Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-18
STREET BATTLE FAILS
TOSETTLE DISPUTE, so
PIGS ARE CITY'S WARDS
Quarrel Over Porkers Gives
Rise to Numerous Compli-
cations-City Solicitor
May Act
EX-COP U N D E r BAIL
Tho city has six pigs on its hands.

The city has six pigs on its hands.
And the manner i'm which they became
the legal wards of Philadelphia is some.
what complicated. In fact it may he nee.
essary to call upon the city Solicitor to
unrave the tangle.
The porkers first came into the limcight
when Sebastian Rouner, of I'd and oxford
streets, was accused of having unfit pigs
for sale. on making an investigation the
Board of Health found that the pigs were
all right, but learned that Rouncr slaugh-
tered pigs without n license. He was
fined So by Magistrate Baker
This. 1t is said. brought glee to Philip
Elsesser. who sworc out the warrant for
Rouner's arrest. When the fine was inn
posed Rouner happened to remember that
he had been missing n large number Of
pigs for the last year. He said he knew
persons who saw Elsesser take the pork
crs, and thcreupon sworc out a warrant
for Elsesser on the charge or stealing
the pigs. Elsesscr claimed that he only
had one of Rouner's pigs, and paid the
sum of $3.50 for it.
This was denied by Rouner and he got
Joe Rich, another butcher friend, to take
the pigs from Elsesser's place and remove
them to the van stables, at 1lth and
Wharton streets.
But Joe Rich couldn't manage the job
all by himself, and he, in turn, suggested
Joe Ccola, an eX-policeman, to help him.
Policeman Kuhn, of the 4th and Snyder
avenue station, went along to see that the
pigs were not kidnapped en- route
Just before starting for the van stable.
Rich, it is said, accidentally displayed a
fat roll (of money, which was noticed by
all present. The said roll contained 1922
On reaching the van stable, Rich dis
covered that he was much poorer, as the
roll of money had disappeared. Police
man Kuhn urged that the disappearance
be solved Immediately and suggested that
Rouner, Cicola and Rich go to Magis-
trate Bakers office.
There everybody agreed to be searched
and the money was found in Cicola's coat
pocket. He appeared to be amazed But
the fact that the bag in which the money
rested had disappeared led the cop to
believe that Cicola knew more about the
disappearance of the money than he ad-
mitted. Cicola finally suggested that the
bag of money might have caught on a
button of his coat and slipped off, leaving
the money in his pocket
Neither the magistrate nor those present
could share Cicolas suggestion, somehow,
and he was held under $1,000 bail for a
further hearing
But that was not all,
The trouble had barely been disposed
OF when EIsasser happened in and re-
viewed the trouble between him and
Rouner. Their charges and counter
charges added to the complications.
Rouner said he didn't know much about
legal talk except to say, "Elsasser knows
he done me-"
Finally. both men asked If they could
he excused a few minutes to talk I'm
private. They went outside. Dull thuds
We're soon heard, followed by the ripping
of clothes The Judge and two con-
stables ran outside to find the men in
a death clinch, with fists flying in all di-
rections BY making a flank movement,
the MAGISTRATE and the Constables man
aged to separate the combatants.
1--WE agreed to give the pigs to the
best man." said Rouner.
But as both men bore an equal num-
ber of souvenirs of the battle, the Judge
said that he couldn't decide. Therefore
it is up to the city.