Called Down

Italian Fruit Peddler Alleged to Have Insulted the President.

     A rather exciting episode which occurred at police headquarters last Wednesday is now made public.
     An indignant citizen called at Chief Baker’s office and informed him that his, the caller’s, office boy had been sent out to purchase fruit from a Dago who has a stand on Westminster street [sic], and that the Dago said to the boy that Mr. McKinley would never buy any more peaches and that it was a good thing that he couldn’t, for he, Mr. McKinley, was an enemy of the working people. In addition the Dago was alleged to have shamefully referred to the martyred president.
     Chief Baker sent for the Dago and gave him a merry-go-round. In addition the merchant gave the Dago a terrible dressing down and wound up by asserting that if he, the merchant, had been present when he, the Dago, made use of the language complained of there would have been one less fruit peddler in this world.
     The Dago tremblingly denied the entire language. He asserted that he had the utmost respect for the president.
     An apology having technically been made the Dago was dismissed and the incident was closed.