The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 17, 1904
Willey Takes His Departure
“Nutty” Willey Left Fort Dodge for all Time.
Does So When He is Threatened to Be Named as Candidate for the Cherokee Dry House.
Michael Conlin, Earnest Willey and William Kelso were arraigned in police court this morning on the charge of being drunk. The first two named were fined $1 and costs, while Kelso was taxed $5 and the trimmings. conlin is a track laying foreman and was employed by the Great Western in laying steel for the Omaha extension. He is deaf and for that reason had some difficulty in pleading guilty when arraigned this morning. His fine was suspended providing he would return to work.
Ernest Willey, who is better known as “Nutty” Willey, left the city hall this morning with the firm determination of never showing his face in Fort Dodge again. He made this prmise under threat of being sent to the dry hosue at Cherokee. Willey has been a well known character in Fort Dodge for a number of years and has been arrested repeatedly for being drunk. He was given an hour to get out of town, together with the information that if he again came within the limits of the city he would be promptly arrested.
(Editor’s note: I’ll try to gather more articles about “Nutty” Willey. I can safely say that he did forget to stay away from Fort Dodge and in fact, returned on March 21, 1904. Also, at this time, the mental health facility in Cherokee apparently had a 1904 version of rehab. That was what Ernest Willey was trying to avoid by promising to leave Fort Dodge forever.)
The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 17, 1905
John Doe and Richard Roe
Two Men Famous in Police Court come Up and Get All There is in Stock
Were a Very Jolly Pair
In Spite of the Fact That Their conditions and Surroundings Were Not The Brightest They Were Joyous And Showed Themselves Optomists.
John Doe and Richard Roe both arrived in the city at one and the same time a couple of days ago and since then have been having one of the best times of their lives. As a result of force of habit, however, these bad, bad men steered directly for one of the jag factories and had their measures taken for the two biggest jags that ever came out of the shop in this city. for two days them wore them quietly and had all kinds of sport, being successful in steering clear of blue coats and brass buttons and seeing the town on both the right and wrong sides in a most thorough manner.
Finally however, the inevitable happened, and the two naughty men fell into the hands of the cops and went down on the little report book with a big “drunk and disorderly” after each of their names. The arrest of the two took place last evening and in spite of the fact that they were dressed faultlessly, were consigned to the city bastile like any ordinary drunk.
This morning in police court, in spite of the discolored taste that must have lingered in their mouths and the wheels that still turned and buzzed in their heads, they were in a very jocular mood and took the whole matter as a great joke. It was such a funny thing that they, of all people in the world should be hauled up before the police and fined. It was really too ridiculous for anything, and they coulnd’t get over laughing about it.
John was given a fine of five plunks and costs but Richard got off a little easier being assigned the usual one and trimmings. They came to Fort Dodge for a good time and they certainly had it, but had to pay the price.
This is the first case that has been up in police court for more than two weeks.
The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 17, 1906
A Deadly Disease at Brushy
Anthrax Breaks Out Among Animals on Pratt Farm.
Is Contagious Disease Deadly to both Animals and Man – Place is Quarantined.
On being called to the farm of Charles Pratt at Brushy, Thursday afternoon by the news that a strange disease had broken out among the animals on the farm, Dr. Baughman of this city found the malady to be anthrax, a deadly contagious disease which attacks both animals and human beings. Already a number of animals have died from its effects.
Dr. Baughman, who is assistant state veterinarian took the case in hand at once and has imposed a strict quarantine n the place. All stock on the farm will be confined to it until it is certain that the disease has been stamped out. The sheds, pens, etc., will be torn down either placed in a strong antiseptic solution or burned and the dead animals will be burned in lime to prevent the disease germs from again coming to the surface.
The malady appeared on the same place some fifteen or sixteen years ago, and it is supposed that it reappeared through being brought to the surface by earth worms. It attacks those who are taken with it in the form of a malignant ulcer which spreads rapidly and soon brings death. There are practically no symptoms to give warning of the approach of the disease. The first that the farmer knows of it when he finds the dead animals which have succumbed to it.
Tags: anthrax, disease, farm life
