The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-10-21

auire the publicity of their names.
their operations at little
after o'clock, they, kept it up until
after ten o'clock, and the longer the
methods were kept up
the greater the crowd that INDUCED
in them. Flour, ground feed and
starch were the substances most pro-
thrown. Not being con-
tent with this, buckets of water were
brown from second story win
dows upon the heads of innocent
passers by, completing the ruin of the
wearing apparel OF those so unfortUn-
ate as TO be caught. Syphon bottles
filled with water were also used to
further add insult to injury.
The policemen should not have
permitted such acts to continue.
1t is said that they made Two or
three feeble attempts to break 1T up,
but after getting flour dashed in their
faces would return to the quiet
precincts OF the police station. They
should have arrested every
person caught throwing flour
or other substance without
regard to sex or anything else, and
jagged them same as they
would had it been lot of drunken
rowdies. The proceedings were
wholly inexcusable, and the mayor
would be wholly justified and backed
by public sentiment by arresting
every person known to have been a
party to the disgraceful proceedings.
1t Is estimated that no less than a
ton of -four was wasted Saturday
night, and no one can estimate the
cost in dollars of ladies dresses, wraps
and hats that were ruined, and of
mems clothing that were injured or
rendered unfit to wear.
The Free Press is in receipt of the
following letter, written from Amboy,
and signed by Mrs. B. Fields.
"Will you kindly inform me if the
fair association is willing to pay
damages done on expensive hats and
dresses last Saturday night by throw
ing flour and other stuff at them?
The writer had silk dress and eXpen-
siye hat totally ruined, and many OF
your MankaI ladies must be in the
same delimma. We have never been SO
ill used anywhere"
No doubt there are scores of ladies
residing outside the city who receiv.
ed the same treatment as did Mrs.
Fields, as we'll as hundreds in the
city, and there ought to be some re.
course for damages for her as well as
all others who were injured in like
manner. The management of the
fair cannot be held responsible for the
actions INDUCED in on the streets OF
Mankato Saturday night. But the
city authorities ought to be, and the
city ought to reimburse every indi
vidual who can produce garments
showing injury to value. We say the
city ought to be held responsible be-
cause the police are hired and paid to
preserve the peace of the city and to
protect the people from injury to per
son and property.
If Mankato, through it's administra-
tive authorities, does not stamp its
seal of condemnation on the riotous
action of Saturday night, fearlessly
and without favor, it will certainly
be censurable. 1t is no time to ex-
cuse such action. When people from
the country and surrounding towns
respond to our invitation to come and
join with US in great street fair, and
do so in such generous numbers as
they did last week, they have the
right to expect and claim pro-
lection from riotOus insults
such as were heaped upon them the
closing night of the fair.
The splendid results of fair week
have been sadly marred, and the peo-
pie of Mankato do not uphold those
indulging in the shameful acts of Sat.
urday night.
The affair is now up to Mayor Pau,
and the people of this city will look
to him to right the wrong. insofar as
lies in his power, that has been done.
1T MIGHT BE STIMULATING.