St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-09
HAVING A HOT TINE.
Conflicting Testimony at the
Investigation Held Over
the Firemen.
Words Of Some Witnesses
Would Prove Them to Be
Above Suspicion.
Others Declare Them to Be
Worse Than the Ali Bahia
Horde.
Testimony to Be Resumed
Before the Committee To-
morrow Morning.


yesterday morning by calling James
Brady, truckman of Hook and Ladder
No. l, in continuation of the case of
Capt. krake, charged with receiving
goods stolen at fires. Brady, testified IN
substance as follows, the examination
being conducted by Aid. Lackey:
''Haye been in the service six years
and at headquarters two years contin-
uously. Was at the Castle Shirt fire.
| Goods were stolen there and brought to
headquarters by Charley Bradley. All
the fremen were present. He had
the goods, mostly caps and
felt hats and some -handkerchiefs,
stuffed in his coat above his belt. He
opened his clothes and threw the goods
on the floor near his bed. 1t was here
IN this room above the investigation.
He put the goods on his bed. Gave wit
ness one cap worth about $3.50. All the
men saw them, and looked them over.
Capt. krake was present and saw it.
Heard Krake say nothing about the
matter. Bradley had the goods stuffed
under his belt till it stuck out as if
there was a load of hay under it. Goods
were also taken at the Frank Bros
fire. Capt. Krake and others brought
shirts TO headquarters after that
fire. Saw Krake take goods at the fire.
he was up in the building and threw
the goods out of the windows, and
the men brought the goods to head
quarters. Saw Krake bring some. They
brought some of them in at the front
and some at the rear doors of the head
quarters. Krake had underclothes
mostly, both wool and cotton. Some
were yellow in color. Men vino saw
Krake take clothing were Swartz, Law,
Slater and others, but they would not
| probably swear against the captain.
| The Frank fire was at Third avenue
| south and First street. Attended 1t as
| fireman when the alarm was given.
Some Overalls and blue woollen shirts
were also brought to headquarters.
| Krake put the goods ne had in his cup
board in headquarters There was
! quart bottle of whisky passed around
after the fire was out. and all took
drink from it. Was not at the North
! Star fire, but saw goods at the head
| quarters after that fire. Witness also
| got goods at the fire; besides the cap of
! Bradley's, some shirts and overalls.
Took them and used them. Bought
| two pairs of shoes, supposed TO be from
| the North Star lot. SwartZ showed wit
ness five pairs lace shoes Ill his cup
| board; also same in Bradley's. This
was last summer, while after the
| North Star fire."
Cross-examined by Aid. Harvey, Bra
! dy said: The goods brought in sacks
were carefully brought in by back paths
( to the yard, SO that tracks could not be
seen. There was about three inches of
snow. They were careful not to let
| their tracks be seen, as 1t was after the
| fire. Was sent to the Frank fire to
watch it. and that was when L saw the
goods taken. Did not report it because
the officers knew of it, and if l had re-
! ported i would have been discharged.
Q.-Why do you say this? Was any
one ever discharged for reported steal
| ing?
| Aid. Lackey-You do not need to
| answer unless you wish.
| Aid. Harvey-The witness must an
swer.
Aid. Lackey-You are not running
| this Investigation.
| AID Harvey insist on an answer.
Witness-I judged that it would be the
case: that if the officers knew of the
! stealing they would make it hot for any
| body who told of it.
| Witness cross-eXamined by Aid. And
erson and by Aid. McAllister.
| Tothe Latter-Krake was looking over
the goods in this room. Shoes | bought
| of Loss and of Thayer had no brand on
them. They had been worn a little.
| Bought them at reduction. Paid 81
| for the Loss pair and $l.75 for the
| Thaver pair. Loss and Thayer said the
| shoes were too small for them, the rea-
son they sold them so cheap.
Cross-eXamined by Capt. Krake wit
ness said: saw you throw stuff out of
the window at the fire, and saw you
here in this room when the stuff was
brought in. l thought it strange that
you, the captain, was there seeing it
done. That was why l remember
| you and not others by name"
| Re-eXamined: "This was the first
stealing | ever saw III the department.
| Took some of the stolen goods myself
| after it came to be so common a thing"
To Aid. Harvey; 81 think you would
have done the same thing under the
| circumstances"
Arthur Carleton, stenographer. sworn
, and examined, Aid. Lackey stating he
would be protected in his testimony.
Been at headquarters nearly four
years. Have seen good brought to
headquarters. One winter, when | slept
there, some stuff was brought from a
| Seventh street fire, some drug store art
icleS, tooth brushes, finger-nail cleaners
and the like, but of small value. Think
IL was 1859. Capt. krake was not at
Headquarters then. Charles Henry was
captain of the engine and Charles Eos
ter of the hook and ladder at the time.
Next was batch of stuff brought from
the Security warehouse fire in 1890.
Krake was not here then, but
was appointed a little after. Never
saw any other goods brought,
but have seen water-soaked goods
and smoked goods suspected to be
from fires. One was music box,
from the Security fire. Judged the
goods were so taken, from the way they
were secreted and the looks of the men
when the articles were shown. Person
mel of the men has since then been
changed. After the c. G. Finch fire on
| Washington avenue there was song,
composed by John Miles, and Miles
used to sing it or recite it. After some
fires saw more articles of clothing
about than seemed to belong to the
men. Never saw Capt. Krake receive,
I have or buy any articles supposed to be
taken at fires. Heard Krake say he
did not think much of a man who
: would take goods at fires. There had
been some talk in the office about such
acts having been done. Had heard the
men talk to the effect that goods had
been so TAKEN"
To Aid. Harvey-''Most of the mer
who formerly served at headquarter.
are still IN the department somewhere
i The music box was in the possession Of
: Fireman Taylor. Some of che comb;
. | were used in the station; think one i.
: now down stairs. The value OF all thi
was not over 50 or so. 1t has been thre,
: years since l saw articles brought il
supposed to be stolen. Was not at head
quarters at the time of the North Sta
fire. There was sale after the Franz
fire. when the men bought some of tn,
goods cheap"
This closed the case against Capt
n Krake, and the other, in defense, Gale,