Judge Mulqueen, of General Sessions, New York City, explained
why he had sentenced two prisoners to “go home and serve time
with their families.” This “punishment” was imposed when both
men pleaded drunkenness as their excuse for trivial offenses.
In the case of the first man, said the judge, the offense had
been assault. The prisoner, an employee of the Street Cleaning
Department, had a wife and five children to support, and had
already spent more than a month in the Tombs, waiting for his
trial.
“Now, to send such a man to jail,” continued Judge Mulqueen,
“would do decidedly more harm than good. He wasn’t a criminal. I
think he was penitent, and he promised to do as I said, to cut
out drink and attend to business.
“Still, his offense was a misdemeanor in the eyes of the law,
and I might have given him a year in the penitentiary and $500
fine, which usually means another year, since the men pay their
fines by working for the State. Instead of that, I placed him
on probation for a year.
“He must report once a week to the probation officer. Also,
he is watched, not suspiciously, but merely as a matter of
precaution. If he is caught entering a saloon--I warned him of
this--he will be punished. It’s simply giving him a chance to
make good.”
(2520)
See EXCLUSION FROM HEAVEN.
=Problems, Gaging=--See =Distance=.