Evening star., 1923-04-18
D. c. TO JAIL DRY
LAW V|OLATORS
Fifty-TWo Cases Settled Yes
terday to Give Court New
Start, Says Mattingly.

At the close of fiye-hour session Of
the United States branch Of Police Court
yesterday afternoon at $50 o'clock. de-
voted entirely to the disposition of old
cases in which the defendants were
prohibition law. Judge Robert E. Mat
tingly. the presiding judge, said
THE lcniency shown in the disposi-
tion of these cases, the tempering of
justice with mercy, has been mainly
directed to the clearing of the overbur-
dened docket To enable the assistant dis
trict attorneys in charge OF the prose-
cution to clear away the large accumu-
lation of the business and get fresh
start.
The disposition of the cases passed
upon and disposed of today viii re-
leve the law enforcement officers of
a large accumulation of these cases
that it has been almost impossible to
reach through trials by juries."
After the docket has been cleared
there will be no more ieniency shown
defendants who violate the law
There will be no fines imposed, but
all Offenders may expect to receive
straight jail sentences without the
alternative of paying fine and go
ing free.
81 Cases Settled.
lItS-tWO cases were cledTeu from
the docket of the United States branch
of Police Court yesterday. All of the
defendants when arraigned some time
back had pleaded not guilty and de-
manded trials by juries. The de-
PENDANTS came into court with their
guilty and Withdrew their demands
for jury trials and We're sentenced
by Judge Robert E. Mattingly, the
presiding justice, to pay fines as in
dicated
Edward Miles. SIS: James Bell, SIS:
Joseph Gluck. 500; Susie Woods. $50:
Frank Scarlotto, s25: Michael Lyons.
s25; Mable Muller. $50: Nathan Ber-
chanks, 500: Sylvester Belt. 500:
James Mitchell. s25, Nickdemo Sta.
, smith, $50; Sam Delsi. s25; William
T. Skinner, s25: Beatrice Paxton, $50;
Lawrence ALL 800: William Bradley.
$50; William f. Carrick. s2o; Cath
500; Frank Davis. $50; Cora Frank
lin. $50; James T. Walk er. $50: Joseph
Inaff, $50; Samuel Levine, SO. Frank
Newton, $500; James A. Bailey, $50;
Lusinda Snowden, $50; Emanuel
Smith. 800; Roscoe Proctor, Sloo;
field. 500: Henry King. 800. Emma.
Johnson, s75; Ralph War;, $50: John
Lynch. $50; Charles Ed ards, SO;
William Mason, SIS: Mollie Cave. $50;
SIS: Lawrence Turner. $50: Albert
Batson, $50; Macedonia Clinton. SIS;
Blanche Johnson. So; William Z.
Swenson, 5000; Grace Coleman, $l0o;
William Asa, Cole. sI5; George W.
Shellhorne, $3.50. and Hattie May
johnson. s75. The total of all fines
was SS,725.
Gets Jail Sentence.
Wilson Claggett, convicted OF vol
latine the national prohibition law,
and in default to serve sixty days in
iail He was committed.
Bonds covering cases. upon which
defendants had been released. aggre-
gated close to $4,000. With the
fifty-two cases disposed Of yesterday
and the twelve cases disposed of the
day before, making siXty-four cases
in all Of the whisky cases cleared
from the docket, members of the bar
point out that in two days Judge
Mattingly has accomplished what it
would have required in trial by juries
more than five months.
Assistant District Attorney Charles
A Baker in charge of the prosecu-
tions refused to make any re"ommen-
dations as TO what the sentences In
these cases should be, leaving the
matter entirely to the wisdom of
Judge Mattlngly. Assistant District
ATTORNEY David A. Hart stood for
dse 9oz 9Tey the the of the
court as the defendant came for
ward. pleaded guilty and withdrew
their demands for jury trials, follow
ing which Judge Mattingly imposed
the sentences.