Archive for April 7th, 2011

7
Apr

New Police Begin Duties

   Posted by: admin    in Court matters, People, Police court, Uncategorized

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 7, 1903

New Police Begin Duties

Marshal Ed Welch and His Men Sworn in Monday Night

Enter on Their New Duties

Marshal Welch already has some of the Beats Assigned and is Organizing the Force.

Police Marshal Ed Welch, Deputy Marshal Frank Connelly and the new police officers of the city of Fort Dodge took their oath of office and entered upon the performance of their duties on Monday night.

Marshal Welch this morning announced the beats for the new officers, so far as they have as yet been arranged. Marshal Welch and Deputy Marshal Frank Connelly will be on duty in the day time, as is customary, and Patrolman Merton Jordan has also been assigned for day duty. The day men will be on duty from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Officer J.M. Mericle will take the beat at the Illinois Central depot which was held by Myron Tuller on the old force. Peter Ditmer will have his old beat, covering the Great Western depot and yards and the eastern business district. Adolph Rossing will succeed Peter Steiner of the old force. His duty will be to look after the gas lights, and to cover the business district in the neighborhood of the square. All the night men will go on duty at 6 o’clock in the evening and off at 6 in the morning.

This leave two beats to be arranged. August Andrews is as yet not assigned any regular run, and the man whom Mayor Northrup will appoint to succeed William McNally, whose appointment was not approved by the city council on Monday evening, must also be provided for. Marshal Welch expects to have his force organized in a short time.

The vigilance of the new police resulted in the apprehension of two culprits on Monday night. Dan Daly was picked up paralyzed drunk, and was given a secure lodgement in the city jail. He was released this morning on his promise to get out of town. He gave his home as Ackley. John Doe, from Clare, this time, paid $7.10 in expiation of his offense in getting drunk and was discharged.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

7
Apr

Chickens Must Stay at Home

   Posted by: admin    in Animals, Transportation

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 7, 1904

Chickens Must Stay at Home

Police to See That Owner Keeps Them on Property.

A Ban Is Also Placed on the Practice of Bicycle Riders Using the Sidewalks.

Many complaints have been made to the police to the effect that the productiveness of newly made gardens is enhanced by the intrusions of neighboring chickens. The number of complaints have been such that it is now ordered that all persons who are the owners of fowls must keep them in enclosures or at least take some means by which they will remain on the owner’s premises and if there is any scratching or garden destroying to be done that only the owner of the chickens shall suffer.

Police records in cities the size of Fort Dodge, where the advantages of the country can be enjoyed in so far as it is possible to raise one’s own chickens and lose no sleep when the grocer asks sky scrapinging (sic) prices for eggs, show that many cases which the mayor is called upon to settle often arise from such a little thing as one neighbor’s chickens paying a visit to another neighbor’s garden and digging up the young plants from which neighbor No. 2 expected to reap a harvest. To eliminate the number of such disturbances and because of the further fact that a person owning chickens by law is obliged to keep them on his own premises, owners of the feathery property of all kinds are warned to keep the same on their own domain.

With spring comes the bicycle and with it comes another mandate from the police. Every street in Fort Dodge is not paved with asphalt and it must be admitted that there are some at certain periods of the year, of which spring is one, when they are not at all unlike country roads. For these reasons riders of bicycles on many of the resident streets resort to the sidewalks, where they find peddling much better than on the muddy street. There is an ordinance against riding on the sidewalks and it is to be enforced. Bicycle riders apprehended riding on the walks will be arrested and fined.

(Editor’s note: My last bicycle-riding experience was about three or four years ago in Fort Dodge. I had gone to pick up a bike from a friend, who was giving it to me. I tried out the bike and decided to ride it home, a few blocks away. While waiting for the light to change at Sixth Avenue North and 15th Street, I was chastised and cursed at by a guy in a car for riding my bike on the street.  It is still the law in Iowa that bicycle riders must ride on the street, and vehicle drivers must allow it.)

Tags: , ,

7
Apr

In Memoriam: John Walter Bennett

   Posted by: admin    in Kalo

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 7, 1903

In Memoriam

John Walter Bennett was born in Seghill, Northumberlandshire England March 31st, 1829, and died at kalo, Ia., March 29th, 1903.

He was married at Vinegar Hill, Jo Davis county, Ill., January 7th, 1852, to Margaret Ward, who died June 14th, 1856. He was married again to Jane Anderson at Center, Lafayette county, Wisconsin, Feb. 3rd, 1858. To them were born eight children, one of whom, Robert William died in childhood. The other seven are all married, residing, Cordelia Jane Hay, at Sioux City, Walter Bennett at Pittsburg, Kansas, Mary F. Williams at Pleasant Lake, N.D., William F. Bennett, Benton, Washington, J. Wesley Bennett Kalo, Ida May Williams, West Bend, and Elizebeth E. Chilgren, of Fort Dodge. Five of these were present at the funeral.

In young manhood he lived in Pana, Ill., and Wisconsin. For the past 33 years he lived in Iowa. He settled in Kossuth county with the early pioneers and endured with his family much hardship during the grasshopper scourge. Twenty-eight years ago he came to Coalville and has lived in Kalo since 1880. Probably no man has received more of the regard and respect of the community than he. A man of great integrity, he was true to his convictions in all departments of life. No one ever thought of doubting his fidelity to what he conceived to be right.

In early life he became an active Christian. For a while he was a member of the Primitive Methodist church. But most of his life he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which he was greatly attached. The Methodist itinerant was always sure of a hearty welcome in his home. He was well read in the doctrines of history and policy of his church. For at least thirty years he was class leader and had special qualifications for this work.

Before his wife died and all the five years he has lived with his son, Wesley, he has been a great sufferer and suffered to the end. A good man has left the community who will be long remembered. But he has gone to his reward, for he died in the Lord.

Rev. John Cook, of Epworth, Iowa, preached the sermon from the text, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.” He preached Mr. Bennett’s father’s funeral sermon 30 years ago. Rev. Cook had with him on the platform Rev. Francis Fawks, pastor of the Congregational church and Rev. Jones of the Otho Methodist church. Mr. Fawks made the opening prayer. The services were very impressive and were attended by a very large part of the community.

Tags: , , , , , ,