The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-12-13

would have him put out.
"Mrs. Smith said to The Herald
that she acknowledged that this &C.
ton was taken against the patrol
man because he had attempted to ruin
her reputation as a hotel proprietor as
| we'll as financially by raiding the place
under a charge of blind-pigging.
"'I have done my best to run this
hotel as a quiet, decent, respectable
place and this can be testified to by
any of the men who are living here,
said Mrs. Smith. Il have turned down
| many chances of making big money in
this game by refusing to allow men to
bring women here for immoral pur
poses. Every cent have earned aud
made here has been. earned honestly
" THE only thing that ever has been
charged and substantiated against this
hotel is that I have allowed the men
rooming here to have little stag par
ties in their rooms. If they bring a
bottle into the house I am unable to
stop it. I cannot, as hotel proprietor,
search them for bottle and demand
that they leave it outside. / have
tried to make this real home for the
men who stay here and do not propose
to interfere if they have any such
enjoyment as a friendly game of cards
in the house.
" THE arrest was piece of spite
work on the part Of Cavanaugh,' she
continued. He could have raided the
place two weeks earlier for about the
same charge, but then couple Of his
friends were in the party. A friendly
game Of cards was being played but 1
do not reminder whether any men in
the party then had a bottle or not. -
| Mrs. Smith is said to have run the
West hotel for the past six years and
Miss Swanson is credited with having
been employed there for the past two
years.
| Commissioner Murnian evidently
called for quick action on the charges.
Last Monday evening, the civil service
commissioners met to consider the
charges and hear any defense. Civil
service commissioners T. F. Sheridan
and M. Filiatrault, with secretary
ODonnell, were present. Mr.. Cava-
naugh also was there and represented
by his lawyer, E. w. MacPherran.
Right was reserved to introduce wit
nesses that were not available that
evening by Mr.. Cavanaugh.
Of course the snarling Samuelson had
to butt into the deal. There was con-
siderable talking and pickering back
and forth. Mrs. Smith told her story
and Mr.. Cavanaugh questioned her.
Nothing conclusive resulted and, pre-
sumablv, other sessions of the commits
sion will be held to hear testimony and
to consider action in the matter.
One version is that the civil service
commission really has nothing to do
with the matter, for Mr.. Cavanaugh
was not appointed or working under
civil service jurisdiction. That being
the fact, commissioner Murnian, chief
Murphy and Capt. Fiskett are cred
tied with having tho power and re-.
sponsibility of deciding the case.
There are intimations, too, that a
complaint, charging perjury, may be
sworn out by the defense. At this
writing, conditions are too chaotic to
tell what will happen.
Mr.. Cavanaugh, by the way, denies
the charges against him and declares
that he will open up matters widely
enough to prove his innocence and, at
the same time, give the public COM
prehensive view of matters connected
with the case.
Mrs. Smith threw bombshell into
the situation by naming and charging
at least fifteen members of the police
department with having frenuented her
place, playing poker, drinking booze
and doing it repeatedly in many cases.
There is one story to the effect that
she declares one Of the members of the
department took her to Oliver in his own
automobile and brought back booze for
her. It is claimed that a prominent
member Of the New Duluth department
rode from that suburb to Oliver in
the machine.
There's another tale to the effect
that, once upon a time, policeman
called at the West hotel and wanted
to sell Mrs. Smith eight bottles of
whisky, saying that he had just bought
new house and was hard up.
i "What is the whisky WORTH" was
the query.
cit ought to be worth $500 bot.
tle," was the reply.
i Mrs. Smith is alleged to have refused
to buy it, but she did decide to hold
the booze as security for $50 that she
loaned the man. A night or two later,
so it is alleged, that same policeman
came up with some Of his friends and
drank up all that bottled security for
the loan.
! Mrs. Smith must vacate her present
quarters January l. It is stated that
she realizes her financial, social and
moral smashup here, therefore will sell
out her furniture and move to Min
neapolis.
}! If Mrs. Smith can come anywhere
near proving her charges against the
individual members Of the police de-
partment, it is not impossible that
nearly a score Of them will be in q po-
sition to 60 to Minneapolis, or some
other far city, at about the same time.
Future developments must decide that,