The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-01-20
THE BLIND GODDESS.


THE BLIND GODDESS"
She Failed to Soc tho Difference Between
sssmoke-stacks" and s.stove-pipes. z
Editor Kidd of Aberdeen. S. D.,
thus tells his personal experience in
a recent contest with the "blind god
dess:"
On Saturday the burly form of Po-
liceman Jones appeared in the Office
of the Star Republic and tapped the
editor on the shoulder with the re-
mark. .Mr. Kidd. I have warrant
for you"
The editor was peacefully engaged
in shoveling coal into the furnace but
followed the policeman. As~ss
At the court room. he found he was
charged with violating the city fire
ordinance. He pleaded mot guilty.
and the trial was set for Monday at
ten O'clock.
On Monday the trial occurred be-
fore Police Justice Ackley. 1t was
charged. the chief Of police being
the complainant that Kidd had vio-
lated the ordinance which provides
that no stove pipe shall pass
through the outer wall or roof of any
building unless it enters a brick or
! stone chimney. The case was prose-
cuted by Frank A. Lose city attor-
ney. Kidd had no lawyer. His de-
feuse was that the pipe in question
was not .stove pipe" but smoke
stack" He easily proved by the
complaining witness that it did not
connect with anything except the
boiler furnace. City Attorney
Luse thought it very clear that
this defense was no defense at
ali. The justice thought So too. A
verdict of guilty" was pronounced.
fine of ST. 20 imposed and the re-
spondent notified he must remove the
! stove pipe at once. Kidd paid his
fine and then informed the officials he
had list OF forty or fifty prominent
business men who were in the same
boat and whose attractions OF the law
the police department had evidently
overlooked. He then proceeded to
make complaint against A. c. White.
mayor; E. Randall alderman; Geo.
Schlosser. editor of the Sun; James
Ringrose. proprietor OF the Sherman
house; j. l.. Mccall Of Mccall.
| Webster & Co.. and president OF the
Republican league.
The first case called was that of
George Schlosser of the Sun. He
appeared with his attorney. j. H.
Perry. and pleaded mot guilty. !"
The trial occurred Monday afternoon
few hours after the conviction Of
the calamity editor Justice Ackley
informed MIR. Kidd that he must
prosecute. He replied that he was
present only Us a witness not as
prosecutor. and demanded the
presence of city attorney Luse A
policeman was accordingly sent out
and the reluctant Luse brought i'll.
The case against Schlosser was a
clear one. He had an iron pipe
passing through the roof and no
chimney. His attorney raised the
point that it was a smoke stack, :"
not stove pipe" Schlosser pro-
duced directory. Perry the city
laws; Luse scratched his head; the
justice studied the ceiling; Chief
, Jones whistled softly.
I'VE decided in Mr.. Kidd case -
began the court
Il don't care anything about Mr..
, Kidd" said Perry. I'VE are trying
Schfosser now.
, Evidently Schlosser was horse
OF another color.
Luse weak ened The prisoner al
7 the bar was not a calamity bowler
t and his vision became clearer He
| hot 10 9
difference between stove pipe and
8 smoke stack He agreed with
3 Perry that such was the case and thai
) the ordinance does not apply to smoke
: stacks This being the case there
t was nothing to do but to dismiss the
q prisoner at the bar and SO Mr. Schlos-
f ser walked out of the court free
e man once more.
e But now the honest squire was IN ;
It pred,cament He had convicted an(
s fined Kidd in the forenoon on precise
. ly similar evidence with the SAM
9 point raised in defense. He wante'
II to dispense Justice as she ought to be
Y When a Republican editor came int
If court it became as clear as the noon
l. dav sun that smoke stack is not
: stove pipe and on looking backward i
J. the bright aulgence of this new foun
light he saw there was somethin
II wrong in the calamity editors case
! MIR. Jones'" said the squire re
D. flectively to the chief OF police .
If believe we shall have to pay Mr.
r. Kidd his money back"
'e Il never pay money back sal
10 the chief
50 But we'll nave to. You see smok
r. stacks are exempt. Now if Schlo
f. ser's pipe is smoke stack Mr.. Kidd
le is too and Mr. Kidd is wrongful
TX convicted and we have no right to b
in money. l guess we'll have to do it
a and thu justice counted out 81. 20. h
Id share of the costs
be Jones made wry face. He car
ne fully let down the front window Gu
es tain. with the remark that he did N
to propose to let anybody see the pc
ly formance' and with the light turn'
IT, low and in the gloom of semi dar
SO ness he mournfully 'coughed up" S
ne The fine. 81. 20. was refunded
Kidd and thus the chapter ended.
free Passes.
Will our legislators have tt
on decency to refuse free passes from t
80 railroads? The late election mea
~ reform in various directions a.