Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-19
ONE OF THE FINEST
Or the Story Of the Lost Son
from MiddIesex.
LATEST ADDITION TO FORCE
Valiant Son Of the Int. rIor t:ues After
A1E Game or His Fir.t Axslsmm. mt.
House Serge ant Bookcr's little
Joke. The First Arrest.
LATEST ADDITION TO FORCE

courthouse yesterday afternoon, and
business was slack in the station house.
there appeared to House Sergeant
1lenry Booker an apparition of hard
times in the shape of man.
lie was guIleless soft Of Il character
and looked the part Charlie Lawson.
he said his name was. and he came
from MiddlcscX county. where he lived
some ten miles from the railroad and
far from the maddcning crowds ig
nLpc strife.
Mr. Lawson. Of NiddicseN-Lost sen,
1soukcr called him--as he stood in the
presence of the house sergeant. seem
I'd built upon the lines of innocence
and hopeless hclplessncss. He was a
somewhat sandy looking man, pAssic.l
Is, With :; complexion tn. color OF
scrambled eggs a sprouting NOUS
tachc Of I, hue between pink and buri't
lumber. and hair that shonc in the sun
as CLEANS the scre and yellow grass in
the Middcscx marshes.
Five feet, eleven inches high. is spare.
Eaunt frame was adorned rather than
orn;mented with Il rusty coat THAT had
seen better days, trousers to match and
tennis shoes that are sold in country
stores as novelties at scvcnty-flvc
cents per pair. \ striped shirt. white
collar ana necktic completed the outti;.
all Of which, including the inside Of the
suit was clean.
Are YOU hiring any pulicc1nen?" he
asked tho house sergeant.
we are my Los, SON. said Mr.
Booker ticndishiy contc,nplalivc. I'VE
are. ] am going to break w the mean
ness in this town If / have 70 hire all
of the citizens of Middlcs.X To do it,
Are you strong" Can you fight? DO
v0u value your life" Have you any
thing to live for? Married or single?
Anyone dependent upon YOU: DO you
object to being carved up for the
amusclnel.t Of the '-African portion OF
cur population? Arc you quick on the
trigger? Gan you stand much toll?
AT" you frightened ut street cars?
Would you shy ut train? In Other.
words are you qualified 10 serv. on tho.
police force of the greatest city on the
face of the carth?"
MI. Lawson, Of Middlcscx. said nc
had been Il farmer and Il blacksmith;
he was strong He had ridden over to
Hampton on Il bo-cart and from Hamp-
ton TO Newport News on the electric
cars: he would not shy. He had hunt
cd squirrels and mlulcd rails; h" could
use both 6, gun and club. He had
people dependent upon him, but ne
could take care OF himself, ana if there
was any carving to be done. he thought
he would not nc the turkey.
Mr. Hooker told HIM that he would
90. and gong To he back part of the
Office took down from a peg Il coat Of
tne chcfs hanging there ana put it
upon the frame of the man from Mid
II h..1 n ma, 81.
several times too arSc for him, b ,long-
ing 70 one Of the officers. He gave him
a club and told him to consider himself
assigned TO No. beat which is in
Rockets.
just as the Lost Son started out for
MS beat, Chief Harwood happened
Gown to the stationhousc and met him
Thinking that the man was from one
Of the theatres" the chief did not
pay much attention to him until sud
denly he recognized his coat. He re-
uucs'tcd the appartion 10 surrender it,
bul the apparition sturdiy refused,
Saying ii had been placed shpon him bv
the chief. and intimatng that if the
Individual demanding the garment d.
sired to get it. he could come and take
il, whirling his club suggestlvely in tn.
ch'ci face, meanwhile, by way Of EN-
phasizns the hirt.
New Chief Harwood is a pcaceahIc
man, moreover, he is ~ man of dis
ccrHincnt, SO when he heard what the
appalt!on had TO say he Smcllrd the
pro:crbIal rat and Went in to Mr.
Booker for an explanation, which w,s
Forthcoming
IN The meantime City Auditor J. "
read and Captain Jeff Phillips. chief
OF the Hloodiield police, engaged in !,
desperate hand to hand conflict on Ihn
Side"aik IN front of the police station
y looked Tor moment as though tho
contestants would annihilate each oth-
81 ahu 'hcy We're beginning to get 4
iittlc tired of the exhibition when Law
son spied them and with whirln, c,uh
ruslcd out TO maintain the dignity ana
peace Of the commonwealth. lie
plunged between the co1nbn;iaris \,
the FISK Of his life and seized f,hirf
fh1Il'ps ny the nap of his neck ror =
a''iIlehl IT locked as though he were.
SolilS 10 murder the prisoner on The
Spot, but upon second Thought he dccid
ca to bring him into the s,ationbousc
50 NC hauled him before the house scr
SehHt, who fined him $40 ana costs a,4d
ordered him sent to Jail. IIc then son,
Lawson out for the other gnalcfacinr
VINO was fined a like amount, in spite
- i'i9 earnest DrOicEtatinnS
Lawson was then Informed hat H..
had done as much work as on. MN
ought To do in an afternoon ,,,, ,,,,
instructed TO 50 back 10 IIa7up,on an
ie'uri' later to bc sent out on ~ rnn-
u'a' peat. He received his Instructions
srdVe'y and took his departure HAVING
nrst Invested himself Of the chiefs coat
,'e vas told on his departure that his
ielhlet would pass him on the s;r.ct ,