The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-31

dSiSoIueuI, that, IdTuueI ludue LII LII ~ Ou'
Use not to fleece citizens of Minneapolis:
that he himself went further, of his own
accord, and said he would not 5"skin'' any
one who lived in either Hennepfr or RAM
sey counties; and promised to do his best
to see the victims did not beef to the
police.
The $1,000 proposition, Edwards says
was made on the night he was first introl
duced to Gardner.
Gardner ask I'd Norbeck to step out OF
the. room" said the witness, land then
he said to me. that business was good
and we could afford to pay $1,000 SO the
old man could have it when he got back.
/ told him that would be agreeable to me,
if Link Crossman would agree to it.
Gardner said he didn't know just what
we wanted, but that it must be good, il
we could afford to pay that much for it.
i don't understand it, he said; and so I
showed him how l done it.. He produced
a deck Of cards and showed him trick
people: with it. He said it might be all
right, but he couldn't see It. Well.
said, 'weScan see it easy enough Then
he asked me If we skinned people who
lived in town and said no, not even peo-
pie who lived in the county but only out
siders. I said we always left them their
ticket or money enough to get out OF
Il, L
steerers stay with them until they left,
so that they wouldn't go down to police
headquarters and beef about being done
up. ~ ~
He asked how many men would have
to put to work and told him as many as
1 could. said there weren't enough In
town and I would have to send outside
TO get them. Then-Is told him would
have to have ten anyway, and that they
W. n nj
guaranteed police protection, and he re-
piled that would be all right. He had his
coat off and star on his vest. asked
him what he wore that for sort of Joking;
and he said 4 need it in my business.
Why, you amt detective are your said
l.: Z don't know you and / know all the
detectives Norbeck had come back into
the room before that and he answered me.
Hes the whole thing, all right, he said.
Then Gardner told me he had the handl-
ing of the graft and the women. He said
he would give us protection. but could not
give us a receipt for our money.
The Big Mitt Outfit.
HE asked what would need to carry
on the business, ard l told him only a.
table, four chairs, a pack of cards and
some poker chips. I said we'd have to
have steerers; and thatI was broke and
would have to get the money to start
1
| that night and Gardner says, Link is
pretty stingy, amt he Yes I says,
he is. That's the reason I've got to go
to him. He don't spend money like do
\ Ae knew Crossman and he promised to
I try and persuade him to go into the deal"
"Did you have any talk about where
| you should open this big mitt joint? %.
asked MIR. Smith. What does big mitt
mean, anyway. don't know"
eff don't mean anythtnpS roSp0nded
the witness The newspapers used that
| word, and $50 that's what we call it. I
don't know, except that the newspapers
| invented it. We talked about location
and 1 said we would open up in some
quiet neighborhood off the main streets"
| Later Gardner met Edwards, Crossman
| and Howard. He had known Crossman
\ before and had t>done business With him."
I At that time the demand for 81, 900 Was
cut first to $500 and then to- 5000; and
/ Gardrer had again repeated that the
EmayoI must have at least 500 week.
TCrossnan said the division. was all right
but refused to pay SO much in advance,
saying that something might happen.
The $780, however, was finally turned over.
when Gardner first talked to Cross
! man about it was there continued the
/ witness. "He said: Are you thinking Of
going into business 2 Link Crossman said
/ he might, that he had been talking things
over with me. 'Well,' says Gerdner, 4
/ think pref ty we'll Of the scheme and SO
( does Edwards and Norbeck. It looks good
to me- Link asked why 1t was necessary
to pay so much down and Gardner told
him. He said: IT you get to the old
| man with 81 600 no one can knock you.
There's Tanner. He wants all the joints
I've had an awful time with Tanner; but
onceyou've paid $1,000, you'll be all right.
| No one can knock you then
4 r. = Hf,s$ RI Ia Sai
we'd have nothing to show for our money
and that they might give us the horse
i laugh. Gardner said he'd give us his
i word of honor that everything would be
4 all right if we paid the money, but Link
wouldn't do It,. Finally Gardner said he
] would talk to the mayor about it. If We
! paid the 81 900, he said we could run
1 ten weeks without bothering any more
about the mayor but that we'd have to
pay him and Norbeck $50 week eachgf
!, (. A State Witness Disappears.
Ernest A. Wheelock, private secretary
/ to Chief of Police Fred Ames, who also IL
i under Indictment was in court this morn
ing, armed with stenographer's note
4 book. Drawing his salary from the city,
/ he will nevertheless make a transcript OF
Z alls testimony given in this case for the
use of the defense. Meanwhile, the chief
will worry along as best he can, without
a secretary.
4. During the noon intermission to-day
i the discovery was made that one of the
states witnesses named Henderson had
disappeared He was last seen in company
with man vitality interested in the de-
tense. 4 bench warrant will be issued
for him, and interesting Developments
may be expected If he can be found &
Defense Is overruled.
1 At the opening Of proceedings thi.
morning Judge Harrison ruled that
lit was unnecessary for the state
4 to- show the commission Of any
crime on the part Of either Crossman Of
Edwards who are alleged to have paid
Gardner protection" money holding that
an agreement to protect criminal from
arrest for some crime which might be
committed in the future was in itself
criminal In a police officer. The other
points raised by the defense in the no.
i tton made late Thursday afternoon to ex-
clude testimony were also over ruled Ind
= the court ordered Assistant County Ats