The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-07
FLUSHED Thu GAME
BUNGLING OF POLICE AND COUNTY
ATTORNEY IN THE MID
DLETON CASE
HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO ACT

AndersOn's Excuse for Delay in
Making the Arrest--The Police
Take a Young Fellow Into Gus
tOdy and That Set OF the Alarm
BeII-Facts Were Known Two
Days Before the Warning Came.
WoEderment is great in police cir
cles, now that the true state of af-
fairs in regard to the supposed mur-
dererS of Arthur G.. Middleton has been
made known through the story in The
G o e yesterday, why County Attor-
ney Anderson, Detective Campbell and
the private detectives working on the
case did not secure the arrest of the
men whom they accuse Of the crime,
when, according to their own state
ments, tbs alleged criminals and their
whereabouts were known two weeks
ago. That County Attorney Anderson
should have blundered in the matter
causes no surprise, but, with Mayor
Kiefer and Assistant County Attorney
ZOllman also in possession of the facts
in the case, it is remarked as passing
strange that the arrest, which, it is
claimed, could have been so easily
made were delayed so long.
County Attorney Anderson and his
aides were closeted all morning in the
county attorneys private Office Thurs
day drawing up warrants for the ar
rest Of the suspects. This was twenty
four hours before anything about the
recovery of Middleton's watch appear
ed in the papers, and the county at
torney claims one Of the suspects was
in the city at that time. why was
not this one man arrested then as
soon as the warrants were drawn up"
iC oCIYn Nv A
says he had to have Middleton's watch
in one hand before he reached out with
the other to arrest the supposed muir
derers While he was waiting to get
the watch the men whom he says are
the guilty parties escaped.
Sheriff Wagner says County Attor-
ney- Andersons attempt to place the
blame for the blunder upon some one
else other than those working on the
case is ridiculous.
r. Last Wednesday, two whole days
before the story of the watch appeared
in the papers,, said Sheriff Wagner
yesterday in speaking of the case,
County Attorney Anderson and his
private detectives were in full possess
sion of all Of the information I had con.
corning the watch. 1 showed them the
watch, and besides giving them tbs
name of the person through whom the
watch came to me. 1 told them the
name and address of the men suspected
of the crime. This took place at a con-
sultation in Mayor Kiefer's office.
Should it take two days to arrest a
man loa1ng about the streets of ST.
Paul and to send a telegram to Mil
waukee, Wis, where the other sus-
pect was under surveillance? 1 should
think not.
Furthermore, Chief Schweitzer was
aware that watch supposed to be
Middletons could be secured told
him along about the first of last week
that l had the watch. Middleton's
brother had not then identified the
timepiece, and so did not know to a
certainty that it was the one taken
from the murdered man. I was in a
hurry at the time, and told Chief
SchweitZer that 1 would try to see him
that same evening and give him more
particulars. I could not get around to
the station on account Of other engage
ments, and none of the detective force
came to me to get any information IN
til l was called into Mayor Kiefer's
office Wednesday. As a result Of this
mixed up condition of affairs the police,
County Attorney Anderson, the private
detectives and Detective Campbell all
put off making the arrests for two
days, and in the meantime the sup
posed murderers got away"
AS a matter of fact, the men sup>
posed to have murdered Middleton are
said by those in a position to know to
have received their warning through
the arrest, Thursday, Of the young man
Who as was told in The C o b of
yesterday, turned Middleton's watch
over to Deputy Sheriff John Hammes.
This young fellow, in spirit of graft
tude for a kindness done him by Dep
uty Hammes, was doing all In his pow
er to aid justice in the capture of the
supposed guilty parties, but in order to
get the credit Of clearing up the mys,
terry Detective Campbell and the pri,
waite detectives raised a hue and cry
after they had flushed the game.
While he was placed in the "sweaA
box" the men wanted got wind of the
arrest and fed. Seeing their blunder,
the detectives released the young man
from custody, but when they found
that their real game had successfully
flown the coop, they hunted UP the
young fellow again Friday and, with
handouts on his wrists, hurried him
back into the Sweat box" where, so
far as can be learned, they are still
working out the 'thirty-third degree
on him.
That the supposed murderers would