
charged from PROBATION until he has
gone before the probation court There
Is not sufficient overlook In the case of
a person under suspended sentence.
The only trouble with our probation
sentence Is that we have not sufficient
officers, because these people must be
overlooked in their daily lives constant
ly. and this is not done with those to
whom sentence has been suspended. The
gulf between probation and suspended
sentence is inmeasurable.
AT one time there was an attempt
made TO beget in this city a centralized
probation system for all criminal courts.
nigh and low. but it fell through And
the last evil, that OF easy ball, is the
one to which 1 have directed attention
as above"
When Magistrate McAdoo's statement
was shown to District Attorney Banton
his eye at once caught the reference to
the prosecution OF forfeited bail bonds
He said:
Now with reference to this let me
tell you that we have already collected
this year more than s250,00O Of forfeit
ed bail. which is a much higher sum
than in other years. We never lose even
twenty-four hours on such cases. l
dent know of another county III the
State that pays as strict attention to
bail forfeitures as we do here. And |
don't think that this whole matter is
the most important thing in the world
either. This city of New York is freer
from crime than any other part of the
country in proportion to it's population.
On the question OF Yicensing bondsmen
Mr.. Banton said:
II have the very highest regard for
Judge McAdoo, but 1t seems to me that
would put premium on the activities
of the professional bondsmen. VIVA;
would happen II any one belonging TO
us were accused of something wrong
fully and brought down here. and all
this red tape had to be gone through ?
Why. in many, many cases it would
mean at least for,y-e'ght hours in jail.
Now IL you license bondsInen it would
mean that no one but a licensed bonds
man could go bail. Why, might be
Astor himself and l wouldn't be atle TO
give bail for Il friend because / woudn I
have a license. But the professional.
he'd get license without trouble. He
could incorporate himself II he wanted
to. But this would prevent persons wno
are now qualified giving bail even tor
members of their own family.
II am not in favor OF demanding
excessive bail. and for much the sam
reason, and it should be remembered
that the Federal and State Constitutions
both prohibit excessive bail.
81 don't think this matter is nearly