Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-02
ARREST OF MR. RUFUS BROWN.
SO Pound StOvc-griddle-AR Rough
Joke on MIR. Brown, and not "a
Small one on POLICEMAN GrOnam.

Mr. Rufus Brown is citizen of our neigh
boring town of Colchester where he own.
and cutivatcs a few acres of land. Mrs
Brown having left him for ''better land
in which there are no cooking stoves, Mr.
Brown takes care of his little family OF
children and his place as best he can with
his moderate stock of wits. The Other
day the largest griddlc to his kitch
en- stove gave out, and Mr.. Brown
knew no other way than to get a
new one cast and that there might be
no mistake about it, he thought best to take
to the foundry something which should just
fit the hole, and serve in rough way for a
pattern of the thing he wanted. Having
nothing thinner than IA piece of two-inch
plank about his place for the purpose, he used
that, and with much outlay of elbow grease
sawed AMI worked out circular piece of the
proper diameter. This he took to the foun-
dry at Wnooski. and informing MIR. Ed
wards that that was the pattern of the piece
he wanted, perhaps without sufficient ex.
PLANTATION that it was such only as regarded
size and not as regarded thickness,
left it TO be reproduced in solid
metal. Mr.. Brown went for his griddle
last Saturday. and found to his CONSERVATION
that lie was the owner of n griddlc fifteen
inches in diameter, trO inches thick, and
weighing about sixty pounds Some men
would have left the casting for the founder
to get his pay out of it in old iron; but MIR
Brown is not as sharp as the average Yankee,
and having ordered the griddlc thought he
must take it, So he sadly drew his wallet
and paid for iii and being on foot and un.
able to lug such chunk of cast iron, he Dor
rowed piece of rope, which he attached to
his acquisition and towed it behind HIM
over the icy sidewalks Having an err
rand in this city he came round this
way home, and soon attracted the
gaze of II viglant policeman who
could see nothing in the shufiing and
shabby customer before him but tramp,
making off with hydiaut-cover Mr..
Browns protestatons that the casting was
his own and not city property that ii was
part OF his stove and not of the waterworks /;
that he had got it made and was getting ii
home as best he could, were of no avail. He
was collared and despite "A stout resistance,
was dragged by the policeman and another
officer to the Jail and committed for larceny.
MIR. Brown could not understand this pro-
ceedirg. lie wanted 10 60 home; but so do
other people who get into the stone jug. lie
stood by the door of the lookup with his
cap and mttens on, all day Sunday, and all
day Monday, and all day Tuesday, waiting
to be let out but nobody came to his res
cue, and his prison doors rem,ned closed
for him, and would have done so indefinite
ly,wc suppose, if his ncighbors in Colchester,
disturbed by his long absence from his home
and children, had not instituted a search,
and finally tracked him, yesterday, to his
dungeon cell. 1t is needless 10 say tlpt he
was soon released, and allowed 10 seek the
bosom of his family with his precious grid
die. lie means to have it kept and trans
mitted as an heirloom by his posterity; and
it is safe to say that while the cover is on his
cook stove, it will be very high wind that
will blow the stove away or draw it up
chimney. But it is understood that Mr..
Brown has very small opinion of the police
force OF Burlington and as ii is not yet
crime in Vermont to own a 5G-pound grid
die, ii he should happen to institute suit
for false Imprisonment against the officers
who deprived him of his liberty, they may
learn the difference between stovc-lid and
hydrant- cover, in such way that they
will not soon forget it.