The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-20
AHERN AND MURPHY.
Another Act Played in Their Long
Farce Comedy,

Another Act fAayeO IN Ihe1r Long
Farce Comedy
Peter Murphy, against whom it had
been charged that he had spat upon
and reviled Officer Ahern and other
wise evidenced contempt for that rep
resentative of the police department,
had his hearing in the police court yes
terday afternoon before Judge Twohy.
Not only was Murphy discharged but
the court in passing judgment, took
occasion to censure Ahern in such Sc
we're terms as to move the officer him
self to remark afterward that he had
been placed on trial instead of the
prisoner" Ahern testified that on the
day in question gentleman COM
planned to him of Murphy and he went
to restaurant on Sibley street, near
Fourth, where he knew Murphy to be,
as he said. to see that he did not
cause any more trouble. AS he stood
outside of the place, Murphy stepped
partly through the door and, after
splitting at him several times, did sue
coed in lodging some saliva on his coat
sleeve, whereupon Murphy laughed.
Then he spoke to Murphy, who replied
by telling him to go somewhere. 1t
was at this juncture that he put Muir
ply under arrest. Two witnesses cor
roborated the statements of the officer
as to the splitting, and said that it ap-
peared to them that Murphy was try
ing to spit upon Officer Ahern.
Murphy, on the other hand, declared
that he was merely trying to expector-
ate through the grating on which
Ahern was standing, and was perfectly
innocent of any attempt to soil the
trim-look1ng blue uniform or heap in
dignity upon the wearer thereof. The
principal efforts of the defense, how
ever, were directed to show that
Ahern, after placing Murphy under ar
rest, had laid violent hands upon his
prisoner and had used unnecessary
force. Three witnesses declared that
they had seen the officer strike Muir
ply with his hand and that the latter's
conduct had not been so violent as to
warrant any such action. Ahern, in
his ss-examination, had denied that
he struck Murphy, but admitted that
the prisoner might have received a
bruise which appeared on his face in a
scuff1e which they had after the arrest
and which he said was caused by an
effort on Murphy's part to get away
from him.
Judge Twohy, in Diminishing the case.
said that there appeared to him to ex-
ist in the neighborhood of the depot a
rather unhealthy state of affairs which
was contributed to in a measure by the
hotel runners. He did not think, how
ever, that Officer Ahern should assume
that those with whom he came in con-
tact felt antagonistic to him and re-
garded him as a public enemy but
rather that he should take the position
of protector of the public. AS for
the prisoner, the court had some pre-
vlouS knowledge of him. He had In
the past violated the law and had been
punished for it,but the court could also
bear witness to the fact that he had
been arrested unjustly on some occa-
sions. Because man had violated the
law 1t did not necessarily follow that
he should be arrested and punished
whenever seen by an officer. and in the
present instance the court could see no
motive on Murphy's part to commit the
act aScribed to him.
At the conclusion of the case Murphy
remarked to some of the bystanders
that he was mot through with that
man yet" and it is understood that he
will make a complaint against Ahern
for assault and battery.