Evening star., 1936-08-06
GROWING CROWDS
|. At POLICE COURT
ADD TO HAZARDS
Lack of Adequate Space
Prevents Humane Treat
ment of Prisoners.
WORK ON NEW BUILDING
WILL START SEPT. |
Structure to Cost 81 500, ,000-Ex-
pected to Be Adequate for
100 Years.

Increasingly heavy business in Po-
lice Court is making it daily more diff
| flcult for officials to treat humanely
| the scores Of persons who are arrested
on one charge or another.
Officials do the best they can with
existing facilities, but look forward to
the construction of the new Police
Court building, which will be begun
about September /. Until the new
quarters are ready, they say, nothing
can be done.
Not only those unfortunates who
seemingly are unable to stay out of the
drunk" court, but the automobile
owners-'the better element" - are
jammed into the inadequate space.
When the new building-to be con-
structed on judiciary square at an es-
timated cost of Sl,5O0,OOO-is COM
pleted, the worries of the Police Court
judiciary will be over. 1t is estimated
that the new building, provided for by
an act passed by the last session Of
Congress, will be adequate for the next
100 years.
Built in 1907.
The present building was con-
structed in 1907 and originally was in
tended to house only two courts. With
the addition of more floor space. it now
is occupied by four courts, plus sew
eral additional Offices. In the years
since 1907, several Improvements have
been made to eliminate certain fire
hazards. Meanwhile other hazards
have arisen.
AS it stands now, the building is ad-
mittedly fire trap. All four judges
freely agree that if fire should break
out in the front of the building lives
would be endangered. They confess,
also, they are unable to do anything
about it.
There are two stairways down which
occupants of the building could escape
if a fire should break out-both of
them in the front Of the building. If
a fire should start in that section, all
seXit would be cut of. except the VIM
doWs, since there are no fire escapes
+ in accordance with District fire regu-
/ lationS. True. there is back STAIR
way where prisoners are brought into
the building for trial, but persons un-
familiar with them would not be able
to find their way out. Besides, these
stairs are cut off on each floor by doors
to prevent the escape of prisoners.
Exit Nailed Up.
! Until recently there was an extra
fire exit on the Sixth street side of the
building, but this was ordered nailed
up when it was discovered that court
attaches were slipping out this side en-
| trance to visit a delicatessen across
the street. Now attaches must use the
front entrance of the building at all
/ times.
! Through the shifting OF the various
/ courts several months ago, it was
hoped to provide additional space, O.
at least give more room for the courts
having the most cases. This, how
ever. caused condition with which
officials thus far have been unable t.
cope.
With the present arrangement, per-
sons who have TO be tried on the
/ fourth floor are taken from the cell
blocks on the second floor and paraded
through a packed court room, into
| the crowded halls and thence to the
fourth floor. During the past several
months the court has lost an average
| OF two prisoners a week as a result.
Last Monday, Robert Eady, colored,
/ who already had been sentenced to
serve more than 300 days in Jail on
| charges of assault and traffic viola
tions, was being returned to Traffic
Court for hearing on another charge,
decided he had seen enough of the
court and dropped out of line. Police
have broadcast lookout for him.
Established in 1870.
The Police Court of the District of
Columbia was established by act of
Congress June II, 1870. Since that
time it has been the ugly duckling of
District and Federal jurisprudence.
In the beginning the court was held
in dwelling. The first court room
was in the Kimmel house at 422 C
street.
Later, the District bought the old
Unitarian Church on the site where
the present building stands. This old
church was utilized as a court build
ing from 1875 until 1905 because
Congress would not appropriate money
for a new building. Even while the
new court building was being con-
structed between 1905 and 1907. the
| court had to shift for itself. Tenn
porary quarters we're taken in a dwell
ing on Fifteenth street where the
Commerce Department Building now
stands.
Conditions are worse on Monday
morning, when more than 1000 per-
sons are in the building at one time.
Anyone going through the halls must
elbow his way. Marshals and bailiffs
try to keep the halls cleared, but
there is no place for the people to
go except to the streets.
On Mondays as many as 200 persons
appear in the District branch of the
court alone. In the Traffic Court
more than 200 informations are
usually filed on Mondays. The United
States branch of the court usually
has more than 100 cases on the docket
for hearing on Monday. In addition
to this, from l to as many as Is
witnesses are involved in each case