The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-04-26

where policemen are used to en-.
force the laws.
Some time ago, the Rip-saw edi-
tor got an obscene, profane, threat
ening letter. 1t had poor imita-
tion of a black hand on one side.
Some one took a lot of trouble that
caused no scare.
The Superior underworld is per-
turbed over the ability of the Rip
saw to get information. Although
man may be innocent of tipping off
information, just let the crooks and
outlaws suspect him and they begin
to make dire threats.
Other blackhand letters have been
sent to different individuals. Some
of these bullies need not be sur.
prised if the strong arm Of the law
reaches out some bright day and
says, "Come along"
Underworld's Bad Influence.
What communicating influence
does the underworld not exert over
former. officials of Superior and
Douglas county? Superior citizens
are asking themselves this question
after finding, one former county
commissioner married to redlght
queen; another ex-county supervisor
associating. with and giving stesti-
fnfony IA favor OF a man who escaped
conviction for murde' by sheer legal
trickery and who afterwards was
burned out like a rat; former al
derman running a gambling house
and blind pig, that has been the
cause Of constant complaints to the
city administration; and a former
register of deeds marrying into an
estate said to have been accumu.
lated through wine, women and
song.
Three of these cases have come to
light through trials in municipal
court, where two parties escaped al
together and the third, or rather the
first, was let off with minor fine.
The fourth case was brought up in
directly through these prosecutions,
as the people, while speaking of the
other three descents from respecta-
bility, began to say, There's an
other"
Where 1t Started.
When Gertrude Wellman was ar
rested on a charge of keeping dis
| orderly house, it was not expected
that her arrest would lead to any
more than a $100 fine and, possibly,
her banishment from the city. She
decided to fight the case, however,
and that is exactly where she laid
|! herself open to close scrutiny OF
her past. Not content with contest
ing the case, which she knew would
be futile if she had to face Judge
Parker, who had seen her before,
she filed an affidavit Of prejudice
and succeeded in securing the ap-
! pointment of Judge j. 8. Richie,
who is new in municipal court work
J and not familiar with the life and
habits of the underworld. So it re-
quired only skillful handling Of the
case, to keep out certain testimony,
and she would be acquitted, counsel
thought.
| In order to get in as much testi-
mony as possible, the prosecution
then wanted to force the defendant
to tell her real name, but the de-
fense objected and the name was not
told, even though the court ordered
Gertrude on the witness stand to
answer city attorney McIntosh's
question. The answer was that the
name was Gertrude Wellman and
that any late change was immaterial.
Right Name Is Wright.
Investigation has disclosed the
| fact that her name now is Wright,
because she married William Glen
Wright, until a year ago county SUI
pervisor for Oliver, on the county
board. And it was an honest-to-
goodness wedding, performed at Ger
trude's redlight dump, 315h Tower
avenue, by Frank Carpenter, cashier
Of the Iron Exchange bank at Oliver
and justice of the peace for that
village. But Gertrude did not give
the right name in court, even though
she refused to reveal Wright. HeI
name is given on the marriage GER
tificate as Gertrude Anna Holchek.
On the witness stand Gertrude tes.
tilted that she has daughter, II
years old, but she doesn't keep the
girl with her. She is placed in some
institution in Minneapolis, presum'
ably in order to be free from the
communicating influence OF the soiieo
doves her mother keeps.
| At the trial her attorney, fellow
1ImKI TO RACK PAGR.