Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13

render himself in anSWer to a hit-and-
run lookout" that had been broadcast
earlier in the day for a person W
ing his description. He stated he was
the person wanted.
There are probably no more blase
and sophisticated people on earth than
station clerks. This particular clerk
in question calmly and methodically
reached for his pen and started to
book" this young man, quite as If it
was a most ordinary occurrence.
I happened to be on duty preserve
duty in the station house on this par
ticular occasion, and I watched the
aforementioned incident. all eyes and
ears. 1t was about the first case Of its
kind I had ever witnessed.
Disappointed Expectancy.
There was one thing about it all that
impressed me perhaps more than any
other, and that was the air of disap-
pointed expectancy the young fellow
seemed to display. He seemed to resent
the very ordinary and matter of fact
manner with which he was being treat
ed. He was a typical young fellow,
about IS or 81, we'll dressed and, I
afterward learned, from a very good
family.
There was more than a touch of the
dramatic in the manner in which he
conducted himself while in the station
house. He, no doubt, had allowed his
offense to prey On his mind until he
imagined he was a veritable desperate.
His I'M seemed to say that he eX-
pected the various policemen Longing
around the station house to gather ex-
citedly around and point and stare at
him. saving meanwhile, Look! There
he is. That's the one we have all been
looking for. How calm and cool he is.
| Won't it be terrible on his people," etc.
No. doubt be expected the reporters to
burst in most any moment with pad
and pencil, as forerunners of the
screaming headlines that would follow
every detail of the case for days.
The station clerk very quickly fin
ished booking him and then he was led
back to the cell room in the usual rou-
tine manner.
My curiosity was excited by this time,
however. and I determined to have a
talk with the prisoner. I accordingly
secured the necessary permission and
went back to see what I could learn.
I found him very eager to talk. I
guess he was more afraid Of being left
alone or else totally ignored than he
was Of anything else.
I inquired first if he didn't want a
lawyer or bondSman. "Oh!" he replied,
never mind, thank you. I attended to
all that myself early this afternoon.
The fact is" he said, II expected my
bondsman to have been here already
and waiting for me-" did I under
stand you to say you had already re-
tanned a lawyer?" I asked him. Sure"
he replied, Il did that the very first
thing after I decided to give myself up
and that darn lawyer stuck me a
hundred bucks for a retainer fee. I
hated to pay it." he continued, "but
they say this lawyer I have is the best
there is in this kind of case. I've heard
he knows all the right people at court,
SO l guess he's worth the hundred
bucks"
Here, I decided, was no helpless young
fellow, nor did he appear to me to be
in need of any sympathy. He seemed
to be more like a general seated in his
tent, calmly and methodically planning
his battle.
Small Need Of Sympathy.
"Say," he broke in on my reflections,
they don't give you much of a deal
around here do they?" How do you
mean?" I asked him. why he said,
AAAAA v JO0 INV OlldU N1Clh dCRCu
out there? He didn't pay any more
attention to me than if 1 were offering
to put up collateral for overtime parking
or something"
You don't want to let that fool you,"
I sootned, because they were all very
much excited when you came in, but
they have schooled themselves to never
show emotion under any circumstances.
Why" I assured him, were a murderer
to walk in right now and shot one
OF them-the others would disarm and
arrest him in the most reserved fashion.
A good policeman never shows emotion
I told him.
just then, however, to my great cha
grin, a terrible emotion broke out among
policemen stationed up front. There
were cries and the sound of running
feet, and scufing. my goodness"
gasped the prisoner, turning pale, what
has happened?" ooh" I explained.
that is only the waiter from the restau-
rant next door arriving with some hot
coffee for the policemen on reserve
duty
Why" I asked him, did you leave
without stopping when you struck that
child today?" We'll" he said. that
IS the very question I have been ask
ing myself all day. I have never ap-
proved Of such things" he continued.
land have always deSpised people who
could act so rotten. I guess the main
reason / gave myself up was because
| c didn't want to have to consider myself
as belonging to that class"
The accident really wasn't my fault"
he said. II was coming down c avenue
when it happened, and I was really
travelling at a very moderate pace. In
fact. I don't believe I was going much
more than Is miles an hour, and just
as I reached the corner of M street,
this Kid darted in front of me. Well.
I slammed on the brakes and slid all
four wheels, but it didn't do much good.
You see I was already too close 20 him.
When l hit him he rolled a short way in
front OF me, and alittle to one side. I
was never so scared in all my life" he
continued, 81 just couldn't seem to get
my mind focused properly after that.
My first thought was to get out and see
now bad the kid was hurt, but when
/ opened the door to step out. I noticed
there was no n around and that there
wasn't a car in sight. Once I got the
Idea TO run 1t seemed almost to over
power me. I jumped back In the car
and was tearing away from there almost
before I realized what I was doing. I
would never have done it." he declared.
IF / had stopped to think, because I
had hardly gotten well away when I was
desperately sorry. I could scarcely
keep from rushing back" Here he hest
tated and choked up a bit. and con-
tinued, Il know yo'l will think I am a
rotter. but I sure felt awful bad about
how that little fellow looked lust after
I hit him. I got a glimpse of his face
as he Law there. and he looked so white
and kind of pitifrl. He wa just about
the size of my kid brother at home. I
was never so glad to hear anything in
my life as I was to learn that he isn't
hurt so bad and that he will be up
and around again in a few weeks. !
have never been arrested before in my
life" he declared, land I am certainly
going to let this be a lesson to me-"