The evening world., 1893-11-02
BOOK A MILD CRANK TO-DAY.
Still He Was Strapped in a Strait.
Jacket in Prison.

A whole squad OF court officers sur
rounded George Book when he stepped
on the platform before Justice Koch In
the jefferson Market Police Court this
forenoon. lie was charged with send
ing a threatening postal card to Scenic
Artist GustRve Nolz, OF Proctors Thea
tire. calling for the payment OF 81 which
Book claimed Nolz owed him for years
The story of a desperate attemp; that
Book made last night on Capt. p'Con-
nor. Of the Tcnderloin station. while he
was being booked FOR a cell. had pre-
coded the prisoner 10 court. and 1t was
deemed advisable to keep him under
strict surveillance during the proceed
ings.
Book had been placed in the rapidly
increasing ranks Of cranks. and that.
together with the fact that he was a
fellow OF powerful physique, did as
much, perhaps. az anything else 20 slim
ulate the fear the court officers seemed
to hold him in. And yet Book told an
altogether coherent story OF the debt he
said NOlz owed him.
Years ago. in Portland. Ore. Rock
said. Vol. was employed by him in a
big painting ami decorating business.
At one time Nolz borrowed $40 and then
left him 10 come East. some tin-
afterwards Books business failed and
he was without a dollar. ,
that Nolz had rerlunerative employ ment
at the theatre. BOOK called there and
tried TO collect the debt. saying he would
a k = dolld or two at a time. H.
and In despair wrote the pOstal-carl.
which thoroughly frightened Nolz,
This postal-card, which caused Rocks
arrest, said Book was starving, and
wouldn't wait any longer for his
money. He concluded by saying: Re
member it is cranks'. day, and also ]
s s,isr, Gsen Or c ,oin @y, I give nd y the, u9 g6il
lowed a very crude drawing Of a skull
and CrossbOnes.
Nolz showed the postal to Capt. o'Con-
rest Book, They found hin in "a saloon
adjoining 263 venue II. which address
was given on the postal card. By a
RretHaXt thT dsteS,ivss got nm over TO
1t Is said that when Book realized that
he was under arrest he grew very wild
and made a vicious lunge at Capt. O'Con-
nor's tn Dat with a kecn-eaged file.
Detectives sullivan and Lang interfered
and prevented the prisoner doing any
harm.
He was calm enough this morning
when ~arraigned, but the threatening
character OF the postal induced Justice
Koch to deal summarily with him. He
ordered Book to furnish 500 for his good
btlldNlpI LOT SlN Hlpl.NDS. IOth was In'u
led back to the prison and tine keepers,
still fearful Of IN outbreak. Immediately
strapped Book in "A strait-jacket bind
ing his arms by the wrists to his sides.
The keepers weren't taking any chances
with him, they explained.
An Evening World reporter saw
Book in the prison. This is what I
Ct. for lending a friend money" he
said. He hadn't the slightest suggestion
of "A crank about him, except that his
attire was very dllapidated. He has "a
frank. opel face and honest blue eyes.
He repeated the story of lending Nolz
money when he was In a prosperous
painting business at Portland, ore. and
how now that he was penniless and
hungry he asked for "A dollar or two to
drive hunger away.
When asked why he wrote the postal
card about "cranks' day" and Chicago.
Rock said he did not know what he
was doing. II he was n crank bent on
hurting anybody. lock was subtle
enough to conceal that fact. and he was
uncommonly docilc.
Capt. Conner did not press the
charge OF att"mnted assault on him by
Book. nor dll his officers tell OF the
finding Of a sharpcncd havonet. which
had been ground to a stiletto-like point,
in the prisoners coat that had been
found In the stable at 263 Avenue b.
An old officer Of the court remarked.
seHtentiouSE "If It's crankism to ask
for the payment Of money we lend. why
there's a lot Of us IN danger of being
locked up as cranks."