The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-02-16
a TEMPEST IN 4 TEA POT.
The Charges Against the City Marshal ana
the Police of Ottawa.

newspapers in general, and dreadtullS weak
parody on d,tljeS in particular, which Is called
Tile Otara Dotily TjneS-a sort of cross between
a gutter snipe and last years almanac. This
''what-is-it' is edited (eXcusc the tcrm-we mean
scissored and pasted) by one Ednattngcr, who
once had some sort of responsibility of position
as "loca" on the Joliet Republcan, but since then
naturally grayitated to the lower level of Il SnideI
newspaper dodge, by which he ckes out II wretch
ed subsistence. Trying to ape the style of daiies
in larger cities, where sensations naturally turn
M every twcnty-fOur hours he attempts the I'M
possible feat of mating them occur here from day
to day. as needed and often is put 10 his last
trump to get the scmblancc of an astonishingI
item. Hence it is that mere accident, such as
Il dog fight street scufllc, or gentleman n lit
tie beery, is bruitcd in his Times, in bold TYPE
bristling with "astonishcrs," rs "a liorr-ibleI
Occurrencc,!n" "A Damnablc Outrage" &c.
Seeking to create sale for its 2-cent fraud upon
a gulibe few by cheap and foundationlcss sensa-
tons, it lately made an onslaught upon City Mar
shall Harris and Officers Riordan and Brennan Of
the city police force On the 4th of February III
published what its wiseacrc of the pastcpot called
IAN Open Lcttcr!''-such rs the leader of some
political party would hurl at some statesman of
opposite views touching affairs of church or state.
This open letter" was composed of series of
charges against the Marshal and Police Force, as
stated, presented in loose, disjointcd, vague and
uncertain way being more remarkable for mys-
terious hints than direct and positive allegations.
At first the Council felt disposed to treat it with
silent contempt, as Il -womans TRADE, or
as of no value or moment; but finally, lest the.
ignorant or unadyised might thereby draw a
wrong conclusion, a committee was appointed to
investigate the subject and report. This com
mittec, consisting of Aldermen {. 5. Phelps Jno.|
Hoban and A. NJ. Trmblc met at the City Hall
on Friday last, at q! O'Clock =. NJ, TO hear the
complaint and take the testimony of such wit
nesscs as might be produced on either side; and
to take down rapidly and preserve the samcJ. q.
Armstrong was employed TO take full note, dur
ing the examination. To give the testimony I'M
full would he impossible, and besides much of III
was OF no value whatevcr-a mere mass of unccr-I
tainties, hcarsays, suppositons and rubbish, such.
AS no court of law would tolerate a moment.
Over Is witnesses had been subpTnacd 10y Nat
finger, and large crowd OF men and boys had
assembled around the doors of the Hall, attracted
only by curiosity The committee, aware that
not onetcnh of those in waiting could get stand
ing room in the council room, directed that the
door be closed. But Nattingcr came up with ~
fierce protest, demanding open doors and the
privilege of having an attorney The committed
decided to hear the testimony with closed doors,
but to allow not only to Nattingcr but To the ac-
cuscd an attorney of their own choosing. Nat
finger appeared with T.. y. Lewis rs his attorney,
and the defence with Bull, and the machine be
gan to grind.
THE NASH CASE.
On Friday night, Feb. lst Rev. b. +. NashsI
dwelling was entered by burglar and about $40
worth of provisions, jewclry, Nc., taken. Next
morning he tracked the dcprcdator from near his
house to the burglars "rooSt" Mr.. y. came
down town and got warrant before Esquire
Smith. They started to hunt up an officer; met
Ed. Swift, who volunteered to find Harris. Swift.
took walk around the square; did not find Har-
rs, and gave the warrant back to Smith, when
they discovered Harris coming up Madison st.
smith gave Harris the warrant-Earris telling
Smith that he had been ordered 10y the Council
TO make preparations for Alderman Jacksons
funeral, such as draping the hall inside and out,
procuring badges for the aldermen and city off
GERS and notifying them all to be present at the
funeral, and that he had not time to attend to
this warrant. He took it, however, sayin" he
would do the best he could-would try and get
some one 10 serve il. After trying Constable
Michael Riordan, who just going on the
train, and John Paul, Simon and others, he gave
it to Dan. Tucker, who thought he could get
away to serve it, But Tucker was detained TO
wait on the jury longer than hc thought, and
hadn't been able to go, when Nash came and rot
the warrant at about > o'clock, saying tina; il
then too late. But n it turned out that this was
Il states warrant, addressed "To any sheriff or
constable" &c. Harris, marshal, had no pow
or to serve it, and aS constable the council have
no Jurisdiction over him. So-thus ended this
charge.
JOHN CABINS CASE.
Some time last fall some Of Ottuwa's Young
candidates for the pcnitcntiary smashed in some
If the windows of John Carlin'. saloon ON the
west side. Carlin got out a warrant for one of
them named Patterman. before Justice Lcavcns,
and left II with him to hand to Harris. He didn't
tell Harris where the boy was, and that nimblc
youth was reported to have skipped to Iowa.
Peter Meyers heard that Patterman was at Peter.
Egaus livery stable at work, hut IIarri, couldn't
lind him, and officer Brcnuan's brother reported
having seen Pattermau in Iowa.
JACOB GLEIM'~ CA>E.
Three boys-Lvnch. Wilson and this same Pat
tcrman-broke in a window light at Gleim's "a
loon about the same time He got out states
warrant Harris was instructed not to arrest one
without all, and ~ Lynch and Patternan had
gone to Iowa before lie got the warrant, he ar
rested none Of them, but it was a state warrant.
hence Harris had nothing to do with It a- mar
shal.
"DICK' DAILY's ARREST.
some time ago Dick Daily aud II. \. Shulcr