Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-09-04
honiean, Chief Of Police.
BY WARREN MovElGH.
sSSSs9SSSSSSSSS$SSSSSS$$$o
oN1GAN was the chief of police of

II oNlDAN was NuC IlllSl VI pOLi1S Va
the great and hourishing town of
Borllder, Ariz. He was no ordinary
man, either in appearance or in deeds.
He was over six feet five inches tall,
about as thick through the chest as he
was through the legs, and his legs were
nothing to speak of. He weighed, in
fact, at the least, 95 or 100 pounds.
Lonigan never owned a horse, but he
had "a racing burro, Nancy Hanks, and
when the burro got tired Lonigan had
but to put his feet down on the ground
and carry the burro along under him
until he was rested
Lonigan had never had much chance
TO prove what his merits as policeman
were, in Boulder, for an ordinance
was passed the very first thing that, to
insure the growth of the town, no shoot
ing would be tolerated by the COM
munity. The male population was not
very large. We all had the welfare of
the town at heart, and it would not do
to kill off our own population. 1t was
therefore generally understood that
murder, justifiable or not, meant lynch
ing.
Lonigan's duties, therefore, up to tho
time of which l am about to write, con-
sisted merely of keeping the dogs oft
the grass, which, it was understood,
would grow in our plaza if it had half
a chance. Every morning at eight
O'Clock Lonigan would assemble at po-
lice headquarters, an elegant room in
the capacious town hall, call the roll
.l..s4 al. e., Il S,,,tS
was the whole police force-and then
he would go to work.
Lonigan thirsted for glory. He
would tell us of his great deeds, and
anyone with half an ear could under
stand how much Lonigan was anxious
for good murder mystery. And final
iy the desired opportunity came along.
Snip Wilkins shot and instantly killed
Bud Gaylord. Snip did not wait long
10 get out of town. Half an hour after
the murder was committed he was no
where to be found.
The chief of police was on the
ground at once. He asked a great
many questions, and examined the
bloodrstains with small magnifying
glass. He shook his head great many
times. and by not telling anyone what
he thought about it all, naturally Great
ed good impression. A half-hour's
examination and cross-eXaminatien
convinced him that he knew all about
the murder.
Snip done it," he declared, finally,
to the crowd.
You darned old fool" said Tom
Gable, 1--WE knew that half an hour ago"
Leave him alone" said Cross, the
newspaper man. Every man on jury
knows that murder has been commit
ted, but has to sit for weeks and find
it out. He's done the jury work in half
an hour"
I'll catch him." said the chief.
Then he called to Manuel, his servant,
to bring Nancy Hanks around.
Nancy, all saddled and ready for
long trip, was trotted out, and the
chief took reef in his legs and mount
ed his steed.
IF send for anything" he said, 'let
me have it at once. Depend upon me.
i didn't find out who stole that leak
in the gas-pipe at TeXarkana for moth
ing"
Then he kicked Nancy in the ribs and
rode off in cloud of dust. We cheered
him to the echo, and he disappeared
over the desert to the southeast.
That was the last we saw or heard of
him for a week. Gaylord had been
buried with military honors, and Boul-
der had almost forgotten all about his
murder and the chief of police, the first
birth having come along about that
time to give us q fresh excitement to
talk about. In fact, we had just about
decided that the lion Lonigan and the
lamb Wilkins had lain down together,
and that the lion had awakened on the
wrong side of the lamb, when one fine
day we received telegram from him.
The telegram was dated Arcadia, Tex,
and read:
Send down the cannon to me by ex-
press at once"
The cannon was one of Boulder's insti-
tutions. 1t had once belonged at Fort
Marcy. in New Mexico, where il had
done some service against the Indians.
The cannon stood in front OF the new
courthouse, and on the Fourth of July
played star part in our celebrations.
We could not imagine what Lonigan
could possibly want with ii, but as it
was the middle of the winter season,
The Fourth Of July some six months
'off. and the Apaohes at peace with the
surrounding country, we decided TO