St. Paul daily globe., 1886-05-04
"GOING, GOING, GONE.n
A Mock AutiOu Sale Shown Up in
the District Court.

a MOCK Aut1Ou Sale Shown Up in
the District Court.
The cas- of the state against Henry Roth,
charged with robbing Charles Erickson of
$40 last winter, occupied all the morning
yesterday in the district court, the case go
ing to the jury at 2:3O in the afternoon.
Erickson's story was that one evening he
dropped into an auction store on Bridge
square, in which Roth is directly interested,
and while there the auctiOneer endeavored
to sell watch which he represented as of
considerable value. Erickson says he did
not bid, although he stood near and watched
the proceedings with considerable interest.
Finally some one called $780," and Erick-
son says that then he was pushed into
rear room where the watch was forced into
his hands and $40 was demanded by Roth.
He refused to pay over the money, saying
he did not want the watch, and could not
afford to pay so much for any watch.
When he refused, he says, Roth placed his
hand on his shoulder and told
him that unless he paid the money in
stanter he would be arrested, and that he,
Roth, would ''fiX" him. Under these Cir
cumstances. Erickson handed over the
money and left the place in tears. He
went to police headquarters, where he made
complaint and exhibited the watch, which
is estimated to be worth perhaps So. The
defense was that Roth was simply acting
as cashier, and that Erickson purchased the
watch and came into the room set apart as
the cashiers room. where he paid the $40
and departed apparently satisfied with the
bargain he had secured. He declared there
had been no violence done, no threats made,
and that the whole thing was a put-up
scheme m rIip him in hucipocc flor ha
ing out forty minutes the jury returned
verdict of guilty. When the verdict was
announced, a lady who had accompanied
Roth to the court room, broke down, and
the tears in her eyes drew plying remarks
from those present. Roth was then put
under bonds to appear for sentence when
wanted.
OTHER CASES.
The verdict in the case against Fred Wells,
the colored man found guilty of the larceny
of gold ring from the jewelry store of Gold
ing & Co., was set aside by the judge on ac-
count of errors IN some of the papers and
new trial ordered. Wells, who stood at the
bar, then stepped up and pleaded guilty to
petit larceny and was sentenced to sixty days
| in the county Jail. ''WelIs got Off this time
very easy remarked an officer who knows
the man. HE can thank his lucky stars
there were flaws in the Indictment
The somewhat noted case Of Granville l..
| Spaulding, charged with murder, will come UP
this morning, aud will occupy all the day
The case will attract considerable attention
many residents of Wright county, where the
crime was committed being present.
The case against Michael Nieson, charged
| with selling beer without a license at CRYSTAL
Lake, was continued for one week, in order
| to secure several important witnesses, who
| were absent.
Foley, charged with larceny, was discharged
| for want of testimony.
| FL. Clay James, charged with keeping a
house of ill-fame, appeared and through his
| attorney asked that the case be continued
| until May TO- in order that he might arrange
| his business affairs. The case was ordered
continued and James ordered to give a bond
| of 81, 500 for his appearance and to remain in
| the custody of the sheriff until such bond be
| given.
The case against Ole Sandquist, charged
with receiving small amount Of coal, which
he knew to have been stolen from the yards
| of the Chicago, Milwaukee s. St. Paul Rail-
road company, was called at Z o'clock and
was given to the jury few moments before
5. A verdict OF not guilty was brought in.