The Saint Paul globe., 1897-08-18
THE COUNTRYMEN WE'RE EN-
TERTAINED CLOSED.
1T WAS ALL NEWS TO DORAN.
THE MAYOR SAYS HE KNEW MOTH
ING EXCEPT WHAT THE
GLOBE PRINTED.
WOULD NOT ! INVESTIGATE 1T.
Not Lock Trick or SvindIing
Game Reported for Two
Whole Days.

There are any number of persons,
including some that could be hit with
stone from the central police station
door, who will breathe easier over the
announcement of Mayor Doran that
there would be no investigation OF the
fake auction store graft. The mayor
was asked yesterday by reporter for
the G o e if there was to be all In
VeSugat1on as to the action OF the
police department in allowing the fake
auction stores to run with wide open
doors. His honor studied space ahead
of him for a moment and then said
that he had heard nothing about the
matter except what he had read in the
G o b e. He intimated that there was
nothing to the reports and announced
that there would be no investigation
so far as he was concerned.
While the mayor studied the space
ahead of him, he may have been Won
dering If the confidence men had act
ed upon the "tip" received from the
police department that things were
getting too warm and that they had
better close up shop for a time. He
need not have speculated upon this
point, however, though the temerity of
the "con' men might well have caused
him some thought, for the gang of
SWindlerS is too familiar with the en-
barrassing position of the police de-
partment by reason Of the G b e's
expose and could not afford to jeopar-
die it's alleged protection by continu-
ing business any longer at present.
The Sibley street place is closed, nav
ing been deserted yesterday, and
strangers will no longer run the gaunt-
let of this particular gang at that
particular spot in the city. The police
department was forced to some action
by the condition of affairs, as shown
by the G | o b e, and with the under
standing between this branch of the
city government and the SWindlerS,
quiet tip to close up was sufficient.
If the robbery had continued the
chief executive may have been forced
to an investigation, but with the place
closed. the excuse that what does not
exist cannot be investigated, is imagln-
ed to be sufficient. Consequently the
story about the high rent of the store
being responsible for closing the place,
when they were simply obeying the
secret order of the police. By this
course the department takes no official
cosnizance of the resort, and the police
can "con'' the mayor into believing a
legitimate enterprise has gone to the
wall through legitimate means. Only
a few pasteboard boxes were visible
about the Sibley street place, yester-
day, showing how fimsy were the pre-
tences of carrying on business en-
terprise.
An incident, which occurred one day
last week, wheneea reporter for the
G / o b e visited the place, is not with
out interest. A large stuffed pelican
was displayed in the window, as though
some impecunious taXidermist had
pawned his most cherished specimen.
To further his investigation the re-
porter pretended to desire to purchase
the bird. One of the men found in
the store informed the newspaper man
that the bird did not belong to the
store, but that he would take the visi-
tor to the owner of the bird. He led
the reporter to a Seventh street saloon,
where the value of the article was dis
cussed, but no purchase made. Yes
terday the pelican had vanished from
the window.
Members of the police department
say that for the last two days no
granger has complained to them about
the lock game.