Americana: Costly Breaks

People who live in times of rapidly rising prices shouldn't throw stones. New Yorker Patrick McCarthy, 58, knows that when he is sober. But when he has a tipple or two, he tends to have an urge to toss a rock through a window and then waits patiently to be arrested. In 26 years he has broken at least 44 panes and, as a result, has spent about ten years in jail on misdemeanor charges. Neither psychiatrists nor specialists at a federal alcoholism center have been able to help him.

Last week, when McCarthy was brought to trial for his 16th rock attack on his favorite target, the revolving front doors of New York City's federal courthouse, he found that his pastime no longer comes cheap. Repairing the door now costs more than $100, which makes his action a felony under U.S. law. Said his lawyer: "Mr. McCarthy finds himself the victim of inflation, Your Honor." Said McCarthy: "I'll never drink again." Said the judge: "Three years."