The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-07-26
Edict of Town Board Fear
lessly Enforced State Law
to the. Contrary, and He Is
Always on the Job.

The Centerville town board and its
marshal compose a combination that
is affording local automobilists con-
siderable inconvenience-and a fair
amount of amusement.
Either because of the increasing
summer dullness heralded by the ap-
proach of the dog days or because of
a deep seated feeling that the new au-
tomobile law passed by the last legis-
lature was not drastic enough, the
Centerville town board decided at its
last meeting that hereafter no automo-
bile should pass through that town at
speed faster than ten miles an hour.
The town marshal was notified of the
boards decision and told to attend to
the strict enforcement of the new law.
Now it happens that Centerville's
new law is no law-it is in direct viola
ton of the state automobile law. This
law states that automobiles passing
through a town or city shall go ten
miles an hour in the business district
and that fifteen miles an hour shall
ton.
Tilt with the Marshal.
Consequently, when local automo-
bilist we'll Informed on the state law
was passing through Centerville one
night this week and was running about
twelve miles an hour through its resi-
dental district, he was considerably
surprised when figure sprang out of
the shadows brandishing a club as
I0ra Tot,
electric lamp and ordered him to stop.
Hey. there" called the apparition,
don't go so fast!"
Why" said the automobilist, stop
ping, I'm only going twelve miles an
hour by my speedometer and the state
law allows me fifteen"
Cant help what the state law
says" remarked the guardian of Cen
terville, Il have my orders from the
town board not to allow any automo-
bile to go through here faster than ten
miles an hour. So go slow!"
Jaw, go read the state law" said
the autoist, skipping first and second
and starting on third speed at about
fifteen miles an hour for home.
Auto Hay Riders Held Up.
A night or two later party Of young
men and women of Richmond were
taking an up-to-date hay ride-in an
automobile truck. Following an enjoy
able ride over the roads in the west
ern part of the county they approach
ed the environs of Centerville about
ten o'clock.
Let's stop at the restaurant and
get some sandwiches and Coffee" sug-
gested one of the gay riders. A chorus
of "all rights" responded. Singing and
laughing as jolly hay riders always
have and always will, the merry party
were soon brought to a stop before the
restaurant in Centerville.
Before anyone had a chance to
alight a figure sprang noiselessly and
mysteriously from a dark doorway.
This apparition, too, possessed a club
as long as a curtain pole.
Stop making so much noise in this
here town." 1t demanded.
why, who are you, little one?" ask
ed one of the party of merry makers,
swinging down from the truck and
stepping up to the mysterious figure.
Without a word the town marshal,
for it was he, threw back his coat
and displayed his badge on which his
legal office was fittingly embossed,
and stalked away into the shadows of
the night
The merry makers were properly i'm
pressed and no more sounds other
than the regulation ones that always
accompany sandwich eating and hot
coffee drinking issued from their lips
while they were in Centerville.
He Is New on the Job.
Centerville's present town marshal Is
new to the joy. May be that accounts
for the enthusiasm with which he so
faithfully performs his arduous labors
as guardian of the peace.
Automobiles say his favorite re-
treat during the day is in a chair COM
fortably tilted back against the wall
of the old engine house on Main street
From here, with his trusty curtain pole
by his side ready for instant use, he
surveys that much travelled thorough
fare in either direction with eagle
eye, keenly waiting his cue to say
Hey, there, go Slow"
They say when business is dull with
this valiant town marshal, he often