Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1371

Carbon of a letter from Heath to Presiding Justice, Traffic Court, Police Building, Fayette Street and Fallsway, Baltimore, Maryland

March 24, 1941

 

                   En re: Book No. 8366

Summons No. 26

License No. 337871

Dear Sir:

This letter is in response to a summons placed in my car on March 13th just as I was leaving for New York City.

Passing through Baltimore on my way from Elkridge, it was necessary for me to stop a few moments for some business with the Assistant Librarian at the Enoch Pratt Library. I drove along Franklin Street and along Cathe­dral Street, carefully observing the warning signs. When I came to the corner of Saratoga Street, I saw several cars parked against the southern curb. There being no warning signs within sight on Saratoga Street, I turned west for a short distance in the block, entering an alley in the south, turned around, and placed my car between two others on the south curb, believing that this was a proper place to leave it briefly for any legitimate business at the library. Returning in about twenty-five minutes, I found the summons above referred to, and con­tinued my traveling to New York. Before leaving, however, I examined the block carefully to see if there were any warning signs which I had failed to observe. I discovered such a sign about the middle of the block about half the distance to Park Avenue.

It was my expectation to return to Baltimore in about a week, but now that I will be detained up here beyond the date set in the summons, I find it necessary to commun­icate with you in the manner of this letter. If you will kindly have the clerk advise me of the penalty to which I must submit for my unwitting violation of the law, I will endeavor to purge myself by an appropriate remittance.

Please address me in New York City at the Town Hall Club, as above, or care of the Woodstock Hotel (127 West 43rd Street) adjoining.

Very truly yours,

Spencer Heath SH:ML