The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-08-24
GLAD BANKER WAS JAILED
FOR WILD "J0Y' RIDE
Bemidji Men Declare St. Paul Man
Did Right in Sentencing
Waterman.

the sentiment business and pro-
fessional men in Bemidji regarding
the sentence of thirty days in the
workhouse imposed by Municipal
Judge Finehout of St. Paul on Frank
w. Waterman, president of the
Ramsey county bank who plead
guilty to having crashed into a
buggy while returning late from
Minneapolis late at night. Although
his automobile wrecked the buggy
Mr.. Waterman did not stop to see if
he had injured anyone. He was
traced down by the police and when
hauled into court readily admitted
the charge of fast driving.
When Judge Finehout said
"Thirty days" Waterman wanted
to know how much money that
meant. III H..
"No money" replied the judge,
"you are going to sort broom
straw at the city prison for the
next thirty days." >s-s. "a
This proved a shock to Banker
Waterman and as soon as he land
ed at the workhouse he called up
Attorney Kane, a member of the
St. Paul city council, and from
then on there were all sorts of
techn1calties located to show that
an unjust sentence had been i'm
posed. /.
Even the state board of pardons
was asked to liberate the condemned
speeder and when this failed writ
of habeas corpus was argued before a
district judge but Banker Waterman
is still sorting straw.
The case has proved to be a
national sensations: s. The " story
has been carried out of St. Paul by
the Associated Press and is appear
ing in all the larger newspapers of
the country, Chicago and New York
being especially extravagant in its
display.
In different cities sentiment varies
as to the justice of the sentence but
for the most part Judge Finehout is
applauded for sending the money
man to Jail.
There is one exception to this
feeling in Bemidji and it comes from
Frank S. Lycan, proprietor of the
Markham hotel who says:
II believe Waterman is being
made the goat. If it is true, as the
prisoner says, that his steering gear
was out of order, it seems to me
that a straight workhous sentence
was unnecessarily severe" "
w. L. Brooks, who like, Water
man is banker, and the owner of an
automobile, says:
1t is right, absolutely right. I'll
be willing to go up if they catch me
speeding. Any man who handles a
machine like that should take his
thirty days, whether he is banker
or the president of the United States. !"
Dr.. Gilmore, who also drives a
fast car said:
Il am not familiar with the
merits of the case, but if he was
speeding just for a JOY ride thirty
days was not too much. High
speed is all right in certain cases,
but not for JOY riding
Judge Spooner, when man is
so wealthy that money fine is no
punishment, jail sentence is the
only kind that will make him obey
the law in the future"
Gus Scherberg, expert chauffer
and mechanic at the Jewett garage,
says That sentence was all right.
Put all the needless speeders in jail
Hires Attorney; Mind Quickly Improves.
The Saltwater Gazette says
editorially:
After admitting he was guilty Of
exceeding the speed limit and serv-
ing number of days in the county
| Jail and workhouse at st. Paul.
Frank w. Waterman. president Of the
Ramsey County bank, has discovered
that on his way from Minneapolis to
st. Paul the steering gear was very
much out of order; that he travelled
| at slow rate Of speed and that there
was fog; he also saw large van
or heavy vehicle in the staeet and as
he approached the same he at.