The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-10-25

Judge w. L. Comstock exhibited
the right kind of judicial temper
this morning when he sentenced
William Ray, who was arrested last
evening on a charge of following
and insulting a lady of respectable
ity, to a fine of 500 or ninety days
in Jail, the limit of the municipal
court. Ray claims that he is from
Walnut Grove and mas some real
estate up there, also some well
known friends, but his career in
twenty-five. day Jail sentence last
spring, having been caught by the
police in a raid. The police, so it is
claimed, found Ray on that occasion
in garb that would have done
credit to Adam in the Garden of
Eden.
Accosted Lady on Poplar Street.
For the past few days Ray has
been doing porter work at a local
hotel. Yesterday afternoon between
$50 and six o'clock he followed a
young married lady down Poplar
street on his way to his boarding
house. After following the lady for
a short distance he accosted her and
began to ask her questions. She paid
no attention to him and refused to
answer. He wanted to know if she
was stranger here and where she
lived, whether she would be at
home in the evening and alone. He
then asked her if she ever went to
shows and if she did not want to
attend one that evening. Receiving
no answer the man asked her
She still ignored him and walked
to the edge of the sidewalk and
turned her back to him. He still
kept firing insolent questions over
his shoulder at her until people who
passed commenced to take notice.
Ray finally ceased his unwelcome at
tentions and made hasty retreat
across the street toward his room
ing house. Shortly after this the
young Woman's husband came along
When he learned what had been 60
ing on he Immediately made tracks
to find his wife's tormentor. After
ascertaining that he lived at 416
Poplar street he at once entered a
complaint against the man and had
him arrested and locked up.
Ray Pleaded Guilty.
Ray was arraigned before Judge
Comstock this morning. He was
charged with disorderly conduct
The defendant pleaded guilty Ray
attempted to explain his conduct to
the judge. = ... ~.
Rays story differs from that told
by the young woman. He says that
he is canvasser and is also work
ing in the interests of l. M. Olson,
candidate for district Judge in the
ninth judicial district. On account
of the fact that in his business he
speaks to people whom he does not
know he said that he did not feel
that he was doing any wrong in ac-
costing the lady. He said that he
thought she must be a stranger and
perhaps would welcome some advice
as what street she was on or some
thing of the sort. His account of
the conversation is as follows: He
caught up with her on his way home
to supper and said: "How do you
do?' She replied that she was very
we'll. His next question was ''Do
you live in this town." She an
swered: mo, l am a stranger here"
Ray then remarked that it was a
nice town, that she agreed with
him. He then asked her if she did
not want to go to a show. She did
not answer, and he went on about
his business, so he claims. "And
just for that" Ray complained in an
injured tone of voice, they locked
me up"
Argued With the Judge.
Ray has very plausible way of
talking and is a pretty smooth sort
of man. Lately he has been So
Letting for a tombstone factory. He
claims to have farm near Walnut
Grove, but it is rumored that this is
in his wife's name. He is a man
about fifty-fiye years old and has the
appearance of the old time political
stump speaker. He argued with
Judge Comstock this morning that
his intentions were anything but
evil but the judge said that he was
the most abominably cheerful liar
that he had ever had the misfor-
tune to meet. AS fabricator he GER
tainly was an expert" to use the Ian
guage of the court.
Ray was given the alternative of
paying 500 fine or spending ninety
days in Jail. He said that although
he would rather live here in Jail
than in Walnut Grove on his farm,
he had to return home this week to
attend to the threshing of his crop.
He is making arrangements to pro-
cure the amount of the fine from
the State Bank of Tracy hit at /!
this time the negotiations have not
been completed. In the meantime he
is in the county Jail.