The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-04-08
With The
|Alibi Artists.
IA Cross Section of the
Nightly Grind in Judge
MacdOnaId's Court
Read EN- and Weep.
BY DONALD McDOUGAL.
BY DONALD McDOUGAL.
Atmosphere.

didn't look like q night court at
all-it looked more like we'd
ding.
Judge Macdonalds bench was
banked high with flowers-well,
there was q couple Of dozen
pink carnations in a glass pitcher,
anyhow.
And there was the usher at the
door, ready to receive the guests
and escort them to the seats
that had been reserved for them
in the dock
We never saw an usher like
him at any wedding we were
ever married at, but he GER
tainly could ush.
oh, it was a wedding, all
right. Everyone was bright and
cheerful and smiIihg-aH except
the defendant.
He was so solemn and scared
and "I-wonder- what 's-going-tO
happen to-me-next" looking that
you'd have sworn the only reason
he wasn't paving around in his
pocket for a ring was because
he'd swallowed 1t.
Judge Macdonald said everyone
was so Vivacious and happy on
account Of the bright, new, shin
ing, paint the interior had been
done over in.
He said new paint has psy-
Geological effect on people. We
carried home a sample OF that
bright, new paint on our bright,
new spring suit, and we can cor
roborate the psychological effect
theory. Only 1t didn't make us
smile. But it did everyone else,
SO maybe the Judge is right
about that.
When things got kind of duh
and the fish. weren't coming in
very fast, a painter set up a
stepladder in the middle Of the
room and climbed up on 1t.
We got kink in our neck
watching him, and mechanically
looked down for our program,
to see who followed the acrobats.
BY the time we'd discovered that
we were trying to decipher our
notes Of the last case, instead OF
a program, the clerk leaned over
and whispered at US, Turn
around so that paint won't show.
He's going to snap u.s..
The photographer had climbed
away up near the ceiling, where
the cobwebs used to be, and while
we were waiting for the music
tc stop and a subdued voice to
call Right he whisked a black
cloth out of his pocket and
pulled it over his head.
We didn't know whether 1t was
q wedding or a hanging we were
confronted with.
He stood there a long while,
waiting, for something, and we
prayed that whoever had gone
after the rope would hurry back.
The man made us nervous
balanced up there the way he
was, likely to pitch over any
minute and break his meek.
The next case came in, then
q common, or tea-garden variety.
of sheik, picked up in the out
skirts Of Brightwood.
There was lot OF testimony,
and some evidence, and re-
blIttaI, and pleasant cross-exam-
nation, the sheik was convicted
the court said Thirty dolIars!'
the flashlight went bang! the
room was filled with blue blazeS
and smoke, and the sheik'S
sentiments were expressed as well
as he could have done it him.
self, probably.
He was hurrying to meet q
lady friend, he told the court.
Talk about woman's devotion.
She waited out front for him
from until IL o'clock. And
what a tight embrace she greeted
him with
Affectionate old gal, is Black
Maria.
If you start out this evening,
highly resolved to kick a hole
through the traffic law, you'd
better bring a bunch Of wadd'n'
along to stop it up with. Yellow
is the preferred color, but green
will do If you have enough of 1t.
Now here we are at the end Of
our column, and we haven't re-
ported q single, solitary case vet.
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