Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 June 1905 — WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS? [ARTICLE]

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS?

One night last week, according to a story told by Lyman Zea, the new nightwatob, he was at Goff’s restaurant at abont 2 o’clock in the morning—there being something going on that Mr. Goff was keeping open—when the telephone rang and a voice inquired if Zea wns there. On being informed that he was called for, Lyman went to the ’phone and asked what was wanted. The voice replied that a “rough house” was going on at Madame Brown’s in the east part of the city, and that he was wanted there at once. Lyman asked who was talking at the other end of the line, but without deigning a reply, thev rang off. Being a little suspicious by this, Lyman went up to the Nowels House and called Madame Brown and asked her what the trouble was at her establishment. She replied that there was no trouble at all; that everything was quiet and “nothing doing.” Lyman went back to the restaurant once more and soon the

’phone rang again, and on his going to the instrument he was urged to hurry up and come down to Madame Brown’s to quiet the row. The party at the other end of the line rang off without answering when asked who it was talking. The operator at “Central” informed Lyman on his immediate inquiry that the call came from the city hall, and he hastened up there to try and find out who the parties were who were attempting to have sport with .him. On arriving at the hall all was dark. He struck a match, he states, but it went out. Someone was passing and he told him to go get a lantern, that he wanted to see who was in the building. Then the electric lights were suddenly turned on, and who do you suppose he found there? City Marshal Abbott, - * Constable Christie Vick, Ex-Nightwatch Burgess Dillon. There was no one else about. It is unnecessary for The Democrat to comment on this matter — we will leave that for the citizens of Rensselaer—but remember that it was 2 o’clock in the morning, and that whatever Mr. Zea’s shortcomings may be, he is the duly elected and qualified nightwatch, clothed with authority as such officer, and is paid for his services out of the city treasury by the taxpayers of Rensselaer. Two of the men, he Btates, that he found sitting in the city hall at that unseasonable" hour, and whom he think tried to get him into trouble, are also public officers, while the third was but recently such, and was an active candidate for reelection against Mr. Zea.