The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-25
MINNEAPOLIS GRAFT
TOOL BREAKS PAROLE
Continued From First Page

Patrolman Hennessey, who promptly
placed him under arrest. AT the CEN
trail police station he dropped in a
drunken stupor and was asleep when
a deputy warden arrived from the
penltentiary to take the paroled pris-
oner back. He was still drunk when
he reached the penitentiary and fell
asleep in his old cell there so quickly
and with such entire contentment that
the customary bath and hair cut will
not De administered until this morning
News of the fall from grace of
Chris Norbeck, minneapolis detect
I've and CRATER, will not be received
with any signs of mourning by friends
OF the Ames contingent in Minneap-
ols or in this city. 1t was through
him that the first direct evidence of
the existence of grating was made
public in Minneapolis during the Ames
administration. 1t was he who. in n
complete confession, revealed the in
nermost secrets of the Ames admins
tration. as he knew 1t. And three
times during his incarceration in Still
water he was brought back to the Mill
city willing witness to give testimony
against his former associates.
Norbeck Becomes a CRATER
In 1898 Chris Norbeck was appointed
patrolman in Minneapolis He walk.
ed beat eight years. In 1901 DIR.
Ames became mayor of Minneapolis
and Norbeck became a detective. He
also became a CRATER He collected
protection money right and left.
Everything was well until early in
1902, when Cheerful Charlie Howard
and Billy Edwards, noted big mitt" or
confidence men reached the town.
They at once affiliated themselves
with Norbeck and started out on
wholesale crusade for easy money.
They were entirely successful until
one day they f1eeced a farmer out of
$25 and he complained to two detect
ives who arrested them. Howard and
Edwards lost no time in telling all
about Norbeck and what he had prom
ised them. Al. Smith, assistant coun-
ty attorney, took them before the
grand jury, and Norbeck was indicted
upon three counts. the principal one
being that of accepting a bride He
pleaded not guilty and was released
upon bail of $4,000, signed by Brando
Sodini, the variety house magnate,
and Capt. Dick Hill of the police force.
No sooner was Norbeck at liberty
than he resumed his heavy drinking
operations. The Saturday night before
his trial he imbibed more deeply than
ever and Monday morning he was
missing. His bail was declared for
feited and Brando Sodini at once Of
fered reward of $1,000 for Norbeck's
apprehension.
A short time later trampish look
ink individual walked into a Chaska
drug store and telephoned to Carrie
Emerson, Minneapolis woman. He
was very drunk and he was Chris
Norbeck. The druggist hurried out
and found the village marshal. To-
gether they placed the ex-detective
under arrest.
Tells Story of Graft
While he lay in Jail AL. ]. Smith.
the assistant county attorney went 10
Chaska, accompanied by a party of
newspaper men and interviewed Nor
beck. He broke down and told the
whole story of graft laying the blame
upon his superiors, Capt. Hill, Chief
Fred Ames, DIR. Ames the mayor, and
Norm King, chief of detectives.
Upon the strength of that confession
indictments We're found against all the
parties named. Norbeck himself was
sentenced to three years in the peni-
Tertiary. He served eighteen months
and last November, on account of his
good behavior, he was paroled.
Under the terms of his parole he
was to be given an unconditional dis
charge at the end of nine months If he
behaved himself during that time. He
returned to Minneapolis and went to
work driving a coal wagon for former
Mayor Pratt. But, according to re-
ports from the Mill city he was not
good long. He fell in again with the
old associate of his police days, Carrie
Emerson. and ii is said that his family
has suffered since he returned because
of his devotion to her.
With good behavior his Saltwater
sentence is committed to twenty-three
months. leaving him five months still
to be served. He is AZ years of age.