Year: 1870

OLD LAWS AND MODERN INSTANCES STRAW


BAIL Casa SHAMEFUL AFFAIR-ALDERMEN


AND ALDERMEN's oFFIcEs--A SCENE ON WALNUT


sTREET-A NOVEL ARREsT-JUsT1cE FOR BE-


dINNERS.


Special Correspondence Of The Commercial.


PHILADELPHIA, September I'd.


Talk of municipal corruption and mismanage-
ment is 30 common that anything said upon the
subject runs the danger of being without either
force Or novelty. Laying aside the consideration
that officials may be improperly influenced in
their actions there is still the fact that the affairs
of corporations are not governed in the same
direct and logical manner as those of individuals.
Everybody's business is nobody's business.
wise old saw" with plenty and to spare Of
"modern instances"


Take this Straw Bail Case, OF which the papers
are so full just now, for an example. An
ingenious individual breaks into safe in the U.
S. Paymasters office, and but for a triaing acci-
dent would have got away with funds sufficient
to have kept him rolling in afiiuence for the
balance of short but merry life. The thief
was captured, however, and it was believed
comfortable slice out of that otherwise frivolous
existence would be spent in some honorable
industrial pursuit under firm, but not unwhole-
some surveillance. That was the hope; the
fulilment, as generally happens, was otherwise.


Up comes tho thief for preliminary hearing.
Properly speaking, up il brought the thief, but
this is too serious matter to quibble over.
Recorder Given hears the case, and demands
bail. Out steps very respectable individual,
who says he is good for any amount, and who
believes Mr.. Thief has been imposed on shame-
fully by policemen and other witnesses. Mr..
Recorder, without examining the respectable
individual in the slightest without taking the
trouble to ascertain whether he is indeed good
for any amount, or whether, AZ the fact proves
afterward. he is not simply as great rogue as
the thief himself, accepts the bail. That is the
end. Nearly 3d. at least for the discovery, when
the case was called few days later, that baior
and bailee had alike fled to parts unknown, was
quite to have been expected.


have thus briefly retold this little story for
one reason only. That is, to give point to my
question. Where is the manufacturer, the mer-
chant, who would do business in this loose way?
When country merchant comes to city iobber
to buy bill of goods, what does the city man
do? All men know, except Recorders and
Aldermen, and need not trouble you with an
answer. The youngsters who sell the COMMERCIAL
have better ideas of business


People are alternately sarcastic and indignant
over this affair. 1t is perhaps even better to
have Justice with her bandage just little re-
moved than to have her as awfully and stupidity
blind as this comes to.


One is naturally led here to speak of the many
and frequent complaints made against the quail
ty of the Justice administered by our city alder
men. Charges of corruption have been openly
made, and no one has gainsaid them The Of
fees themselves are very often headquarters of
all sorts of suspicious characters-such gentry
as we might in our innocence suppose would
make an Office of justice the last possible place
for rendezvous


Speaking of this, and before l go further let
me give you ''scene before the alderman"
yesterday afternoon. 1t was 'before" him in
one sense at least inasniuch as it transpired in
the street, Immediately in front of his Office.
This office is not thousand miles away from
Sth and Walnut streets, and no other preface
than that il needed.


The pavement and steps Of this place were
flledyesterday afternoon with wretched looking
gang. Red faced men, with huge, black, dyed
mollstaches, showing the gambler and roper
in" in every move, made up the crowd.
Public spirited citizens, who were
formerly active in the bounty business and who
have, since the country has settled into its
in the less profitable, but equally reputable, oc-
cupation of whiskey gambling. The signs hung
out by these gentry are unmistakabe by any one
acquainted in the least with city life.


A stop thief. stop thief! was the startling cry
heard in front of the oclie havo indicated.
There were quick hurrying to and fro then of
course, and the red faced crowd was as lively as
hive of disturbed bees. Looking over from an
opposite corner now saw furious race IN pro-
gres down Walnut street. One OF the Ex-Boun-
ty Brokers was hot foot after another of the
tribe. Soon lie caught hin and then they had
rough and tumble fight. Pretty soon again, and
when spectators were beginning to scatter for
fear of pistol shots, these precious pigeons ap-
peared to have made up, their quarrel, and ira
ternally entered the Alderman's office, brushing
their clothes and hats, and vowing like the dutch
man at the ball that it was all a mistake"


All this time there was villainous looking
crowd about the place. But for tho sign display
ed one would have taken it for tavern, rather
than sober and decorous court of law. Some
people may say too much stress is laid upon this
incident, and except that two rowdes escaped
arrest, for fighting in the street, no great harm
was done. But others will surely think with me
that the harboring of such characters in places
OF such high trust, is calculated to have a most
demoralizing effect on good politics and good
government.


The Aldermanic interest is also concerned in
the narrative that follows. A colored servant
girl in fashionable Spruce street boarding
house. was accused few days ago of stealing
from the room Of one of the inmates, q diamond
pin. Other parties in the house believed the
girl to be innocent, but that point, although It
| may somewhat concern her, is OF no especial M
| tererest to u.s.. The person who lost the pm,
after charging the girl with the theft and upon
| her denying the same, enrolled on his own ac-
| count the services of ward constable to act in
| the double part of Grand lnqusitor and Justice
Of the Peace. The Constable upon hearing the
story of the Jcweless party, first consulted with
| the Alderman of his Ward and then proceeded
| to examine the girl.


| Again that unfortunate colorel maiden denied
| the impeachment. Whereupon, the constable
| said he must arrest her. This he did you must
| understand Incredible as it may seem. That
| ill-starred, dark skinned person was forthwith
| locked up, and she yet remains locked up
This improvised court OF Justice was held in the
afternoon when there was nobody at home bu


the women folks who supposed it was all righ


and who were duly impressed with the rigor ant
solemnity of the law. When the gentlemer
came in to dinner there was row. One of thu
boarders with more energy than the rest, huntet
up the Alderman to find what were the facts o


the case.


The worthy in question admitted the arrest, bu


said it had been done aDiti0ut a irurrdnt. Ill


had talked it over with the constable and ha,


told that Inquisitsr that there would be no oh
lection to the party's arrest, or something 0


that sort neither, it appeared, had there beel


any examination of any OF the individual
concerned.


aloud and perhaps with triiling embellishments
7 -"Well, commend me, to back woods justic


and the vigilance committees rather than I


city Aldermen" The above story has not ye
been printed in the Philadelphia papers. Whe
l it is, you may expect the customary howl-but


will do no good. give you the first hack at i
| In fact it is sort OF secret but am sure yo
will let it go no further. INDEX.


Another Rnilrond Enterprise.


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