The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-07
Gardner on the Stand
Late this afternoon Irwin A. Gardner defendant in
the first police bribery trial. took the stand in his own
behalf The defense may rest to-day

bilities. The inspectors explanations
lost their humor. Even his endeavor to
extricate himself from difficulties into
which he had been led by Mr. Smiths
cross examina ton drew forth no answer
Ing smile of appreciation from the states
star witness. ..-...-
Norbeck testified that he knew Edwards
only slightly; but was compelled to admit
that he had accompanied him on numer-
Gus occasions to various sporting resorts
where Edwards had bought numerous bot
ties of beer at 81 a bottle; had gone with
him to saloons, and had dined at his
home. He said he did not know Edwards
was big NIT man, and then he got into
trouble.
Mr. Smith asked him about the Tweeden
case in which a man of that name had
been victimized by Edwards in the court
house, three card monte being the device
used. Norbeck said he didn't know what
three card monte was, and added that he
had never seen it played. Whenever he
got into difficulties his ignorance became
more profound than ever. Sometimes it
was almost pitiful. ....
-,y-.- Chief Ames' Exhibition.
Fred W. Ames, chief of the Minneapo-
lis police department and brother to the
mayor, took MS turn upon the stand late
yesterday afternoon. The chief, like the
mayor, mas an execrable memory. Like
denial. In his testimony. the chief de-
MED fatty statements made by Lincoln
e.. Crossman, Billy Edwards, Roche
Prenevost, Robert t1lil ana EDWIN M. Colt-
ner., 1t was, perhaps, to be expected
| that he would do this; for the first two
men named are big mitt'y operators who
accused the chief of having accepted
protection" money, while the others are
| newspaper reporters. And the chief
! doesn't like, newspaper reporters. he
hates them as the devil hates holy water.
|, He remembers some of the things the
! reporters had to say about his conduct
| of the various trusts that have come to
| him and in explanation of his feeling he
| testified yesterday that the newspapers
had reported correctly nothing that he
! had done or said within the past three
| years. - H. -.-..,--. - t.-,'s.:--- =
| In regard to the Mick draft, the chief
admitted that his policy had been one of
| do-nothing. He had not sworn out a
warrant for the arrest of "Dr Phillips, -
| whom MEX accused of having swindled
him, because it was not his business;
| and he had not attempted to stop the
| pa yment of the draft because that wasn't
| his business, either. In fact, the chief
| doesn't appear to have realized just what
! his business was. He was unable to tell
| Al j. Smith, when questioned about it.
| He was quite certain, though, that it was
not "a newspapers business to publish
| the details of such cases .'prematurely''
and thus Flush the game, Publication
of the MEX story had made him mad"
and he didn't. hesitate to say SO. It
had also rendered effective police work
| in the case impossible. Just how this
had been accomplished the chief didn't
explain. Perhaps he could not He made
the statement, however, as an expert
criminoogist who, until yesterday,
| didn't know what big mitt joint" was
I and who had never seen, to the best of
his knowledge, a big mitt operator until
Mr. Smith introduced him to Billy Ed
wards.
| The chiefs innocence is that of a child.
He didn't know that big mitt joints were
operated in Minneapolis OF course, he
| had seen statements to that, effect in the
papers, but he dsbelieved everything
the papers published matter of prin
ciple; and, anyway, he didn't regard It
as any of the papers business.