St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-02-09
A stupid Policeman and a
Much-Abused Citizen.

The Burlington Free Press of Feb.
LIST has the following account of a most
remarkable case of OfficiOusness and
stupidity. 1t can hardly be matched
by New York city policeman:
Rufus Brown is a citizen of the neigh
boring town of Colchester, where he
owns and cultivates a few acres of
land. Mrs. Brown having died 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 griddle to
his kitchen 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 IA rough way for a pattern of
the thing he wanted. Having nothing
thinner than piece of twO-inch plank
about his place for the purpose, he
used that, and with much outlay of
elbow grease sawed and worked out
circular piece of the proper diameter.
| This he took to the foundry at Wi
nOOsky, and left it to be reproduced in
solid metal. Mr.. Brown went for his
griddle last Saturday, and found to his
CONSERVATION that he was the owner of
griddle fifteen inches in diameter,
two 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 Mr..
Brown is not as sharp as the average
Yankee, and having ordered the grid
die thought he must take it. SO he
sadly drew his wallet and paid for it ;
and being on foot and unable to lug
such a chunk of cast iron, he borrowed
piece of rope, which he attached to
his acquisition. and tOwed it behind
him over the icy sidewalks. Having
an errand in this city he came round
this way home, and soon attracted the
gaze of vigilant Policeman Cronan who
could see nothing in the shutting and
shabby customer before him but a
tramp, making off with a hydrant-cov-
er ! Mr.. Browns protestatiOns that
the casting was his own and not city
property that it was part of his stove
and not of the waterwOrks that he
had got it made and was getting il
home as best he could, were of no avail
He was cOllared and de spite a stout
resistance, was dragged by the police
man and another officer to the Jail and
committed for larceny. Mr.. Brown
could not understand this proceeding
He wanted to go home but so do 9th
er people who get into the stone jug
He stood by the door of the lookup
with his cap and mittens on, all day
Sunday, and all day Monday, and al
day Tuesday, waiting to be let out
but nobody came to his rescue, and hi
prison doors remained closed for him
and would have done so indefinitely
we suppose, if his neighbors in Col
! chester, disturbed by his long absence
from his home and children, had no
instituted IA search, and finally tracked
him yesterday to his dungeon cell.
, is needless to say that he was sOol
! released, and allowed to seek the bosom
of his family with his precious griddle
But it is understood that Mr.. Brow
has very small opinion of the polic'
force of Burlington and rs it is no
yet IA crime in Vermont to own fifty
siX-pOund griddle, if he should harper
to institute a suit for false impriSOn
e ment against the officers who deprived
him of his liberty, they may learn tn
5 difference between stOvelid and
, hydrant-cOver in such IA way that the.
t will not soon forget it.