The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1920-01-24

failures and getting several boom.
erangs back in the face, the defense
took tumble and decided not to call
any more mud and garbage throwers
for witnesses. They helped Baxter and
hurt McKinnon.
Testifying in his own behalf, chief
McKinnOn managed to show that
mayor Baxter had given him six months
in which to clean up the town and
| that the executive only took matters
in his own hands after the police de-
partment had fallen down on the job.
As chief, he had brought number of
men, the so-called "purity squad
employed by the department, to the
mayor and they had received instruc-
tions that gambling, blind-pigging and
the social evil were to be suppressed
at any cost. He stated that the mayor
had never suggested that any excep-
tiOns should be made and at no time
had there been any indication that
the police should ease up in their ef-
forts.
Hartley Pricks Chiefs Bubble.
Under cross-examination, Mr.. Hart
ley tried repeatedly to bring out in
stances in which the chief had taken
active part in the drive against vice
and the lawyer finally succeeded in
getting evidence of one raid conducted
under the personal supervision Of the
chief. This was the raid on "Chippy"
Brown, notorious negro character,
whom the Bingoland bunch claims is
protected by the mayor. The chief
"Chippy" Brown and some of his CO.
horts had been arrested on the order
of the mayor as a result of Chand-
ler's activities; and that, when in the
tolls, they were defended by Jack Cad
igan, the official attorney for Bingo-
lands bad actors.
Outside Of this one excursion, the
chief testified that he had contented
himself by sitting in the office and
waiting for the men to bring in the
evidence; and, if they didn It do so, he
felt satisfied that all was well.
Mayor Baxter came into office in
the middle Of April, 1913, and after
the police department had been work
ing diligently for three or four months,
the chief found it necessary to ask
for special outside men, a request that
received immediate support from the
mayor and the city commissioners.
The first men came to Bingoland
from Sandstone, at the recommends
ton Of the chief Of that town. Later,
chief McKinnon had some spoilers
from st. Paul, selected by a detective
named Sommers, employed on the st.
Paul police department. Later, these
were replaced by men from the Thiel
detective agency, employed by the
mayor.
Sommers Was a Sore-Head.
The information from the chief
cleared up the mysterious onslaught
on Chandler by witnesses imported
from st. Paul. as Sommers was one
of those witnesses. People are be-
ginning to wonder if Sommers was
sore because he lost his job in Bfngo-
land and, therefore, came here to pet
even with the more successful sIeuth-
At any rate it explains how the de-
tense had connections in st. Paul.
On the witness stand chief McKin-
non denied the conversation previously
related by Captain Osborn, now acting
chief, in which the chief was said to
have advised Osborn to ignore the
mayor. Questioned infinitely as to
details, he hedged a good deal and,
when finally asked if Osborn had not
made certain statements, McKinnon'
declared he would not say that he did
not, but he would not say that he did.
The chiefs testimony has become the
subject of much conversation, as the
people cannot understand how he is
forced to rely so absolutely on his
memory. His answers generally are
81 don't remember" or ct don It
think it was just so," or ct don It
think it was at that time.'' Citizens
figure that the transactions referred
to, such as complaints, reprimands and
other police matters, should be public
records and that the chief could have
made certain by simply looking over
the records.
Laxity in Keeping Records.
What the people are concerned with
in this connection is, whether McKin-
non has been denied the right to look
over his records, or has he no records
to look over. If he has been denied
the right to examine the records, it
would be considered a serious error on
the part Of the city administration; and
if the transactions were not recorded,
it would show an objectionable 1axity
in the police department under the
McKinnon regime.
Last week the defense made frantic
and finally successful efforts to inject
religious differences into the police
hearing, and now it is beginning to
dawn on lawyer Crawford and Pappy
Nc Causland that they made a grave
tactical blunder.
The two crafty lawyers lost their
heads over resolution passed by the
Interchurch council, declaring the ut
most confidence Of that body in the
honesty and sincerity of Mayor Baxter
in his cleanup campaign. This resolu-
tion was undoubtedly intended to off
set part of the mudslinging campaign
of the defense, but it carefully re-
Trained from mentioning the police in
vestigation. Nevertheless, the lawyers
managed to get that resolution read
into the records at the hearing.
The purpose of the move became