The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-07-19
CLAWED BY ALTON.
Little Girl Gets Too Near the
Cage.
Gambling Games Closely Watcheds.-Pro-
prietor of a "Pinched' Spindle is
Quickly Shut Off.
From Wednesdays Daily.

The little daughter of James Ben
nett, engineer at the knitting mill,
was badly lacerated by one of the lions
this forenoon in the animal show.
The lady trainer was about to give her
performance in the big steel barred
arena, when some one lifted the little
girl up upon the platform that runs
around it, in order that she might OBJ
tain better view. Just then the gate
was opened and the lions came bound
ing in. One of the brutes saw the little
girl and reached his paw through the
bars and caught her. He pulled her
close enough to close his teeth upon
her shoulder She was pulled away,
but deep cuts were inflicted upon her.
The little girl, who is about eight
years old. was carried to DR.. Follman' s
drug store, where he and DR.. BJelland
dressed her injuries. 1t was found
necessary to take twelve stitches. 1t
was found that the claws had gashed
the right thigh for four inches and
across the spine for two and half
inches. The teeth had cut the scalp
on the back of the head, and eight
tooth punctures were found on the left
shoulder and back. The doctors con-
sidered that it was a wonder that the
child was not more severely injured.
AS IL is, the wounds are expected to
heal rapidly.
The occurrence happened in sec
ond, in the presence of a number of
spectators, who were Mortified.
James Hefferin took out license
late yesterday afternoon to operate a
spindle. He started business at 6 80
and an hour later Chief Bowen closed
him down and confscated his para
phernalia for violation of his license,
which required him to conduct a
straight game.
Those who played his game were
losing right along and Mr.. Bowen,
after watching operations, demanded
to examine his table. He pulled up the
oilcloth and discovered that the spindle
was being ''pinched' under the table
in manner hardly observable to the
eye. The table had the appearance of
any other table made of plain pine
boards, with a slat around the edge.
The slat was loose on the side of the
operator, and stick ran from it to
the hole where the spindle went into
the table. By pressing on the slat the
stick would press on the spindle and
stop it wherever the operator wished.
A number of suspected grafters and
pickpockets who were rounded up by
the police last night today consulted
c. L. Benedict. He brought about an
agreement with the authorities that
they would release them and that they
would go to the depot and buy tickets
for poin Is at least a hundred miles
away from Mankato and depart on the
first trains. An officer was to accom-
pany them and see that they did as
agreed.
The police and Elks' committee on
privileges have watched the pin wheel
men so closely to see that they operate
upon the square that they are COM
planning of the lack of profits and say
that they will leave the city. Those
who came to the city expecting to
fleece the people have learned that they
came to the wrong place.
The police and detectives have been
so active in rounding up suspicious
characters as to cause the most favor
able comment. One man got off train
today, registered at hotel, lighted
a cigarette and was. taken into custody
by the police moment later. He is
an alleged pick pocket.
Only one case of pocket picking has
been reported, and no burglaries have
occurred. L. w. Lineaweaver, who
travels for the Gustavus A. Moebs
Cigar Co. of Detroit, Mich, and
handles the Ell Tirano and Bill Tibbs
cigars, lost his-.swatch charm. The
ring which held it was found pried
open. This is supposed to have been
a case of pocket picking, although it
is possible that the charm caught
against somebody in the crowd and
was pulled off.