The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-08-18

clothes, all that section below
Micigan street was water and q
favorite feeding place for ducks.
In those days, Frank B. Smith
was a clerk in the Eyster drug
store, situated at the corner of
Lake avenue and Superior St.,
where now stands the Olympia
fruit store. In those days, too,
Capt. Sam Thompson was Du-
luth's first and only real police
man.
"It was a favorite pastime
with us to shoot ducks in the
swamps below what now is Michi-
igan street, said Frank B.
Smith the other evening. "The
sport was unconfined until some
of the boys got to shooting to-
wards Superior street with the re-
suit that some one got peppered,
but not seriously.
"The city fathers then passed
an ordinance against hunting
ducks in that locality and police
man Thompson was instructed to
chase down and arrest any viola
tons Of the city law.
"When Thompson would be
far enough the other way, we
would fire double barrelled
shot gun out of the back door
of the drug store and then hide
the gun. Hearing the reports,
Thompson would come rushing
up but never succeeded in find
ing the shooters of the gun. 1t
was source of mystery to him
as well as a spur to considerable
foot work. Years afterward I
had a good laugh with him when
he was told how the game was
worked on him. :"
A Duluth printer with an ar
tistic side to his nature, bought
a. kodak which he loaned friend
with the result that it was stolen
before it's return.
Several weeks after the theft,
the owner of the kodak saw in
pawn brokers' window what
looked like his kodak. Asking to
see the Instrument, he saw by
marks on it that it was his lost
property. He also saw that it
had film indicating three ex-
>posures. The information from
the borrower tailed with the dis
coveries made in the pawn shop.
Information was given at the
police station and, on request,
detective accompanied the prin-
ter-photographer to the house of
the three-ball man. After look
ing over the records, the detect
i've told the printer that he was
mistaken, claiming that the
kodak had been pawned before
the robbery occurred.
The owner argued, pointing
out all his identifying marks, re-
viewing all the corroborating evil
dence, suggesting that some error
mil ht have occurred in booking
the transaction, tagging the
kodak or even getting the tags
transposed.
All this was met with the reply
tina any such things would be
against the law and that the pro-
prietor Of the pawn shop would
lose his license if discovered,
therefore none of the several
things suggested could have hap
pened.
Determined to prove his prop
erty, the kodak owner telephoned
his friend for list of the snap
shots the machine was supposed
to contain after which he pro-
posed to the detective that they
take out the film, have it de-
veloped and let it determine the
ownrship of the camera.
The detective opposed any
such sensible procedure and,
when the owner insisted, pro-
posed that, then and there, the
kodak be opened and the film
examined to see if the snapshots
tailed with the description given
by the man who was alleged to
have made the exposures.
The detective was so verdant,
apparently, that he knew moth
ing about Development of
films and printing" from mega
tives. 1t reminded the printer of
the charge, years ago, that city
detective Benson could not track
a load of hay.
The sleuth is said to be still on
duty, in line for a raise of $40 a
month and, perhaps, promotion
to the Bertillion department.