The Washington times., 1925-01-20
With The
|Alibi Artists
la Cross Section of the
Daily Grind in Judge
McMahOn's Court.
Read En- and Weep.

BY DONALD McDOUGAL.
Pretty Soft"
Scene, a one-arm lunch-room
near Police Court, at noon rush,
Counter man-Bowl of veg!
A customer-Got any bean
soup?
Counter man-One bean!
Second customer-JM have
some bean soup, too.
Counter man-Make it two!
First customer-Great Scott!
Two bowls of soup out or one
bean!
Second customer-That's what
l call economy.
First customer-He must be a
Congressman.
Second customer-I'n say.
Look how he sticks around the
pie-countOr.
First customer Ito the counter
man)-Where's your pork bar'R
Counter man-We keep 1t out
of sight
Second customer-He's a Con-
greSSman,, all right.
Counter man-Hey Bus! You're
shy on them mugs!
Bus boy-I just counted 'en.
They're all there. +.
Counter nan--Let's have some
forks.
Bus boy-Coming. ENTER three
lawyers).
Counter man-Count the spoons!
Enter the Alibi Man=One egg!
Police Sergeant Fl. T. Miskell
Ito Alibi Man)-I've got to get
right back to court-only got
time for a bite.
Counter man-One dog.
Alibi man CThoughtfullyl-T
don't care particularly what
I get.
Counter man-Plate o. hash!
Miskell-T've got some news for
you. Gle takes a large mouthful
off the weinie.)
Alibi Man-On the principle that
IL the man bites the dog, that's
news?
Miskell-That's boIoney. But sup
pose you were a cop, and you ar
rested a man for gin-driving last
February, and you came into court
bringing three witnesses with
you, and the case was continued
twenty-four times, and was still
untried to date, what would you
do?
Alibi Man-Bringing three wit
nesses each Of the twenty-four
times?
Miskell-Each time.
Alibi Man-Waiting how long?
Miskell-v-Anywhere from four tc
eight hours-and generally in the
time you're supposed to have for
rest-what would you do?
Alibi Man-I'd lind some nosey
newspaper reporter and tell him
all about it.
Miskell-Well, / arrested this
man February 8--that's a year
ago lacking three weeks-at 4:3(
a. m. / followed him down Mary
land avenue from Fourth stree
northeast at fifty-five miles ar
hour. He went through the Cap;
tol grounds, and when he tried tC
turn off into Delaware avenue HI
hit the wall there and knocked q
stone off the coping and it landei
on the other side of B street. i
he hadn't hit the wall he'd have
hit car coming up b street witt
five people in it. I've brought
my three witnesses into courr
twenty-three times since then and
the case is still hanging fire. j
comes up again this afternoon
and the lieutenant told me IL il
was continued this time, to drol
it. We simply haven't got the
time for that kind Of business.
Alibi Man-Did you keep any
kind of tab on the time spent
in court on account of this case?
Miskell-I did. 1t averages one
hundred and twenty-four hours
per man so far-four hundred and
ninety-six hours, or sixty-two one.
man eight-hour days altogether
If it's continued this time I'm
going to drop it and turn the
man loose--but he's a dangerous
one. Look at his record---he' n
been convicted Of bootlegging
two cases Of speeding with sec,
-ond offense pending, assault witt
dangerous weapon, reckless driy'
ing and passing a street car. !
don't like to think Of letting that
kind Of man go. but / can't
spend all my time in oourt-I've
got to do some patrol work. And
when 1 come off duty, chasing
around all night like the Wan.
dering Jew want to turn In
and get some sleep, and eat some
home cooking instead Of this
quick lunch, slow death stuff. If
it's continued this time, I'm
going to drop the case.
Alibi Mainland I'll be there to
pick up the pieces.
Note-It was very interesting
case, terminating in thirty
days straight Jail sentence-only
the man didn't go to Jail. He's
out on the following bonds: $500
appeal bond on a second offense
speed charge; $500 on another
second offense speed charge lately
postponed, and $500 on motion
for a new trial in the gin driving
case. Total cost of above bonds.