Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-11


u. S. ATTORNEY BUCKNER.
into the war. the governors of New
York granted q total of 1,072 pardons,
combinations. reservations to citizen
ship and respites.* In the decade from
1916 to the close of last year the gov
ernors Of New York granted 1881 such
considerations. This is an increase Of
ITO per cent.
A comparison by five.year periods
shows steady growth in the tendency
to set aside sentences passed by Grim
inal courts. From 1900 to 1904 there
were 571 such cases. The figure
dropped to $50 in the next five years,
but from 1910.1914 it leaped to sos.
From 1914 to 1919 it reached 1892.
with high-water mark of 1.342 in the
Ave years just ended.
Pardons Increased.
While Charles E. Hughes was gov
ernor, between 1907 and 1910, he
granted a total of 161 pardons. COM
mutations, restorations to citizenship
and respites. During four years OF
Gov. Smiths administration. 1919.
1920. 1928 and 1924, this figure had
been increased to 1909 a growth Of
almost 1000 per cent.
Figures compiled by the secretary of
State of New York also illustrate the
laxness with which criminal laws are
were 632 convictions for homicide in
New York State and Y executions.
From 1915 to 1919 there were 706 con-
victions, but executions had dropped
to 40.
In the five-year period ending last
year, homicide convictions increased to
72S and 81 men were executed. In
1924 81 men were convicted Of first
degree murder. but only were exc
cuted.
The business of giving bail bonds in
criminal actions is undoubtedly re-
sponsible for greater and more deeply
penetrating corruption in the admins
tration of criminal justice than any
other existing factor.
A few years ago a bail bond Of
$4,000 was accepted as the standard
in most cases of burglary and robbery
involving violence. While 1t continues
to be so, the pressure on judges to
impose higher bail is growing. and
$4,000 bail bonds are now not un-
usual. The result Of this is that the
suspects overhead is five times what
it was several years ago.
Bonus Demands for Bail.
The legal rate for bail bonds Is 3
per cent. That is the legal rate, but a
crook in need of bail is not inclined
to insist on all his legal rights. He is
usually called upon to pay a bonus to
the bondsmen. Sometimes when COM
petition Is very keen this rate is cut
but not often. 1t generally figures
out much higher
The bail bond industry thrives &C.
lively in the vicinity of the magis-
trates' courts and not far from most
police station houses. Wherever you
see the sign of shyster lawyer en-
gagged in practice In the petty crimt-
nal courts you are sure to find the
Single of a professional bondsman.
A professional bondsman is a wise
guy" ''
He knows his New York. He
knows the two worlds, the upper and
the lower He knows the politicians
and the police. He reads the papers.
He maintains a speaking acuuaint-
ance with judges. assistant district
attorneys, magistrates and the celeb
rites in the Police Department
The professional bondsman knows
his business from the ground up. He
is an affable. friendly type generally.
except when 1t comes to business. A
pawnbroker rarely makes a mistake.
but a professional bondsman makes
even fewer. The mistakes the av-
erage bondsman makes in a year can
be counted on the fingers OF one
hand.
Available at AL Times.
When it comes to business. the
average bondsman who turks in the
shadows of the police and magis-
trates courts and district attorneys
office adopts the motto, Safety first!"
He Is swell dresser" alert, furtive
and vigilant. His business card is
easily obtainable around any. court
Or police station. The professional
crook and the crooks lawyer know
where their favorite bondsmant Is to
be found at any hour Of the day or
night. and the bondsman is quickly
on the job.
Fifty of the leaders engaged in the
bonding business handle on an av-
erage of cases a day. AS some Of
the bonds written by them run as
high as $40, 900. their profits can be
imagined Their legal fee calls for
3 per cent, which, on the basis of
$40. 900. works out to a $1,000 profit.
The original outlay of an arrested
crook calls for $500 down on $40, 900
bond, plus extras" In many In
stances the lawyers who make a prac-
tice of protecting criminals cooperate
with the bondsmen on a percentage
basis. They call it a cut" If law
yer gets hold of a crook first. he makes
arrangements with his cooperating
bondsmen. If the bondsman get there
first. he turns the crook over to his
lawyer friend.
80 Business Organized.
Before prohibition supplying bail
bonds was a profitable side line Of the
corner saloonkeeper, who co-operated
with district leaders Of political or
possessing influence with
the Judge Now the bonding bust
ness has been taken over by organized
companies or by citizens who own
taxable property. There have been
instances where a man with $4,000
equity in real estate assessed at
SIC, 900 supplied bail bonds for half a
dozen men at the same time. The
trading assets usually
his bar and the furnishings
of his back room.
Before the recent reforms were &C
the practice OF releasing
prisoners on bail Immediately after
arrest was much more general than
at present. If a prisoner is arrested
when the magistrates courts are
closed, he is taken to the Tombs. Then
his lawyer, accompanied by the bonds
man, hunts up a magistrate or judge
at the latter's home and sometimes on
the golf links, with the result that the
arrested crook is shortly released.
"Incidental expenses involved in
these activities sometimes run as high
as 10 per cent Of the bail bond.
BailJumping Declines.
OF course. the bondsrnan must have
some security. This he gets from the
prisoners friends or relatives. II the
latter do not have the cash handy.