KinSource - Tale of the Week - Kick On The Pigs

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Daily Globe, July 13, 1895

KICK ON THE PIGS

THAT ARE ALLEGED TO RUN "BLIND" IN THE HAMLINE DISTRICT.

AN APPEAL TO THE MAYOR.

LIEUT. BUDY INDIGNANTLY DENIES CHARGES OF OFFICIAL NEGLECT.

A delegation of a dozen or more Hamline citizens dropped in on the mayor yesterday afternoon in a highly indignant state of mind. They came to renew their protest against the existence of blind pigs in their otherwise peaceful and highly moral hamlet. The presence of these institutions, so the speech-makers of the delegation informed his honor, was evidenced by the number of drunken men observed in the streets of the town. The citizens blamed the police for not closing the blind pigs, and declared that the police force in their district was not efficient.

This accusation met with hot resentment on the part of Lieut. Budy, of the Prior avenue station, who insisted that the police closed all blind pigs whenever they could secure evidence enough. For the past few weeks an officer in citizen's clothes has been at work trying to obtain evidence, but of late has not succeeded in detecting one of these institutions in operation.

Mayor Smith assured the Hamline delegation that he was as anxious as they were to close the blind pigs, and that the police had orders to be vigilant and active in ferreting out these places.

Note: A blind pig is a term for an illegal saloon.