KinSource - Tale of the Week - Police Court Melange

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Daily Globe, October 4, 1895, p. 2

POLICE COURT MELANGE.

Adventures of an Insured Minneapolis Man.

In the municipal court yesterday C. H. Barker, who was arrested by Officer Davis while trying to pawn a valise taken from a traveler near the union depot, was sent to a hotel where baggage is not required to gain admittance. The hospitable landlord of the Como house has arranged to entertain Mr. Barker in a second-story outside apartment, with bath, for the coming three months.

A. R. Eggleston, of Minneapolis, was fined $10. He had been drunk, but his excuse therefore was strictly modern and displayed the present tendency of life insurance to prove a blessing most thoroughly disguised. Mr. Eggleston, of Minneapolis, announced to his wife that he had just secured a paid-up policy on the remaining fragment of his mundane pilgrimage and in her favor. She laughed gently, looked up into his eyes, and in cooing, caressing, wifely accents, stated how nice it would be if he were dead. Mr. Eggleston, of Minneapolis, did not echo his darling's wish with an affectionate embrace. Being a man, and therefore a brute, he turned on his heel, as the hero does at the Bijou, went forth and became intoxicated. When intercepted at Merriam Park early yesterday morning Mr. Eggleston, of Minneapolis, had progressed as far as Merriam Park in his vain search for a wife who would take him for better or worse, but not for his life insurance.

Big Sam Hartley was fined $15 for striking William Hartley. Hartley had at one time been without occupation. He was kindly given a position by Mr. Hartley, who supervises the sacking of grain at an elevator. But like the thawed-out snake in the middle of Mr. Aesop's instructive book, Hartley enjoyed the gracious benefits of continued employment for one week, and then demanded money. His subsequent black eye indicated his employer's surprise.

Messrs. McNulty, Johnson and Peterson were involved in a painful doubt that was only solved by the payment of $10 each by the first two gentlemen. The doubt arose as to the amount due Mr. McNulty from the others for the hire of the McNulty barouche.