St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-27
ADAMSON IN STRIPES.
He Will Go Over to Saltwater
EARLY This Week.


w. ii. Adamson, whose varied talents
are pretty we'll known to the people OF
Minneapolis, has at last found a station
which he will adorn in the highest
sense of the word. To-day he is an or
binary criminal in the county jail ana
early in the week his scanty but beautl-
full Sun-kissed locks will drop into the
dust and AdamSOn will wear the most
becoming suit of clothes which ever yet
clothed his coarse proportions - the
striped suit Of Il penitentlary inmate.
For some months past Adamson mas
been busy at his old trade OF plucklng
the needy and unfortunate. despite tne
fact that sentence to the penltehtlafy
was hanging over his head; but now the
state supreme court has a1nrmed tne
decision of the district court, and Adj
amson will board with Warden Randall
for one year and three months.
Word was received from Attorney
General Clapp yesterday that Adam
sons sentence had been affirmed. and
Sheriff Ere Immediately sent Deputy
John Wall up town to get him. wall
had little difficulty in finding him, aud
spent the afternoon with him. the
mOnev-loaner being engaged in settling
M his affairs. He was taken to the
county Jail and locked up last night
about six O'Clock. He will be removed
to Saltwater tomorrow or next DAY.
The charge upon which Adamson
was convicted was that OF forgery. lie
was found to have added Two lines TO a
chattel mortgage already on ME, wlllcn
lines included in the mortgage properly
upon which the mOrtgagor had given no
claim. AdamsOn's attorneys did every
thing possible to secure new trlal TOT
their client. They produced affidavit
after affidavit to prove that the Jurymen
who found AdamsOn guilty were prelu-
diced. and had expressed opinions be-
fore the conclusion of the trial That
Adamson would be found guilty. All
of these af1idavitS referred TO one wing:
as the Juror who had done good zeal OF
the talking. AdamsOn'S attorneys ADMIT
that Wing offered to substantlate tnelr
case for money but say that ms o1er
came too late to be available. county
Attnrney ,Jamison produced counter
affidayitS to prove that Adamson had
agents out with pockets lined with
money for the purchase OF witnesses;
Considering AdamSon'S character ana
other circumstances attendant upon the
case. Adamson's position was not ten,
able. and the motion for a new trial
was denied. Then an appeal was made
to the supreme court with the result as
stated above.
For wears Adamson has been we'll
known representative of an all TOO nu-
merous class of chattel mortgage sharks,
although few of that class have ever
gone quite 50 far in their eXtortlon as
has Adamson. He has made large
fortune by trading upon the necessities
of the poor. His business has consisted
of making small loans at eXorbltant
rates of interest, the loans secured by
mortgages. The slightest deviation
from the terms of the legal papers on
the part of the mortgagor resulted In
the loss of his property. Any man who
disIiked his methods and dared to make
a complaint was bullied into submits
sion or kicked down stairs.
Backed by men as unscrupulous
as himsalf and shrewd enough
to employ none but keen lawyers, ne
preyed upon the community and grew
fat upon the needs of others. lime and
again he has figured in the courts, but
until this time he has always escaped
This time it was a case OF dog cal
dog" one of his own sort, f. 7. Norris,
was the complaining witness, and
Adamson was convicted. 1t is said thai
since his trial AdamSon has been quietly
preparing to leave town. County Attor
new Jamison suspected something of the
sort and had him watched, also taking
care that the sheriff should know OF thu
supreme courts decision before the
public. Hence the forger had not time
to leave.
Probably no man has ever gone from
the Hennepin county courts to the penl
Tertiary whose conviction and incarcera
ton caused more general commenda
ton, The Barretts were murderers, bu
there was some sympathy for their fate
Other criminals have gone to prison
who had a few friends. So far a
known, outside of those interested il
these dealings with him, not citizen /
sorry for Adamson. When he gets t
Saltwater he will find there William
Hunter, who was one of his tools, an
concerned in fleeing an ignorant Gel
man farmer out of his team. There
strong probability of Adamson bein
indicted in connection with the sam
affair. Yesterday, NJ. Whitney. who
said to be connected with Adamsor
was arrested for forgery. 1t is elaine
that he affixed the name OF one b. .
Turner to chattel mortgage.
Incidents without number, to lllu:
trate Adamson's career could be citet
but the public knows him we'll enough
The city is to be congratulated for bein
rid of him.