Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-08-07
HIS FIRST ARREST.


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Little Kindness NIightier Than an on
GERS Club.
4 shall never forget tile first arrest
| made Is Chief of Police Of La Crosse.
sold Geo. M. Peck, the father Of
the Bad Boy. atThere was charac-
ter in town said he, known as Irish
Mary. She was In the workhouse
about three hundred and sixty DAYS in
the year. When she would serve out
her time. in the morning, for instance,
she would be back before night. She
was the terror of the force. 1t always
took four men anda dray to bring her in.
There was no such thing as walking
her to the station. They would throw
her on q dray and sit on her and she
yelled like. "a Comanche until she was
put behind the bars. After I became
chief j wondered what [ could do to
reform this woman. I wanted the
sight of bringing her to the station on
draY stopped. 1t was demoralizing.
Every man on the force had had tus-
sic with her. Every man on the force
had a scar where she had bitten,
scratched or hit him. I knew that /
couldn't reform her with the old force,
and no new man would join the force
unless it was agreed that he should
have nothing to do with Irish Mary.
concluded would try it myself
"She was serving out a ten days
term when took charge. On the last
day of her time / went to her cell and
said to her that was Chief of Police
She put her hands on her hips, looked
at me and laughed. She evidently
thought | was poor one. / then told
her that when she got out wanted her
to come to the Office, straight from the
station. She did and told her I had
some work for her to do. It was done
and / paid her literally. I gave her 50.
The job wasn't worth more than 81.
Then told her that I wanted her to
promise me that she would spend this
money in some saloon near the City
Hall, and that I would come after her
myself. I said to her: Mary, when I
come to arrest you am going to treat
you like lady, and I want you to treat
me like gentleman. I don't want you
to bite, scratch or claw. Now go, and
make it near by so I won't have to walk
too far
She gave me strange look. think
it was the first time any official had
ever spoken to her kindly. I thought
once could detect tears in her eyes,
but guess that was fancy. gave
instructions to the force not to arrest
Irish Mary without my order. / raised
the window in my office and sat down
to listen. Irish Mary had yell on her
when she got started that was like the
unearthly whistle of the tug O. B.
Green, of Chicago. I had told Mary
not to take more than three drinks and
then yell. Pretty soon we heard hel
old, familiar yell. Everybody in town
knew it. Word had been passed around
that the new Chief of Police was going
to arrest Mary and the people and the
force were hiding around in the bust
ness center to see the performance.
when heard the yell started.
found Mary in saloon near by. She
was making the air dangerous. said
Mary, you know what you promised
| me; that you would come with me and
that You wouldn't bite. claw or hit
Take my arm. I am going to treat YOU
like lady She took my arm and We
walked to the station. Business wa:
suspended for few minutes along tina
street. Several times Mary acted as i
she was going to yell, but she put hel
hand to her mouth each time and asked
my pardon. She asked where the dray
was and told her that ladies did no
ride on drays. And Dim a lady +?
she asked. I said: Yes, Mary, ,yor
are lady and have got to be treated
like lady was saying all this tc
keep her quiet. She would look at me
shut her eye and say: Dim a lady,
am I?' I said yes. And ye're gintle
man?' she repeated. And then sht
would add, Well, if ever tot I'd live
too see the loike of this-Oi'm lady
and ye're gintlemanP
"We reached the station and one o.
the patrolmen was crossing the hall
Mary saw him. Tt was like the red rag
and the bull fArrah, now she said
be off wild We, and don't We tech me Oh
I'll kick the clothes off We, for Ohm {
lady,
II don't know that her reformation
was Immediate. know it wasn't Blu
l think that incident caused her tc
think. And she finally quit drinking
A relative died in Ireland and left hel
some money, and the last L heard of hel
she was living ON the old sod.
There was no more clubbing on the
La Crosse police while I was chief. A
little kindness with little discretion j:
| mightier than the club"
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