The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-27
MAGISTRATES COURT
BY MARTIN BANK

IT is recess and people gather In
little knots outside the court
house. They talk, discuss some of
the mornings cases, and leave. But
always a few groups remain. They
still have work to do. They are the
wise guys" the politicians turnkey,
the lawyers runner. the bondsman's
weasel, the crap artists. Like boils
on a pigs belly they cling to the
court, thriving on the misery Of un-
fortunate, helpless people. They are
willy, pawky, fat, shifty babes Of the
Tammany brood. Prominently pinned
on their coat lapels are election but
tons featuring the bullish phiz Of
the mayor. Their teeth are clamped
into stubby cigars. They talk
through obhquely slanted lips, gang
ster style, They talk about Tammany
intrigues, ward heelers, judges with
bendable judgments in hushed,
eonspirstorial tones. Occasionally a
few turn from their huddie to spit.
On the sidewalk, around each group.
are yellow gobs Of phlegn and pools
OF brown spittle.
Here's one henehman who can get
certain case quashed for Fifty
bucks. He is tall, and from his
bumped shoulders his red face juts
forward. Foam drools from the cor
ners Of his mouth as he tells you
how he does it. IBIS "clients" are dips
(pick-pocketS), petty larceny crooks,
pimps and that ilk.
why it's easy, man." he explains
with nasal gusto. "All do is call up
Reilly, All Reilly does is call up Too
mey, saying-Toomey. that judge
now sitting in the Magistrates Court,
who is he responsible to?' And he
gets the guys name, see. And when
he gets 1t, everything's jake. Be
cause then Toomey says to him, Lis
ten, tell that judge to quasl1 so and
SOS case see. And sire as you're
born, it's quashed. Now amt that
worth fifty bucks, I ask you?"
GO, many cases which seemed to
y have been heard, pondered over,
wrestled with, and decided upon by
the Judge, have actually been tried"
by a politicians phone call. The
itchy palms Of graft magically twist
gtGlty defendants free, and, where it
suits the purpose, convict the inno-
cent. Behind the scene yerdicts are
numerous, more numerous than any
person not familiar with cur courts
can ever suspect. Trials seem to run
so smoothly, the judge labors with
such stern diligence, that it seems al
most impossible to believe someone
has forced him to make a decision
even before all the facts Of the case
have been rendered. Yet there, in
the very courtroom, 1t is possible to
procure man with the necessary
connections in the network of cor
ruption, and to buy pre-trial YER
dict.
Another fellow, the bondsman's
weasel, preys upon those who need
money for bail. Always he Is ready
to pounce upon victims and soak
them exorbitant fees. This one deals
only with prostitutes. He has fur
tive, tufnpy eyes. Pinp1es dot his
long pale face. His clothes are natty,
cut in Broadway style. His necktie
Is tight around the collar, making
q rim Of flesh lap over.
Why OF course we gotta soak the
wlaores," this weasel says. They're
a risk. The bitches run out on you
He is lying, and if you manifest
that you believe he is, the weasel
squirms fiabbily. But you can't Inn
press him with facts that disprove
his statements. He is too degenerate.
Records show that prostitutes sell
dom Jump bail. For that reason bail
is set at a very low figure by the
court. But the weasers reason for