St. Paul daily globe., 1884-09-14
A DULL DAY,
Enlivened Only by the Russell-Har-
rington Assault Case.

The only thing that saved the proceedings at
the police court from downright dullness yester-
day morning was the OF Ralph Russell, the
overgrown youth whose business it is to lord it
over number OF boys who carry papers for
Third street printing establishment and who was
arrested by Officer McFetridge on the charge Of
choking a small boy named Patrick Harrington.
The assault took place three weeks ago this
morning, and the case has been continued from
time to time, and given great prom
inence on account of the nasty.
abuse heaped upon the head of the
hapless officer by the concern in question be-
cause, forsooth, he had the courage and fearless
ness TO make the arrest. Mr.. w. ID. Cornish APP
peared for the qualification sheet, and Mr.. Thos.
d. o'Brien was present for the city.
The lad, bright ey ed little fellow of twelve
years, related his story in plain, straightfor-
ward manner, and with candor that carried the
conviction of truth. He produced as testimony
the shirt, coat and vest the occasion,
and they were torn into shreds, showing that
great force and violence must have been used.
The only weak point in his testimony the
confession that when asked by Russell where
he got the papers he replied that he had bought
them. When asked why he had said this he testi-
fed that it was partially out Of fun and fear.
Officer McFetridge testified to seeing Russell
choke the boy and drag him along the street, and
to the indignation of the bystanders at the out
rage. On being further questioned the lad testi-
fed that he had been given fourteen papers at
the corner of Fourth and Jackson streets, by
his brother, who had counted them out
of his pile of twenty-five and who had instructed
him to leave them on De Bow and st. Paul
streets to regular subscribers; the lad also gave
minute description of where each paper was to
have been left AS concurrent and corrobora-
tive testimony Arthur Bowker testified that he
was present at Fourth and Jackson streets when
the elder boy had counted out the fourteen
papers to his brother. On taking the stand Rus
sell admitted that he had dragged the lad and
torn his clothing, this going to prove that he had
been guity of the ofense charged even suppos-
ing that the papers had been stolen, Several
paper carriers were called to corroborate Rus
sells testimony. The court was then addressed
by Messrs Cornish and O'Brien the latter calling
attention to the testimony and saying that while
it showed the lad TO be innocent of theft, even
| supposing this was not the case, Russell was not
| justified in taking the law into his own hands,
and he was therefore guilty of the offense
| charged. To the surprise of those present the
accused was then discharged In summing up
| the Judge Burr said that while it in
reality trihing case, it had been made 10 appear
| great by reason of newspaper comments which
| tended TO embrace both the officer and prosecu-
| ting witness, 1t was shown that the lad had
| told falsehood, and under the circumstances
| Russell was justified iii doing what he did; ne
| did just what he should have DONE and had he
| done less he would have been
censurable by his employers; the
only question was, did he use
more force than was necessary; the cour didn't
believe that he had. and this was a technical
| point it would be disregarded and the prisoner
| discharged.
| Among the other cases was that of John Har
| ris, seedy looking bum who was found in con-
ditiOn of glorious inebriety on sibley street. He
| had five packages of tobacco in his pockets, and
| he will chew the cud OF reflection for ten days.
Harry Howard and John Daily, couple of
crooks had engaged in a street fight, and How
| ard attempted to cook his pals goose by taking
| part OF his scalp lock. The latter was dis
charged and Howard was fined SO ten days
p. W. Wilson, the bad, boid darkey, who was ar
| rested on suspicion OF being a midnight fakir,
was given until noon to skip out Of town.