Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-08-20
SCHOONER JIM IN COURT.
lie Il Arrested for vagranoy and
pltads plt1ously for Freedom.


"schooner Jini," The most Popular
man In Salt Lake City, was arrested
By Oniesr William Hilton this morn.
Ing, taken to the city hall aud NJ.
raignod before Justice Wenger en- a
charge Of vagranoy.
The mans proper aud Legitimate
name Ia James Ballard and his pOpu.
larity comes about by reason OF hts
peregrinn,ions about town, ailired In
suit which would make any French
general green with envy. Jim's
familiarity with people 10 general and
ladies' in particular ~ no walkoi along
the streets was beeomipg q little obnox.
ious, aud as complaints OF his simple
conduct had reached police hea1quar.
teta, Chini Pratt informed the nfilcHFs
yesterday that n they happened = on.
counter Jim doing the uCuulo anu
single platoon dTlll, an was his won't,
they were to "fun him iu.p
MIR. Ballard, as usual, whA up with
the lark this morning ana as Onicer
Hilton was doing duty on Stclnd
South street, along no came doing the
dum.malor act. The officer happened
10 REMEMBER tho mandate that had
gone forth yesterday, and although II
was painful task 10 perform 10 arrest
Jim, II was his duty aud do 70 hO must.
10 ~ Jim came along the patfolmAn
gently tapped him on the shoulder and
informed him that no was under
AfTesi.
Imagine Jim's feelings when thus
accostod by the officer. For three or
four yeArs past no had walked up aud
down the streets OF the municipality
without being inierfered with by tho
cudgels OF the law. Ho had showed
extreme polllonoss 10 the ladies aud
had began 20 feel that N he didn't
have n license 10 furnish amusement
for the Salt Lake public, he
At least was privileged ohaIhe.
ter aud could DO nearly M he
pleased, ~ long ~ lac harmed no.
nOdy. But wnen taken IN hand By
the officer ana escorted 10 the police
station his foniest hopes suddenly
vanished and he nearly collapsed.
Penitently he stood before Justice
Wongor aud pleaded tho charge
against him o. follow:
"Well, sir, l'm no vagrant, cir, I've
got plenty Of friends sir, aud i live
with them, aud u yOu'il let me 20 this
time l'il promise faithfully never 10
20 60 again, cir. don'l wan. 10 stop
IN Jail, sir, anu | Wish you'd let me
10, sir"
THIS was a rather peculiar plea, but
Justice Wenger took IL good.nalufed-
ly aud called for tho Witnesses Ia tho
case. They were the arrosting officer
anu Detective SheelR and both OF them
testified M 10 Jim's fondness for
pfowllng the etreets. He could bn
found "siepplng IL oil" from very
early morn until ABOUT dark, but he
was seldom sson after DARK. Ho was
perfectly harmless, but people who
were not acquainted with him geneT.
ally got frightened, more particularly
the ladies'.
jim took the stand.
81 haven't muon TO cay, air,
Isn't DO vagrant. lives with me-
relations In this Third ward aud do
their chores and when | gets through
comes up town. People seems 10 like
me anu 1 never does them no harm,
sir. do bit % work fer Mr.. Riley,
what keeps tho saloon on the corner,
sir, and II you'll let me go thls time,
sir, IN promise never 10 DO 20 again,
sig,"
"Havo you another suit Of ololhos9"
Inquired the court.
"Yes, sir" responded Ji,u, "and n
y0u'll let mo 20, l'll 30 right home
aud put II on aud never be found on
the streets again."
The coutrs sympathy went out 10
tho poor fellow aud ON the strength Of
his apparently sincere promises he was
allowed 10 70, with the injunction that
u he was arrested again On thH sans
charge, he would have 70 10 10 Jail.