The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1929-12-27
FAIR TO MAN AND BEAST

sat in the barracks at Regina go
ing over with comrades plans for
the evenings celebration. We had
Just finished our discussion and
| was revealing in the anticipation
of a good time when an orderly
conveyed to me instructions to
proceed at once to Outlook, Sask.,
and there open a detachment.
began that 125-mile ride with
the temperature rs degrees be-
low zero, and the mercury still
falling. Frequently during the
Journey, l had to dismount and
break the foot-long icicles from
nv horses nostrils to save him
from suffocation. | rode into Out
look. a settlement at the end Of
the railroad, on January 5, 1909.
The community was typical of a
thousand others in the new Can
ada; it was nj better or no
worse.
An incident that occurred after
I had been there some weeks will
illustrate a type of unpleasant sur
roundings that has confronted ev-
erv member of the force. There
were two hotels with bars in the
town. and my headquarters had
been established in one of these.
Coming off patrol late one even
ing, I walked into the rotunda or
the hotel to find the proprietor
flat on his back in the middle of
the floor. Through a rear door
fled a mar named Olson, a re-
cent bridegroom, whose retreating
figure d~iscerned as I looked up
from where the hostelry owner
lay. l pursued the man toward the
livery stable, the moonlight re-
vealing that he had taken refuge
under a sleigh.
Come out of there. | want to
talk to you" l called to the
crouching shadow. but there was
no answer. Reaching down,
grabbed his foot and pulled him
to an upright position. He had
neither hat nor coat in spite Of
the bitter cold.
whats the meaning of this?
What happened to Burton back
there in the hotel?" l inquired.
Exposure to the cold had clear
ed the mans brain somewhat,
and he told me that he had been
drinking and had kicked a cup
of coffee out of a waitress hand.
Burton had demonstrated with
him, and he had kicked the ho-
tel proprietor in the stomach,
prostrating him.
We returned to the hotel where
we found Burton sitting in a chair
holding his abdomen. l confirmed
Olson's story of the affair, and
then addressed the landlord:
"Olson was under the influence
of liquor when he kicked you.
Now he has just been married
and l know his wife will be up
set if you prosecute him. If he
apologies and promises to behave
hereafter, you'll forget it, | know.
You realize it will be good for
your business to overlook the hap
pening."
Burton agreed. found a friend
of Olson's and told him to take
the mar home at once.
I'm putting it up to you to get
Olson home without any further
trouble" I told him, and he prom
ised to start out at once.
AS l stood at the desk looking
e the mail, Olson called:
"Mr. Policeman, want to speak
to you just a minute"
| followed the two through the
door. AS | started down the steps
to the sidewalk, Olson whirled
and struck me in the right breast
with sufficient force to break two
ribs We had a bit Of a russell,
during which Olson's companion
kept suggesting to him in an ex-
cited voce:
Give it to him, Ole. Kick him
in the face. Kill him!"
In spite of the crunching bones
in my breast, I eventually got Oh
son to his feet and said:
"Now l want to know whether
YOU are going home peacefully,
OF whether shall have to lock
you up? I've given you n chance
to go home to your wife. There'n
be no more. You have got to
know that the police are not
here to make trouble, but to pre-
vent it. Now if you want to stay
out of Jail, you start home right ,
now!" !
He went, his friend tagging ,
along, both considerably crest ,
!
Two days 1 issued a summons +
for Olson on a charge of assault. ?
| could have formally accused .
him of a~ssaulting an officer while .
in the discharge of his duty, a
much more serious o%ffense, but
wanted him to know that the r
Mounted was willing to go more
han half way in applying the II
he secret citation of Burton, 6
Olson was fined, much to >