The Mankato free press., 1913-03-14

st. Paul, March S-Legislative club
rooms with their equipment of easy
chairs, nice round baize covered ia.
bles and foliage decorated glasses
should visiting members feel thirsty,
are no longer in favor. In fact, they
are "in bad
Room 1O1, in the Merchants hotel,
famous the northwest over for its
political atmosphere and genial gath.
erings, was raided by the ST. Paul
police early yesterday and the sen.
ate club room in the ST. Paul hotel
has gone out of business i'm conse.
quence. There is now gloomy
emptiness in the two rooms. The
great American game of poker is
temporarily out of favor.
Only one arrest was made in the
raid on No. 101, and he escaped the
indignity of a ride in the patrol
wagon, which was waiting at the
main entrance of the hotel His pres
ence at the police station, however,
was required later in the morning.
Two Slide Down Sheet Rope.
1t was a wild half hour for those
caught in the raid, and to those who
got away by way of two bed sheets
knOtted together the experience was
one they will not forget for a while.
Three of the club members braved
the wrath of the bluecoats who were
pounding vigorously on the locked
door, demanding to be admitted, and
CALAMITY held the sheets while the
two members slid down to safety
and freedom.
A court on the second floor aided
in their hasty exit and a ladder per-
mitted their descent to the ground.
The other three couldn't get away,
braved it out and the only one of
the number placed under arrest was
held because he talked back to the
officer in charge. The officer de,
clares he was quite loquacious.
Signs of Relief.
Signs of relief were heard yester,
day from those who had "just left
and those who admitted that they
sometimes had dropped in to see a
friend and wondered what the folks
at home would have thought had
they been caught. Stories of mar
row escapes were many.
Those who were there say that
just at midnight stranger opened
the door unbidden and stepped into
the room. HE was real gawky,''
described one. The stranger was in.
formed that the room was a. private
one, but he insisted on coming in.
Thrice was he told that the room
was a. private one, and then, when
he did not go, one of the members
strobe forward, opened the door, and
clutched him by the arm. On this he
flashed his star and he was asked
why he did not say that he was an
officer before.
Trouble Scented Quickly.
The thing did not look right and
several in the room quietly slipped
out the open door without the Gus
tomary good night Four plain
clothes men stationed at the main
entrance of the hotel further con-
vinced them that it was really bed
time and they stood not upon the
order of their retiring. How they
found a friendly street car the lucky
ones were unable to state, but they
found one, and it was sufficient.
What happened after the silent
getaway of those who were sure
they smelled trouble is rather un.
certain, as those who stayed for the
finish were not inclined TO talk about
the affair yesterday.
CIV w n
he failed to retire on invitation, was
rushed out of the door, some say
with "wallop" on the eye. and es-
corted down the stairway. 1t was
then he returned with reinforce
ments, only to find the door locked
and two of the club members doing
a getaway by the bed sheet route.
Police Caught in Door.
In the scramble to get the door
locked ahead of the reinforcements,
who were racing up the hall, one of
the policemen got his hand and a
part of his coat between the door
and the door frame and it had to
be opened so he could be released.
Then, placing their backs to the
door, those inside forced it shut,
turned the lock and waited for de-
velopments.
After the two were safely out the
window the door was opened and the
officers admitted. At first those who
remained were told that they were
under arrest, but on second thought
the officer in charge of the raiding
party announced that he would let
them go, but not to let it happen
again. Here the argument arose be-
tween one of the members and the
officer in which angry words passed,
and upon using "liar" the offending
club member was notified to appear
at the police station in the morning.
Chief Says, All Mistake.
Chief Flanagan of the st. Paul
police department is asid to have
told several who called on him yes
terday that the raid at the hotel was
a mistake. He said that his men
were after a real poker game and
that the officer, who was new one,
became confused.
The house employe who was in
structed to appear at the station yes
terday was excused by the, police.
Tpe m exclamation Of !, those who escap:
u