The Deaf Dodge
A local drunkard tries to outsmart a judge by faking deafness, only to be tripped up by the prospect of a free drink.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Richard Kinkre, arraigned on the charge of drunkenness in police court to-day, hoped to escape punishment by playing what is called the deaf dodge. He said, 'I'm hard of hearing, your honor.' Judge Donahue comprehended the situation, and remarked, in an ordinary tone of voice, 'Will you take a drink, Dick?' An intelligent look lighted up the ruby countenance of the prisoner, his lips parted, and he was about to reply in the affirmative, when he suddenly recollected that he was an actor. Winking to the reporters, he said, 'I can’t hear you, Judge.' Richard was thereupon cast for the part of a recluse and transferred to the Ferry street play-house.
“An intelligent look lighted up the ruby countenance of the prisoner, his lips parted, and he was about to reply in the affirmative.”
The 'deaf dodge' remains a classic courtroom trope for those trying to evade justice. While the 'Ferry street play-house' was a colorful, mocking term for the city jail, the dynamic between a skeptical judge and a performative defendant remains a staple of our local municipal courts today.
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