The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-17
STOOL PIGEON FREE|
David Gullickson Is Promptly Re-
leased After Telling His
Story in Court. o.
Was Hired to Lead Others Into
Crime That Detectives Might
Catch Them.

David Gullickson, the self-confessed
"stool pigeon" employed by eX-Detec-
tives German and Vaughn, took the wit
ness stand in Judge Elliotts courtroom
this morning and before a. large and In
terested audience; told a story OF a me-
farious system which he said ives en-
ployed by two Minneapolis officers In
their efforts Ito make a record of arrests.
Immediately upon the conclusion of the
boys, testimony Assistant County Attor-
ney Leary moved that the case be dis
missed and the court so ordered.
''It is evident" said Judge Elliott in
dislnissing the case, ''that the defendant
has been engaged in a very disreputable
business. He has, however, been in
would be manifestly unjust to ask for
his conviction. I will, therefore, dis
charge the. defendant p Fl
This elimination Of the much-t talked OF
"stool pigeon case seemed evident as
soon as young Gullickson was fairly
launched in the telling of his story. Sell
dom has a court. in this county heard a
tale Of such a deliberate inspiring OF
crime as the one told by the witness this
morning. A system of inducing young
men to commit >thefts, burglaries and
highway robberies in manner shocking
to every moral instinct was exposed by
the boy. -. a.l H. q
Gullickson told everything in straight
forward and accurate way that COM
manded. confidence. His statements, tho
more definite and complete than others
made in this series Of cases, have been
corroborated by the testimony Of several
witnesses and stand practically uncon-
tradicted. ~ .~-...
From the young mans story it appears
that he was at one time suspected of
being implicated in q certain robbery.
While he was in, jail the two detectives,
Vaughn and German, he said, came to him
and told him that If he would work for
them they would get him out. The next
morning the boy was released, and the
officers, stating that they had done their
part, called upon him to assist them.
One thing led to another until UP to the
time of Gullickson's arrest the boy, was
acting as the detectives agent, laying
traps for and inducing his acquaintances
to commit crimes in such places that they
would fall Immediately into the officers
hands, who would thus be credited with
doing excellent work. The system was
reduced to such fine point that a meet"
ing place on First street and Third ave.
nue. s was chosen and every day at 2
p. m. the youth would report to the de-
tectives, tell of his progress and receive
orders. Two burglaries were committed
under this arrangement, according to
Gullickson's story, and two Of the men
implicated therein, Joe Morris and Frank
Webster, have been found guilty Of bur
glary, and one, William Catlin, has been
acquitted. Other suggestions were made
by the officers, including hold-up, but
the young man refused to operate in this
line Of work. "-
AS a recompense for his services as g
"stool pigeon" Gullickson says he was
promised $5 a job. -. =
"They didn't pay me all they prom.
ised,"> said the defendant this morning
"They gave me altogether about 81. Al
lone timeS they gave me $3.50; ,atsanother
$3.50; again so cents, and twice they gave
me rs CENTS ~
The two detectives, Vaughn and Cor.
| man, were discharged from the police
force as q result of the recent disclosures
and whether this punishment will be al
| remains to be seen =. = ,, .....sD'a..5 ,