The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-22
WINGED A BURGLAR
Patrolman A. G. Erickson Brings
Down a Man With a
Bad Record.
He Was Seen Burglarizing Saloon
and Attempted to Run
Away.

T.. j. Ferguson, better known In police
circles as John Wilson, was shot and
seriously wounded early this morning py
Patrolman A. G.. Erickson of the central
police. Erickson caught Ferguson In the
act of burgiarizing saloon at l25hs
washington avenue S. Ferguson was
taken to the city hospital. and the ply
sicians there think he will recover unless
complications set in.
Patrolman Erickson was making MS
final rounds before going home this morn
ing when he saw Ferguson In the saloon
helping himself to the goods behlnd the
bar. The burglar saw the officer, ran 70
the rear door and started to run into the
cross alley near Harmonic hall. Onlcer
Erickson called to him to stop but he
paid no attention. Thinking to frighten
him the officer fired twice at the ground,
but this only caused Ferguson to run the
faster. Officer Erickson then took aim
and fred. The shot was answered with
a cry Of pain and Ferguson fell to the
ground. iy #s@
His Wound Examined.
Other officers were attracted by the
shots and the man was taken to the city
hospital where 1t was found that the pul-
let has entered the body between the
ninth and tenth ribs, little to the lett
OF the spinal column and had pierced Inc
scapula. The lungs were not injured SO
| far as the surgeons could determine.
no complications develop from announcer
malady with which Ferguson is aft11cted,
| he will probably recover.
When the wounded man was picked UP
he refused to tell his name but Detect
| ives Percy DeLaittre and John Stalvc
called at the hospital and Identified him
| as a man who has been arrested In MIN
| neapolis, several times under the name OF
] John Wilson He is also known to have
been in trouble in st. Paul and Inspector
James Murnane, in charge OF the Ber'
tillon system and rogues' gallery IN 81
Paul. says that his true name Is L. j
Ferguson.
The last time that Ferguson was ar
rested In Minneapolis was last February
With another man he was suspected o.
| robbing a Washington avenue N. saloon
| The evidence against him was not strong
and he was charged with vagrancy t.
which he pleaded guilty and was giver
ten days in the workhouse.
Ferguson's Record.
| The police furnish the following Grim
inal record of Ferguson, which they sa.
is as complete as they have been able t.
make it but which is thought to orni
] several arrests:
In 1896 he was sent to the st. Clou'
refornatory but escaped; in 1897 he serve
sixty days In the ST. Paul workhouse; il
1898 he received a two and "a -half-yea
sentence in Saltwater and served his time
in 1900 he served one-year sentence i
the Anamosa, Iowa. prison; in June, 1907
he was arrested in this city for larcen
from the person and was held to the gran
jury, but the case was afterward nolled
In September, 1902, he was given thirt
days in the Minneapolis Workhouse on
charge of vagrancy and in February, 100;
he served ten days upon a similar chargt
Ferguson is greatly frightened about hi
wound and fears that he will not recover
He called for priest shortly after reach
ing the hospital. He told a detective the
If he. was going to die he would tell
tabout his past and his burglaries.