The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-01-14
Just a Mugg

putting down this crime wave, and as
near as l can figure out they have
many fine ideas.
They are going to chase the lads on
Motorcycles, and stop them in the
Streets after midnight and ask them
if they are square guys or what. I'm
less the lads take to lying more than
somewhat, many of them will soon be
in Jail, and then there will be no crime
except what is going on as usual
The coppers in every town have diff
ferent notions about how to put down
crime waves, but / never hear of any
better scheme than one which is
thought up by the chief of police back
in my old home town out West.
This chief of police is big guy by
the name of Mike Moriarity, and he
is railroad fireman on the Santa Fe
before he is elected chief He has a
mustache like an old-time second base
man and two very hard fists, and
while he does not know much about
detective stuff and all this and that,
he has ideas, and for years he policies
our town very well indeed.
Before Mike is elected chief the lads
come through our way going to and
from the coasts, and stop off between
trains and blow open our pete boxes,
which is way of saying our safes, or
put the tap on citizens in the streets.
which is a way of saying they slug
them, and otherwise cut up very scan
dalous.
1t gets so there is not much peace
and quiet in our town, what with citi-
zens going around bungd up from
smacks on the head with blackjacks
and one thing and another, and having
their houses robbed, and getting
cheated by confidence men, and all
this and that, and there is much indig-
nation.
Finally Mike is elected chief of police
and he says he will see about this stuff
which is coming off around and about
Immediately. So he goes down to the
Santa Fe railroad yards, and he hires
himself half dozen shacks, which is
a way of saying brakemen, as fast as
they come in off their runs
These shacks are all strong fellows
in every respect, and are we'll trained
in throwing guys around, what with
there always being so many buns try
ing to beat their trains from one place
and another, and Mike makes coppers
out of them.
Then the first day anything comes
off in our town which is not exactly
right Mike starts his coppers out
rounding up everybody who does not
look good to them, and as very few
people ever look good to a railroad
shack they have quite a collection in
no time, including petemen, second
story workers, stick-up guys, grafters
and guys that are nothing much at all
Well then, Mike and his coppers
start working on these boys and all
they do to them is slug them. OF
course this is a little rough on the
boys, especially as Mike does much of
the smuggling himself, and can slug
harder than anybody west of the Miss
issippi River, but something has to be
be done to save our town.
After the boys are slugged good
Mike turns them loose or sends them
to the hospital the case may be and
tells them that the next time anything
else comes off in town they will be
slugged again.
He says he does not care what they
do in other towns, especially to Den
yer, which is our nearest large town
and they can come and go in our town
as long as they please if they behave
themselves, but the minute anything
happens in our town they will be slug
ged.
Furthermore, for long time Mike
makes it his business to go down and
meet guys coming in on the train fig
uring to do something or other in oul
town, and he slugs them right at the
depot so he will not have to bother
them later on. He never bars anybody
from our town. especially if they are
coming in after doing a good business
in some other town, but he will moi
stand for them committing any deeds
in our midst
Well, the upshot of it is pretty soon
there is no crime to speak of in our
town, and the citizens are as safe in
the streets as anywhere, except in Den
yer and other nearby towns where the