The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-28
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY z. HOUSE
(From Philadelphia Public Ledger.)

Life.
Scene-A police magistrates court.
Time-Saturday night.
Characters--The Judge, Attorneys
for the Defense, Harness Bulls"
Dicks" Riff Raft, the Mob.
Central Theme-"I never done it,
-
looking and a trifle too casual, put
her hand on the book. Her exterior
habilimentS were a green spring hat
and a capacious fur coat. Underneath
she wore a skinny brown skirt and
corset cover. Emma was accused OF
lifting gown. 1t was the consen-
sus of those permitted to observe her
intimately that she needed one.
Emma said she was nineteen years
old; she was a good girl and had never
iy. drew down $16.25 a week and
turned to all over to her mother.
The gentleman whose property had
been "bOlsheyiZed" took the stand. He
exhibited the gown. 1t was a swagger
black creation embroidered in green.
cover of Emma's fur coat. 1t would
have looked well on Emma.
why did you take the dress,
Emma?" ASIDE the judge.
Well" said Emma. who was quite
open and frank about it, IT seen it,
wanted it, I didn't have no money and
just took it."
A harness bulI' directed the atten-
ton of the judge to the fact that
Emma was CARRIED much too informal
ly for public appearance. The judge
took another and more searching look.
why do you go around that way?"
he asked.
Its the STYLE" Emma replied.
How long have you been doing
it?" he continued.
Ever since / got my fur coat last
December" said Emma.
Emma's father took the stand. He
said he was temporarily out of work.
being on strike. He spoke exceedingly
well of Emma. He said she was a
good girl and had never been in trou-
slender reed upon which the entire
family leaned for sustenance.
"Sit back" said the judge. TIL have
to think this over"
When court adjourned he told
Emma really nice girls didn't go
around publicly in their corset covers,
and sent her home with her father.
| Napoleon Bonaparte and Umslopo-
gaas faced the bar of justice. Napo-
| leon Bonaparte was disfigured but
smiling. Earlier in the day, on Cal
lowhill street. when both were run
ming in high" Umslopogaas had
! crowned" Napoleon with his battle
hook.
Napoleon was now in low" but he
still was amiable, self-deprecatory
and deferential. He had come upon
his siXtieth year a doddering but inof-
fensive inconsequential. The surgeons
had patched him up; he had a great
pad over his temple and smelled of
iodine. The top of his head came to
Umslopogaas' shoulder. The latter
could have spotted" him twenty
years and fifty pounds. and, at that
would have had all the best of it. Ma
poleon admitted he wasn't working
regularly He had been employed in
a restaurant for one day some three
weeks to the windward. But for the
most part he leaned upon his assured
sources of income. These were a son
and an uncle. He said they always
yielded a little change when he stifled
his pride to the point of asking for
it.
The judge.asked him about his trou-
bic.
well, Judge. Your Honor" said
Napoleon. It don't rightly REM mber
much about itr We was on Callow-
hill street and KEEP going around. My
friend here got into an argument with
another fellow and 1 guess I got in the
way. All L really remember was
when I walked up in the hospital. But
1 don't want nothing done to this man
here, judge. He's the best friend I've
got; I've knowed him seven, eight
years"
The policeman who made the ar
rest took the stand. They We're both
drunk" he said. 1.-The big fellow got
into an argument with an outsider
and the outsider ran away. Then he
turned on the little fellow and knocked
him down. After he had knocked him
down he picked him up and knocked
him down again. We thought the little
one was dead Or dying, so we sent him
to the hospital and brought the other
one down here"