St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-25
CURBSTONE COMMENT,

were hanged" said prominent GRIM
inal lawyer of Minneapolis at the Mer-
chants yesterday. 1t was my impress
sion that they were executed because of
undoubted guilt, but, expressing mild
surprise, an interrogation was sprung
on the wise man of the law. Because"
he said, Bill Erwin defended them.
This is not reflection on Erwin's abil-
ity. By long odds he is the brainiest
criminal practitioner in the Northwest.
and throws himself, heart and soul,
into his work. But let me tell you that
a stranger could have conducted the de-
Tense in the Barrett trials with one
tenth the ability displayed by Erwin
and his assistants with ten times more
hope of securing acquittal, or, at least,
communication of sentence. Why? Be-
cause Erwin is st. Paul man; because
he has the reputation of always clear
ing his clients, or at least saving them
from the galloWs. Given 100 days and
1000 peremptOry challenges, he could
never have secured jury in Minneap-
oils that would have been without pref
udice against him. Besides. if COM
paratively unknown man had acted for
the defense, Jamison and Davis would
never have eXerted themselves as they
did in search of evidence. They were
fighting ErWin-nOt crime. They
sought to defeat the defense because
Erwin represented that side rather than
to convict the criminals"
-
Last Friday was black Friday in
deed to Mr.. Erwin. Exactly what his
opinion was, or is, concerning his
clients, no one will ever know. But on
Thursday, for the first time. he stood
npnntn6 fn fal hn
of men whom he could not save from
the law. l was with him when he made
the visit to the Jail. Every detail of the
instrument was carefully examined.
His face, naturally pale, was ashen in
hue; he said little and repealed report
ers. | would give much to know his
thoughts at IL o'clock Friday morning."
Genial Barton Hill, stage manager at
the Peoples theater, although a de-
scendant of a family of actors, was a
printer and received his apprenticeship
in London theatrical printing house.
sage, printed few days ago, he re-
called the circumstance that he was en-
ployed on the Rochester On. W Chron-
icie when President Fillmore's message
was printed in advance sheets and sent
to the daily papers by mail. At another
time, when Fort Wayne, Ind. had but
one journal-and that Weekly-he set
up and printed his own posters. and
helped the proprietor III issuing the
regular weekly edition.
-
Summit avenue assumed gay aspect
yesterday afternoon. Ali the world and
his wife. or some other fellows wife,
were out driving. The grass was be-
ginning to look green, the trees were
just budding. and even light overcoat
was oppressive. There were many
handsome rigs on the avenue and many
fine horses. A fountain was playing in
front of one stately palace. and every
verandah was gay with the bright cos
costumes Of girls. A handsome
pail, of gray horses, driven
tandem, came at a quick
trot across Dayton place and dashed up
Summit avenue. The young man who
was driving them evidently thought he
had fast team, and, seeing tall man
in a silk hat about fifty yards ahead,
driving pair of long tailed bays in
light wagon, applied the whip, deter
mined to pass him. The tandem young
man struck snag, for the greys proved
to be Billy S and Dan L, and the driver
A. III. Simon. The tandem came up at
a pretty good pace, and when just
alongside Mr.. Simon spoke 10 his team
and shot ahead like an arrow, much to
the ehagrim of the driver of the greyS
and the amusement of the passers-by.
Sabbath Decorators Squelched.
A sextette of Sabbath deseerators
were run in at the central police station
Yesterday. Annie Green and Henry
Bakem an. both colored. were discov-
cred INDUCING in little too much
hilarity on the streets, and were escorted
to the lookup. William KIappenbach
thought Sunday was day for his eele-
bration, and while conducting himself
in a diSorderly manner was lodged be-
hind the bars. Allen Johnson was
found TO be too drunk to be numbered
with respectable pedestrians, so an Off
Ger accompanied him to the station.
Jessie Wells was out in full regalia,
walking the streets for immoral pur-
poses. She now languishes in the DO
lice pound and will be presented to
Judge Cory this morning. James Nc
Nally was drunk and disorderly, and
was therefore put i'll the cooler.
A Gripman Knocked Unconscious.
AS grip car No 2 was being switched
ON the table at Broadway and Fourth
streets, about ten o'clock last evening.
the grip caught the guard of the car
and sprung back, striking gripman
Sires in the breast, knocking him un-
conscious. He was removed to his
home, 800 Laurel avenue, where a
doctor attending his injuries pro-
nOunced them severe but not neces-
sarily fatal internal bruises.