The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-11-10
CANNOT RESIST
DESIRE TO STEAL
Statement Made By Henry
Mems In Court
COOK SOLD MIX DRINK
He Relates Story Of How An At
tempt Was Made For
Jail Delivery

In answer to his statement that
he could not resist the inclination To
steal automobiles Henry Mems.
age thirty two. convicted by his
now plea OF guilty to charge oil
grand larceny in the second degree
was given sentence Of FIVE years
at hard labor in the Minnesota state
prison at Saltwater, in district court |
this morning, by Judge w. L. Com
took. Mems swas arrested on charges
alleging he stole an automobile at
Amboy, Mimi, owned by r. M. Sell
by, on August 81, 1872.
The information furnished by thei
state in court this morning was that
Mems had two other alleged stolen
cars in his possession at the time
OF his arrest County Attorney G. e
Phillips recommended that the court
impose a severe sentence on, Mems
for the crime he committed.
Admitted Serving Term
Under questioning BY the court.
Mems admitted that he had served
a term in the state prison Of Mon
tana for automobile stealing and
that he nd been sent to a reforma-
tory for the same offense at the are,
of seventeen years. When asked by
Judge Comstock whether he was H. !,
able to steal cars. If he was released,
he answered afffrmativeiy.
1t is very unfortunate that you
cannot resist the habit of stealing
cars. The way to prevent that is to
have somebody watching you all
the time" said Judge Comstock in
Mems
Peter Schmidt. so-calIed Master
Forger, and who gave the youth of
Mankato warning to stay away
from bad associations, received a
sentence Of three years In the st.
Cloud reformatory In court this
morning following his plea of guilty
to charge of second degree forgery.
He was specifically charged with
the passing of a check for SS7 on
the Fisher Clothing company Of this
city. Police assert that Schmidt con
fessed to the passing of great
number of other checks on the mer-
chants of the city during the past
few months.
Sentenee Of Fred Buck
s Sentence of Fred Buck, who was
found guilty of the, charge OF grand
laceny in the second degree b. his
plea OF guilty this morning III dis
u1ct court, was deferred until Mon
day morning At ten o, clock Noveu1
Der 10. Buck is alleged "a nave
stolen coat and vest from " d.
Lovelace. OF Marshall, Minnesota,
from the Northwestern depot on
August 81 The coat contained about
$25, a number of checks, q gold
Giles.
Three men arrested on charges of
violation of the prohibition laws.
entered pleas of guilty to the
charges made against them at their
arraignment in district court this
morning.
Judge Comstock deferred sen
teDce in the case- of William ].
Cook charged with the sale of ille-
gal liquor. Cook pleaded guilty to
the charges that he had sold liquor
at the Garden City county fair on
August "a and Is. He stated that
he was working on a fifty ifty split
with his partner Claude Harp, who
is out on bail on similar charge.
He also stated that the method used
by his partner and himself in dis
posing OF the liquor was by mixing
the moonshine with pop, and selling
the beverage from stand on the
fair grounds
Cook Was Questioned
Cook was questioned at length by
Judge Comstock regarding the at
tempt he made some time ago to
break out of the Blue Earth county
Jail. He admitted that he had
sawed some of the bars, and intend
ed to make delivery of the prison
ers before he was apprehended. I'm
der questioning by the court Cook
stated that his home was at Peoria,
Ill, and that he had served for two
years during the late war, part of
which time was spent hauling am
munition overseas.
In explaining the attempt to
break out Of the county fail here.
Cook stated that the saw blades
were not sent to him but to other
did not know who the party was
who had delivered the tools TO the
Jail for the attempted outbreak. The
court ordered that he be remanded
to the county jail until Saturday
morning when judgement would be
pronounced.
Steven John, charged with having
IN his possession still and a large
quantity of moonshine at the time
of raid by police officers on Octo-
Der eleventh pleaded guilty and was
sentenced to forty five days at hard
labor in the Blue Earth county jails
confined at the county Jail until
such fine be paid. but not to exceed
six months.
Frank Pudenich, charged with
having liquor in his possession con-
trary to the prohibition laws, plead,
ed guilty to the charge In court
this morning. A sentence Of thir-
ty days in the county jail and a ine
of $3.50, confinement In the county
Jail to be made Until such fine be
paid but not to exceed six months,
was given TO Pudenich. He was
December second at ten O'clock In
the morning to begin his sentence.
Tomorrow Nights Program
The. following program. win be