The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1920-02-07
PUBLIC SERVICE PEOPLE
USED M'KNNON FOR TOOL
Mayor Baxter Pledge and Determination to Secure Munich
pal Ownership of Public Utilities Aroused Enmity Of
Big Interests and They Began Action
Hessian Help Of Defeated Political Gang Was Enlisted and
McKinnon's Egotism Caused Him to Lead Fight
Men, Motives and Methods Frankly Analysed

Soon after the previous issue of the
Rip-saw had gone to press, the trial of
chief Of police McKinnon on the %
formal charges preferred by mayor
Baxter had ended and consideration Of
the evidence had been taken UP by the
board of police commissioners.
After wrestling with the case for
some days, four Of the five commits
sioners sustained each and every
charge made by the mayor and ordered
Mr.. McKinnon's dismissal from his
position as chief Of police.
Within the statutory time, defend
ant McKinnon appealed the case to
the circuit court and it is not impossible
that Judge Foley will hand down his
decision before these lines are read by
the public. Be that as it may, it is
mandatory on the circuit judge to rem
der a decision within Is days after
the case is appealed to him, if the Rip
saw is rightly informed.
What that decision will be, the Rip.
saw has firm opinions, but does not
consider an expression proper at this
time.
There was such intensity and the
wheel Of events revolved so rapidly
during the hearing that the people
hardly had time to think, analyze and
draw conclusions. Since the hearings
ceased, there have been much thought,
discussion and comparing of notes. It
seems certain that very heavy ma
jority Of the people stand with the
commissioners in fhoir 1oo:s;on
The people also are beginning to see,
pick out and take to pieces some of
the methods and motives of the de-
Tense. They now plainly see that
chief Mckinnon was used as tool in
"a hard, daring, dirty and determined
attempt to bring mayor Baxter to So
cial and political ruin.
Lawyer w. P. Crawford and "Pap.
py' McCausland were the leaders of
the onslaughts on Baxter. The Rip-saw
already has shown some of the unwor-
thy motives actuating lawyer McCaus-
land. Among those were political en-
nifty and resentment over the fact that,
as state senator, Baxter pushed through
a law that helped the people and
crimped McCausland in his cold-blood-
ed but profitable business Of tax title
shark.
"McCausland has. been sticking
things onto people here for years, .
said a prominent citizen of Superior,
''and getting away with it without be-
ing caught. He has been something
like the boys who throw a dead cat
into a mans front yard and then es-
cape without being identified. This
time, the old man got caught and prop
erly shown up. It was the first time
IN many years and the Rip-saw is en-
titled to the credit"
But what motive actuated lawyer
Crawford" is the natural query.
Listen, dear old citizen of Superior.
Lawyer w. P. Crawford is attorney
for the Superior Water, Light and
Power company and the Superior Street
Railway company
Mayor Baxter has gone far in the
proceedings necessary for the city to
own the water, light and power COM
pany and he also stands in the way of
the street railway company in it's
designs on the peoples purses.
Mayor Baxter has made it entirely
possible for the people to own their