Smyrna times., 1938-08-18

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bath SO she'll find everything cosy.
Ordinarily cases heard in magis-
trates' courts in New York are dull
and drab. Street fights. Family
battles. Drunks. Petty thieves. A
procession usually of the broken and
disheartened. Glimpses of currents
that flow beneath the surface of ur-
ban life. Occasionally there is var
iation. Bits that bring smiles. For
instance. Scotty Mckay. He was
up on disorderly conduct charge.
A policeman had found him ped
ding rings on Eighth avenue near
Forty-first street. Scotty admitted
that his rings cost him only Is cents
each and that he sold them for so.
His method was simple. He mere
ly pretended to be drunk Thus
those approached thought that as he
was under the weather, they could
take advantage of him. Despite
Scotty's knowledge of psychology,
the magistrate sent him to the work
house for five days.
Then that case of Leo Marmor
over in Brooklyn. He ordered pas
sengers on B. M. T. elevated train
to stop their reading because he in
tended to stand first on the right
side Of his face. Then on the left
side. As a finale to his act, he
purposed standing on his nose. For
reward, he didn't want pennies. He
wanted nickels and dimes. They
weren't to be thrown on the car floor
as he wouldn't pick them up. He
gave his performance as advertised.
But he received no silver. Among
the spectators was B. M. T. spe-
cial officer. In court il was shown
that Marmor had been arrested a
number Of times by B. M. T. officers,
so summer viii be over before he's
a free man again.
We're there no restrictions, night
court would be crowded at every
session. There are those who look
on night court as a show of thrill
ing interest. On occasions. I have
to cover night court cases. Other
wise would never go there. 1t is
show. A show Of human misery.
Broken lives. The dark side Of the
great city. Most of the cases are
regarded as petty. But to many of
those involved they are tragedy.
And in spite Of years Of newspaper
work, I'm inclined to take the view
of those involved. So I stay away
from night court as much as pos
sible.
Just one incident to show why l
feel as they do: "A tall, erect, dig
nified old man. A small shriveled,
weeping old woman. He had come
home drunk and had beaten her.
He admitted the charge. He was
sorry. Sincerely sorry. As he voiced
his regrets, he tried to put his arm
around his wife. She pushed him
away. The magistrate suspended
sentence on the old mans promise
to leave drink alone. But the couple
did not leave court together. The
wife walked swiftly ahead. And as
she hurried down the aisle, with Gu
rious eyes on her, she muttered,
Married forty years Forty
years together and I have to
bring him into court"
Let's be bit more cheerful. Max
ing change, opening and shutting
doors, helping old ladies with their
parcels, answering dumb questions
and driving bus about the size of
a house doesn't leave the man at the
wheel with much chance for a sense
Of humor. But proof came when an
old lady asked the driver of Madi-
son avenue bus if he stopped at
the Waldorf.
mo, lady" he replied. II have
a little fat up in the Bronx"
Speaking of living-rooms, the one
in the apartment Of Lucille Man
ners contains a piece Of yellowed
parchment that is cherished greatly
by the blond singer because it is
linked with the glorious past. In
fading script, it is inscribed. In
remembrance CT Jenny Lind" Miss
Manners found her priced souvenir
Of the Swedish Nightingale in an
out-of- -the-way antique shop.
Vera Sellwood came to New York
from Bristol, Va.-Where, I'm in
formed, some Of the prettiest girls
in the world live or go TO school
to study art On her arrival, she
found a position as an artists mod
ell. That led to commercial photog-
raphy and then to fashion work.
From modelling. she went to the
Paradise where she is one of the
highest-paid show girls in the coun-
try. And she hasn't found time as
yet for art studies.
Just to keep this from being an