The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-11-17

in that atmosphere OF lawlessness
where youths develop early, and they
not only led the younger ones in a sort
Of general rebellion against law and
order, but they we're personally guilty
Of many troublesome and occasionally
costly depredations. Naturally, they
made life burden to Policeman Flynn.
They played tricks on him, they got up
mock fights to fool him. they jeeIed
at him, and finally they began to
amuse themselves by throwing stones
at him whenever they could do so with
reasonable safety. He knew that they
were responsible for the minor criInes
Of which complaint was frequently
made, but he lacked evidence, and it
was not until he had narrowly es-
capped being Drained by half a brick
that he finally took two of the ring
leaders to the station. fstf
What's the charger" asked the po-
lice magistrate the next morning.
''M-m-m, well, they g bad lot, an
they was heavin' r-rocks at me-" ar
Did they hit your" demanded the
magistrate. And when the policeman
admitted that he had succeeded in
lodging the missile, the magistrate
added: ''Oh, well, boys will be foys,
and we mustn't be too hard on them.
If they d hit you it would be different
Discharged"
LUX at that, now" commented Po-
liceman Flynn. "A big chunk iv a
brick come fright fr me head, an |
duck, an that lets thin go free. T
was FIR me, / suppose, to ha-ave me
head shplit open f'r to ma-ake case.
Ohio! t is fine thing, is tn la-aw Nv
tn magistrates. 'Ha-ave We ye-er
head with YEP says his honor. I
ha-ave, says |. 'Ye ha-ave no business
to-, says he; an thin he says, This
day-findent is discharged FIR tn rea-
son that Officer Flynn comes into coort
with his head on, thereby vi'latin' tn
la-aw. I'd like to ha-ave a ton iv
that la-aw f'r to thrown in TIL river
Ye've got to ha-ave tn Evidence, a
ca-art load Nv it. It is like this: A fell
iy comes cr-reepin' up behind ma-an
with knife in his ha-and. IT is me
juty, says I to mesilf, FIR to artist
him. Wait, says tn ia-aw to me. 'f'r
he'll kill tn ma-an, an thin ven
ha-ave a good case Ohio. t is a
great thing to know tn law"
Fortunately, however, these remarks
were not made in the hearing OF the
court, and Policeman Flynn returned
to his beat Naturally, his troubles
were not lessened by his failure tc Sc
cure a conviction, for the gang became
holder and more demonstrative than
ever. But the policeman patiently
awaited his opportunity, and before
long he had the same two in custody
again, with what he believed to be a
good case against them.
1T was like this" he explained In
court the following days. ''Th door iv
tn grocery is open, an tn two pris'-
ners is r-runnin' AWAY. foilies
thin an shtumbles over ham, which
they dropped"
the boys lawyer.
Nv coorse not" answered Policeman
Flynn, but t is not to be supposed
tn ham wa-alked down tn alley be it
silf They s lot iv fruit, too, leadin'
all tn wa-ay 20 where tn byes is
grounded up, an they ha-ave a pocket
full Nv cha-ange taken from tn tii,''
How do YOU know it was taken
from tn till?" demanded the lawyer.
Because It's not in tn till Eow,"
replied Policeman Flynn.
oh, We'll" said the judge, at the
conclusion of the hearing, there is
nothing to show that they are the ones
WHO dropped the ham and the fruit,
lad they s.Te very plausible expla-