Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-25
HARD BOILED n. Y.
ARRESTS ANTAFOR
BLOCKING TRAFFIC
~ et a
Gotham Residents Cast About
for Interesting Holiday
Gossip.
BY JESSIE HENDERSON
pecias CORRESPONDENT Of Great Falls Tribune

New York. Dec. 24.-Yousve got to
hand it to this town after all for beng
hard-boiled. They arrested Santa Claus
this week and on what charge do yon
suppose? Blocking traffic. Not for
malice or for melting TO riot. or to re-
bellion, nor for any of the things you'd
suppose Santa Claus might logically. be
arrested for, if 0 were illogical
enough to suppose his arrest anyway.
After a glance into our Christmas
stocking, we ourselves have sometimes
considered having the old Saint sent
to Bellevue P~sychopathic, OF at least,
brought before a lunacy commission, but
even we never thought of calling a cop
and having him pinched.
1t just shows how different values
are in this town from what they are
in other places. You can get away with
murder here. You can even occasionally
| get away with parking your car with
| out tipping the patrol man. but block
ing traffic is the unforgiveable sin. It's
the offense for which a Salvation army
lassie was arrested on Broadway not
so many days ago. Behold Santa there
| fore interrupted in the midst of wishing
a crowd of youngsters a merry Christ
mas. arrested by q traffic officer who
seemed not to feel any peace on earth
" Hooa Fhk ~ III" ~ u
to the police station.
Action Resented
At the heels of Santa and the police
man trailed approximately five TO ten
hundred children, so per cent Of them
screaming to the top of their voices,
a hundred and II of them telling the
officer actually what they thought Of
him in that simple, unrestrained man
ner characteristic of the New York
youth. The fact that by crowding into
the police station they missed an after
noon at school seemed not to bother
the younger set at all. The complaint
against Santa Claus was dismissed and
he was told to get a license or a
permit or something, or go through
red tape before blocking traffic again.
Hard on the heels of his arrest came
news Of the approach Of a yet greater
coal famine than that which now chills
the town: the sale of the Dewitt Clin-
ton portrait. and the case of Michael
O'Neil's tide coming out and going in
the harbor. The sheriff marched into
the rooms of the board of education,
took the Dewitt Clinton portrait from
the wall and sold it at auction to sat
isfy a debt of S7s for which the city
had appropriation. The debt was for
an automobile license and when the
board of education approved the bill.
the comptroller refused to hand out
the money. then the sheriff proceeded
as a foreclosure. Michael O'Neil's
coming ont and going in party caused
even more excitement. Mike. who is
so years old, was in an institution for
the aged when his friend Richard Yves
ton thought it would be a nice idea to
take him out and give him a home over
the holidays. But Weston objected to
Mike smoking in bed. Mike objected
to the objections and Weston charges
that Mike finally up and shot him in
the face. Two days later Mike came
ont Of hiding. went to the police, and
said he thought he owed Mr.. Weston
an apology. The police argued with
him and probably Weston. who is in a
hospital, agreed with them.
Three Women
Three New York women divided the
time recently anon them. Mrs. VII
liam Cummings Hostroy cast a bomb
into the ranks of the first by an
nouncing her candidacy for president
general in an effort for exoneration
of the national emergency relief So
ciety. She is endorsed by her own
chapter. Then along came Princess
Anastasia of Greece. formerly Mrs.
Tin Plate Leeds of New York, with
her exiled but royal husband. And
finally Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt. She
lost another handbag, the returning Of
which permitted an interesting world
to learn the things which she carries
around in it are a broken mirror. a
card. and a sample of salve. while the
bag. l believe, is black, brocaded velvet
mounted in gold.
Meanwhile Santa Claus since his ar
rest has given another sample of his
inverted yuletide spirit. Coal here is
a lot more scarce than recently. Yes.
all things considered, maybe arresting
Santa Claus is not such a good idea.
What they ought to do instead is to
| get ont an Injunction.