Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-07-27

In Judge Staser's court last We'd
nesday Thomas Butler charged with
being drunk and disorderly was fined
$40 and costs, in default of which Mr..
Butler rested all night in the city
bastile. Next morning the marshal
took the said Butler to the restaurant
where his stomach was surprised with
beefsteak and potatoes. While that
process was in operation the marshal
went out to provide wheelbarrow and
shovel to help Buffers digestion, but
was mildly surprised to find on his re-
turn, not Butler but u vacant chair.
Thursday afternoon Chas. Erickson
was brought into court on warrant
sworn out by E. J. Wyman, his uncle,
charging Erickson with assault. The
evidence given on the trial was to the
effect that while several of a party
from Minnesota of which natives OF
Sweden seemed to predominant were
RECALLING themselves at labels saloon,
Erickson took exceptions to some OF
his uncle's remarks and proceeded to
even matters by flatteni,.g the uncle's
nose. Judge Staser thought 500 and
trimmings would about square the
account with the city. After giving the
matter careful consideration all night
during which time Erickson did his
musing in the "cooler" the party
"coughed up" and the books were
balanced in the case.
Friday also had its inning, when
Geo. McClelland was cited to attend
on the court and answer to a charge
made by one Jas. Ried that lie was
suffering from mashed nose, torn
clothes and other injuries received at
the hands OF said McClelland. About
the same time Mr.. Ried was required
to explain away charge made by
McClelland to the effect that Ried
had assaulted him, McClelland, with
a club, bar of iron, and water pail.
The testimony of three witnesses pro-
duced the evidence that McClelland
was the proprietor ola threshing out
fit and was camping temporarily in
Ritzville. Ried was employed as cook.
Some of the party during their enforced
leisure had employed their time in
playing tricks upon the said cook.
They held him under the hose and
put tar on his hands when he was
asleep and laughing when he awoke
and rubbed his eyes thereby adjoining
himself with II niger minstrel make
up and finally by sewing his trousers
legs together while he lay asleep on
the derrick table. 1t was while in
that condition that he concluded to
retaliate with some practical joke,
just what, will never be known for
when he jumped to the ground and
found himself hobbled, and the boss
happening to be near he concluded
that the boss was the perpetrator OF
the last joke. He opened on him
with volley ofDutch cuss words and
then with volley of sticks, stones
and water pail in regular order. The
boss, who claimed to be ignorant of
what the others had done, surprised
the Dutchman by tapping him on the
nose.
The judge thought that while there
had been a technical violation OF the
law, tho peace and dignity of the state
had not been violated to any great ex-
tent and accordingly discharged all
parties advising one to be more care
full in future in his manner OF playing
practical jokes, and advising the other
to either learn enough English to en-
able him to know an American joke
when he saw one, or else get some
where where they were played in
German.