"BLACK MONDAY."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 91, 10 January 1908, Page 8

"BLACK MONDAY."

A POLICE COURT SKETCH. ' "Black Monday ( " disni3hand: foreboding,' dawns at tho Polico Court apprehensive cotorio of Saturday, night xevollers. For. them, or a number of them,thc~ future is dark and hopeless. The long:arm-.of-,tho-law at. one fell swoop has gathered them in.. ;It is 10. o'clock, and . the delinquents are horded together in a small room; leading off the main Court." Thoro sits repontanco'in sackCloth and ashes, yonder .philosophic ro-. signation under a halo "of; peaceful calm.. In the.' distance rages ■ impotent:-wrath': still in., the'cells, but to bo coolcd on : the morrow, wlion: more sobor by the. icy dicta of tho presiding -'magistrate; -.'(■'•"Silence-!" An. expootant '-calm-*pervades,'tho : Court,, and tho Magistrate■ takes his seat on the Bench.: The Court is . opened:'-. Sympathetic "interest, - porf. haps; but curiosity; >moro likely, lias drawn . hither a. gathering of - idlers, who crowd behind the rail .at the . people's end-of the their physiognomies a field of study- for the psychologist.Legal luminaries', salvors .of: the. dorolictsj-.sit at, small tablos in -the' bodv.- of ■ the Court,' waiting tho appearance of their olionto.' Reporters, pen-, cil in 'hand,; prepare to expose-to tho public eye the misadventures,o.f';tno\di^nquent, and. broad-shouldered-policemen 'idej lithe ••''t)lueness':' ;of the-scene < <. "Michael-O'.Kerry'' * , ;^.^licemai(--stridess' door, of '.'the anto-roomvand indicates;:tOvMiohao) that, bis presence ' is' required inV l thd j :Court';T.-and:that. gentlomaili'.' a-sorry-looking.i: snocimcn of . humanity,- snuffles :• into \ tho^Court;,' and 13 pushed into the dock , TheCloirk; of the' Court rises,. and reads out ;a short' indictment from.;an .ommouslooking blue sheet,valid,'.by;-the;time lie has rushed, through the charge,' the .subject", of thp romarks realises-.that: the. speech was for liis particular enlightenment; and he has not hoard. a'word of it. •- "I-le,'is "a -little, bit deaf,"- says 'the Sub-Inspector, addressing the Bonch and advancing: on the ■ prisoner in the dock, to-whom ho shouts, "His Worship wishes to know-whether you-plead guilty or not guilty." A gleam of intelligence lights up .tho prisoner's-eyes, and.lie replies with a wan smile,-."Shuro' oi. wa's toight, sor:" "Guilty, yoiir Worship,"- raps -Out the Clerk of tho Court, and "Ten. sliijlliigs,.; in default 48 hours," is the Magistrate's laconic comment, as ho inscribes ,the-Sfintonfcfc-'in the Court, register.- Michael Stands dowu, and, retires.to" the ante-room ■tfi-'-arrange -his obligations; : and then follows;a• quiok procession; ...- -'v '',' ■■' -■-'• ■ ■■' '■ ; jTho procedure is brief. ■ : A -nahie is called, .the. offonfce described, the plea responded, judgment delivered—exit. -. The frolic ■ may have lasted.) hours,, but the • reckoning is brief.' This! one aspect . t of judicial procedure, is some{imes;.amusing,,Jsrimetimes 'tragic, and at all times an occasion for thfe moralist and the-unrcgenefato to, ponder over. .