KinSource - Tale of the Week - The Police Clearing House

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Daily Globe, July 19, 1884, page 2

THE POLICE CLEARING HOUSE.

A Few Vags and Small Criminals Taken Care Of.

What a crazy old footstool is this, my masters. When the heart is young how does hope blossum on every tinselled toy invented by the father of sin to tempt man; how alluringly set forth are the sweets and pleasures, and how cunningly lurks the thorn under the roses. If a man could see the grinning death's head under the curled pate of beauty, how he would give the racket the go by.

It was the same old song and dance in the police court again yesterday. Nothing but feverish brows, sore hearts and swelled heads, for with the whiskey sour and the gin fizz come the dry rot and hot copper. And how they do squirm on the toasting fork.

The speckled daisies and golden-hearted butter cups were just commencing to show their modest heads in the spring time when Mr. Kennedy made love to a German gretchen with rosy cheeks and plump form named Mary Ehrke. There were star lit nights then and the moon was silent, and the hope of Mary was finer than an eighteen caret gold wedding ring. Now alas, the hope is turned to pewter and all the signs have failed but one - while the moon has turned to green cheese and the stars are tallow dips. For their love has failed and the thorn, my children, is all that is left to her heart of the springtime hope. He was before the court yesterday and Mary trembled as she explained how he promised to marry her, and how she yielded. Maybe they will fix it up. At any rate the hearing was continued a week and he is held in the sum of $500.

Wm. Stanton and Richard Winston will be remembered as the brace of knaves who robbed a poor girl named Susan Stowell on the train. Winston tried to escape from the officer, and the latter put a head on him, that confined him to the hospital for several days. He appeared in the court room yesterday with his head in a bandage and feeling quite sore. Winston pleaded guilty, and was sent up for ninety days, his pal being sent out of the city.

John La Ford, one of the young highwaymen who attacked Wm. King, the young German, near Oakland Cemetery, and robbed him of his watch, was arraigned on the charge of larceny, and the hearing was continued until today.

James and Thomas Shanley are brothers. Last Thursday Jim got drunk, and while sleeping off the booze Thomas robbed him of his watch. Yesterday they were before the court, and James was sent out for ten days to sober up, his brother being ordered to skip out of the city.

Chas. R. Webster, a tony looking sprig, and Burt McCardy, his pal, were up for vagrancy. The latter was sent out of the town, and the case of the dude was continued until today, as the police think they may call the turn on him.