The news & observer., 1904-11-09
ksAw POLICEMEN FLUSH A CovEY
B,t They Only Winged Their Game
by Keeping Them From Taking
Their Train-1he Mayors
Court Yesterday.

| The only tale of dramatic interest
which was unfolded in the mayor S
court yesterday Was that of the futile
| effort of two hawx-eyed policemen
to raid a supposed crap" game al
the union depot shed on Sunday. The
police observed a bunch OF some
thirty or forty negroes huddled on
the boards in highly suggestive atti-
tudeS and, making StealthY ap-
| proach, rushed upon them with the
swift suGdenness of vengeance itself
At the first CLINT of the bright badges
of the officers, the crowd arose like a
covey of birds and scattered TO the
four quarters in fraGmentary flight
Owing to the disparity in numbers
and the fact that each of the police
men held q "billy" in one hand only
three of the party were captured
These were duly incarceratea ana
came up for trial before the mayor
yesterday.
1t appeared from the testimony Of
the officers that the chaSe occurred on
Saturday night and that the negroes
concerned were circus hands who
were awaiting their train. Beyond
the fact that they saw the negroes
huddled in the suspicious bunch and
that the three defendants were there
caught when they descended like the
wolf on the fold, the arresting officers
had no evidence which could possibly
convict either of their prisoners. To
DC sure, they took along with the cap
tives piece of cloth and some few
small coins which the fugitives had
not deemed to justify the risk of try
ing to carry off, but they could in
no way identify the three negroes as
having been pos lively connected with
either, Hence the trio were discharg
ed and left to the cold mercieS of the
world until they could work their way
back to the circus by which they had
been employed.
The policemen concerned were two
green hands, Messrs. Ruck and Fran
els, who had Eeen sworn in with the
Messrs. Buck and Francis were hon
est men, who liked to give value re-
ceiVed for the wages they We're paid
and the privilege of wearing a nickle
star new secured with Sapolio. Had
1t not been for the intensity of their
interest in the game the brightness of
these would no doubt, like that of
the shining cop of Spotless town.
have arrested attention from aflr: as
cared nothing for evidence SO that
they made a capture and in this trey
were eminently successful. What is
a guardian of the peace for anyway,
ii ii is not to make trouble?
Lee Stephenson, a high-shouldered
hulk of a negro, was bound over to
court on the charge of stealing $3.50
belonging to another negro named
Ed Howard while the latter was at
the circus with his best girl, Bette
Ogburn. 1t appeared that when Ed,
called at the home Of Bette who ives
OH ScruggS' Alley. to take her to the
show. he left his spare money in her
trunk for safe keeping. On their re-
turn. It was gone. Aud according to
Haywood Ogburn, the brother of Bet
tie, it went the way Of Lee Stephen
son, whom he claimed to have seen
go into the trunk and extract the
missing money Iii his own behalf
lee entered a general denial and Inn
piled with more fierce than Subtlety
That the real thief was present in the
person of the prosecuting witness.
Despite .he fact that there was some
Goubt OF t:lat issue the mayor bound
Lee over to the Superior court on the
two charges of larceny and carrying
concealed weapons, pistol having
been found on his person 1T the time
of his arrest.
The "Bowery' again contributed
its quota i'm the persons of Edna Nor
ris and Alberta Young, who fought
each other TO the edification OF an ad-
D.Iing and enthusiastic concourse of
their friends until the police arrived
OH the scene. They were fined $4.25
each, which they paiil