Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-05-08

I'll IL NOT so very ION {, ago ElIittl 5tHIee
Apatrolmen came in off their beat to-
find that come one had broken into
their lockers and cleaned them, not
only of the civilian clothes, but of
extra uniforms us we'll. .s
HE HAD HIS. NERVE.
The most audacious case on record
however, is that of the man who tried
to short change Desk Sergt. IAenzi
This man, taken into custody as a
suspicious character tried on a charge
of vagrancy. had n little over SIS on
him when arrested and searched at the
station. This money, as Is done In the
case of all persons booked and held
in the Jail, was placed in an envelope
and returned to him upon his release.
1t was then that he attempted to turn
tho trick that would have left Sergt.
sLenzi $40 short In his salary check If
the game had worked successfully. The
sergeant carefully counted out the
money and passed itsover the desk to
the man. He began counting. and gave
the sergeant a scare by calling at
missing. While counting the money
he had cleverely palmed a $40 gold
piece, and about the only, thing that
saved the desk sergeant was the pres
lence of another officer who had seen
the money counted out in the first
place. t
STEAL FROM EACH OTHER,
In the Jail itself thievery among the
prisoners is all of II petty nature. and
Is confined mainly to the appropria
ton of another's clothes, since all
3Yaluables are removed from the prison
en- before he is placed in the cell.
The man who would steal the Goa
or shirt Off another mans back is
no infrequent inmate OF the prison.
Not long ago While Jailer wilkinson
sat in the courtroom scanning the long
TOW Of prisoners which he had brought
in for hearing. he was struck with the
strange appearance of two of them.
on the preceding night a man had
been brought in coatless. but In the
courtroom that man Wore q coat, while
his shirtslecves. The original coatless
man had stolen his cel-mate's coat
before going into the courtroom.
DIPLOMATIC SERGEANT.
The popular belief that when a drunk
en- man Is arrested he is thrown into
Jail by brute force is more invariably
wrong than right. 1t is true that
there are cases where q man is, Or
rather, has to be dragged or carried
into the cell house. but more generally
the task Is accomplished by II fine tact.
One night a rather addressed man
was found on the streets in II condition
that made the Jail the better place for
him over night. When taken before
the desll sergeant to be booked his
wrath at the indignity put upon him
signing the officers and all the depart
ment to Sheol when he stopped sudden
lylto hearwhat Sergt. Lenzi was saying
in quiet, suave tones.
",fhis is a prefix nice, gentlemanly
fellow, jailer, and guess you'd better
give him the blue room, next to the
parlor.',
ing in II blank look of establishment,
which was intensified as the sergeant
Went on:
And, say, see that clean sheets are
put on the bed. and leave an order
for u good porterhouse steak to be
fixed for him In the morning. Thatil
fix him up all right"
BY this time the inebriate had pulled
himself together and saw things In a
new light The police We're all right
after all, not what he thought they
were, and he began a stream of thanks
as profuse as had been his maledictions.
The thought Of the rcstfulness of the
clean-sheeted bed in the soothing at
of the blue room, and pro-
spect Of the tender, juicy steak In the
morning had an invigorating as well
us II SOLDERING effect and viii, will
ing step the man followed the jailer to
the Jail. And then the surprise. If tho
prospect of what he thought he was
going to get half-sobered him, the sight
OF what he was getting completed the
work What he said when lie was
pushed into the drunk-cell, more aptly
described as a concrete tank. with its
little marrow window reeking smell,
and bare. wooden bench for bed Is to
be left unrepeated, but even Sergt.
I.euZi heard him. Still the man was
got into the jail without the use Of
force.