Arizona republican., 1892-11-19
DON'T KNOW HIM A Joke on a Tempe Jus tiCe of the Peace. He Commits Oscar Ball
 for Something. The Manner in Which the Case
 Was Disposed Of. An Extraordinary Character Who Finds Himself Boycotted by Jalls
 and Insane Asylums.

Souire Roberts of Tempe yesterday
 bacame the victim of self-intlcted
 practical joke and the instrument was
 Oscar Ball, the well known inebriate.
 Ball had been working at Tempe, where
 his bibulous performances are not so
 widely advertised as in Phoenix. A
 day or two ago he began drinking and
 by Thursday night had become an ob-
 feet of mingled terror and curiosity to
 the peace-loving residents of Tempe.
 He was taken into custody and yes
 terdsy morning was brought before the
 justice. The case was so lurid and ex-
 trsordinary that the magistrate did not
 know how to handle it. All previous
 drunks who had been before him were
 teetotalers in appearance and models of
 department for a Good Templars lodge
 when compared with MT. Ball.
 As nearly as the squire could diagnose
 the case, il seemed to be complication
 of insanity and delIrium tremens.
 What should be done with the prisoner
 was puzzle. tie accordingly drew up
 A commitment which about half way
 consigned MT. Ball to the asylum and
 the other half referred him to the no-
 tce of Judge Baxter.
 Constable Tom Elder accordingly brought the prisoner and the commit- ment to the probate court. The judge seemed to be disgusted when he sa Y Mr. Balls name on the commitment with the recommendation that he should make an examination of the case. To the court it was much the same as if he had been recommended to learn the multiplication table over again, or renew his acquaintance with some other thoroughly familiar thing.
 He dismissed the whole business and the constable was at loss as to what step to take next. He couldn't put Ball in jail because he had not been in- struCted by anyone to do so. Under Sheriff Barry suggested that he release the prisoner, who had become sober and was as greatly perplexed as the con stable about the case. 1t was finally settled that he should be released. It was done and he accompanied the con stable back to Tempe, not as a pris- oner, but as temporarily sober citizen.
 Balls case is curious one, and illus l trates, in general way, the advantage ! to be derived from energy aud perse- verance, even in th5 matter of excessive 1 drinking. When he fret began, he l came under the displeasure of the law, ss all gentlemen do who overload them selves. At first he was arrested and | locked up after the usual manner, but !! at last was promoted to cell in the | insane asylum. He was dismissed as cured amp next found himself Tn the | city or county jail, only to be referred | back to the asylum. After while he got to oscillating regularly between these eleemosynary and reformatory in- | stitutions. All that time except when actually locked up he kept trying to re- 1uce the visible supply of alcoholic liquors, and drank himself into such a that it got to be & matter of ioubt with the authorities whether he | s subject for the asylum or whether he belongs to the jail. To settle this question he has been boycotted by both 
 He sometimes applies to the jail au- horities for temporary relief and is as a sub but is never put on l he regular pay role. What makes Iome people believe he is insane is the | character of his inquiries at times. The last time he was in the city he was about the streets late at night as if he was hunting for some ,ne. He was noticed by the marshal who asked him what he wanted. MT. | Ball replied that he had just learned | hat the pope had arrived and he was anxious to see the distinguished eccle- iastic concerning a little matter Of mutual interest. The marshal be- | leved that MT. Bah was laboring under | Authorization and locked him up not l .s drunk but just as Oscar Ball. 1