People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 June 1894 — HE RAISED THE FINE. [ARTICLE]

HE RAISED THE FINE.

That Is, He Raised the Money with the Aid of a Bear. A man from Troy told this story the other day to a small company of friends about a police justice in a little town in Rensselaer county: It was the law of the village that all showmen, itinerants and organ grinders must get a license before doing business there. One day a fat policeman, who had been on the force about six months without doing anything, concluded it was time he arrested somebody. Soon afterward along came an Italian with a performing bear. “Hev yez got yer license?” asked the policeman. “No,” said the exhibitor of the bear. “Then yer my priz’ners,” said the policeman, and he triumphantly marched off with them to the village stationhouse, he leading the Italian and the Italian leading the bear. Arraigned before the police justice the Italian pleaded guilty and the judge officiously gave him a most severe and scorching lecture on the enormity of his offense, ending by fining him ten dollars, the full extent of the law. The culprit had a lot of small change in his podket, but being mostly pennies and nickles it only counted up seven dollars and sixty-five cents. For a very few moments the judge was in a quandary. He didn’t want to send the fellow to jail, nor yet lose the ten dollars. Presently a bright idea struck him—a happy solution of the problem—and he said: “Here, officer! Take this fellow out to the market place and let him perform with his bear until he makes up the balance, and when he gets it drive him out of town.” —Buffalo News.