Evening star., 1922-08-13

jority Of the alleged offenders pre-
fer to rest their cases with Judge
Mcmahon. In fact. it is exceptional
for any one to ask for a jury trial.
Those who ask for jury trials as a
rule are persons charged with driv-
ing an automobile while intoxicated.
You have not been a spectator in
the Traffic Court for more than half
an hour when you realize That the
individual who dubbed it the "Alibi
Club" was a keen student of human
nature and one who particularly ap-
preciated the fitness of things.
one of the traffic officers said: THE
majority of people that We arrest
can fully qualify as members OF the
Ananias Club. The majority of them
insist that they were not going over
twelve miles an hour. Some spring
the one that they had left the baby
at home and had to hurry back be-
cause it was necessary for the young
ster to have its meal just at that par
ticular time. Some also make the
excuse that their brakes do not work
well. Just what relation brakes not
working well has to do with going
over twenty miles an hour is some
thing ! could never quite dope out.
Another alibi which a great many
Of them throw is that they have just
purchased new car and selected this
time to try it out When you call
their attention to the fact that their
license numbers are several months
old and the paint looks as if it needs
good scrubbine, they look sort Of
sheepish and say that they did not
dream they were exceeding the speed
limit
Women. as a rule. try to talk you
out of it and if l had fallen for some
Of the vamping that has been tried
on me since have been chasing the
left me months ago
"It really would be a great pleasure
to hear some one spring a new one.
All of the old excuses have long
white whiskers. and their shoulders
are bent with age. 1 think that II
you will take notice Of the number
of arrests that have been made, you
will find that it most forcefully en-
phasizes the need Of strict examina-
tion and the rigid enforcement of
Of the law. We police officers are not
SO keen as some people think on
making arrests, but we are paid to
enforce the laws and enforce them
we must"
Judge Mcmahon works a sort Of
double shift. He holds another court
on one of the lower floors in the
same building. finishing up there
about five minutes to eleven and then
going directly to the Traffic Court.
The prosecuting officers are MadiEan
and Walsh. assistant corporation
counsel. Richard Hughes acts as
bailiff.
AS tho name of each person told
to appear is called, Hughes pauses.
waiting for a reply. and II there 10
no response he repeats the name
three times in a clear voice. SO that
there may be no occasion for any
one to put up the alibi that he did
not hear his name.
Ssik X
OFFICER VAUGHAN of No. 4 has
~ been chasing speeders SO long
that he knows every trick and
device that those law violators prac-
tice, from the plea of sickness In
the family to that of the man whose
speedometer fails to register. One
interesting case that Vaughan had
was that of young man who was
hitting 1t up at the rate Of about
forty miles an hour and, when over
hauled, gave the unique excuse that
he was on his way to get package
Of cigarettes. The next day Judge
Mcmahon imposed fine of $50. which.
plus the cost Of the smokes. made
an important item.
Oflcer Vaughan, in relating some
Of his experiences. said:
Ninety per cent Of the people don't
really think how fast they are 60
ing, ana when you overhaul them
after they Asve been hitting It mp