The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 14, 1906

Auto Scares Horse A Woman Hurt

Unfortunate Accident at Hart’s Grove – Mrs. William Hayes Injured.

A horse driven by Mr. and Mrs. William Hayes of Otho was scared by the automobile of Ed Rank at the republican rally at Hart’s grove today and Mrs. Hayes was thrown from the rig and severely injured.

Mrs. Rank was driving the machine. She met the other vehicle on a hill near the grove. The horse became frightened and began to rear and plunge. Mrs. Rank ran the auto clear out into the ditch to give more room and stopped the machine. Still the animal did not stop and Mr. Hayes, who was driving, being many nearly seventy years of age was unable to control it. A sudden jolt threw his wife out and she was picked up from the road in an almost unconscious condition. She was taken to the residence of George Lingerts near the grove and a physician was called. Her condition is serious but the nature of her injuries are not yet known. The accident happened shortly before noon.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 13, 1904

Wonderful Vitality of a Cow

Dragged by Locomotive and Rolled Down Embankment.

Found Standing in Creek by Owner Next Morning and is Driven Home – Rib Through Lungs.

A cow belonging to A.J. Hilton of this city, passed through an experience on Sunday night that would seem incredible when the fact is taken into consideration that she still lives and will probably recover. The bovine in question was pastured in a small enclosure bordering on the M. & St.L. tracks on Soldier Creek, a little way from the cemetery. On Sunday night she evidently got through the fence into the railroad right of way, where she was caught by the midnight passenger train going north. It is supposed that in some manner the animal got caught in the pilot of the locomotive and was dragged alonside (sic) for some distance.

Rolled Down Embankment.

She was finally wrenched loose by the motion of the train and went rolling down a steep embankment through a barbed wire fence into old Soldier Creek. In the morning when found by her owner, she was standing up in the creek and although badly scratched up was able to walk home. A veterinary was sent for and u pon examination it was found that a rib had been broken and had penetrated one lung of the animal. The veterinary did what he could for her and she seemed to be getting along all right with some chance of recovery. The side of the grade, where the cow had pounded along over the ties, was badly torn up, showing how far she had been dragged, and the wonder is great that any animal could have stood that amount of grief and have lived and been able to walk after it.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 10, 1903

May Be The Stolen Horse

Possible Clue to Incendiary of the Ricke Fire

Horse Answering Description of One Stolen Being Held by Authorities in Omaha.

A horse answering exactly to the description of the one stolen from the Ricke livery barn on Saturday, the night when the stable burned, has been located in Omaha, where a man was seen driving the animal on Saturday morning, only a few hours after the fire.

Immediately upon the discovery of the theft, cards were sent thruout the county giving a description of the missing animal. Russell McGuire today received a letter from his brother, D.O. McGuire, stating that a horse in every particular answering the description of the one stolen from the Ricke barn, was seen on the streets of Omaha on Saturday morning.

The animal has been held and the matter will be investigated. Of course, the horse may be another, but horses which are just alike are very rare. If it is the same animal, the authorities are at a loss to know how it could have been tranoprted (sic) to Omaha so soon. It could not have been driven there in that short time, and it does not seem likely that it would have been shipped within so few hours, Ricke being positive that the horse was not taken out of the barn before the early morning when the fire occurred. For this reason the officers are not putting much faith in the hope that the animal and the man guilty of putting to death eleven dumb brutes by an awful torture, simply to steal a horse, will be secured by this clue.

However the horse has been held, and the particulars will be inquired into.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 3, 1903

Woolsey Pursues the Dog Thieves

Deputy Sheriff Does the Nick Carter Act and Returns Canine to Owner.

The Thieves Are Found

Emigrants Steal Prize Puppy from Farm House, But Are Caught.

Deputy Sheriff Woolsey is the hero of a dog story which runs as follows:

Wednesday afternoon a party of emigrants passing thru Iowa stopped in the vicinity of the Ben Eaton farm near Judd, intending to have dinner at that place. Finding no one at home, the family being in the field, the travelers possessed themselves of a small amount of corn, a fine bird dog, valued at $25 and then started peacefully on their way.

The dog belonged to W.J. Pressler, a farm hand who highly prized the animal and was greatly angered when returning from the field he found his canine pet missing. Some women who had been working in a field nearby, saw the abduction and informed the Eatons of the same.

Eaton and the dog’s owner immediately started in pursuit of the emigrants and caught up with them in the evening two miles from the poor farm. The campers, however, declared their innocence and would not produce the dog.

A warrant was then procured, from Justice Martin and Deputy Sheriff Woolsey and Russel McGuire, together with the two men, went out to where the purloiners of the pup had pitched camp. All denied that they had even seen a dog within the last three days, but Deputy Woolsey thought he detected a faint howl in the nearby woods. Finding a fresh path leading to where a dog’s vocal organs were apparently at work he came upon a small boy guarding the stolen animal. The boy admitted stealing the dog.

The men of the party were brought to the city where they plead guilty and were fined $1 and cost, amounting in all to $14.50. In order to raise this it was necessary for them to sell a pony.

It would be hard to tell which was the happiest, the dog or his master, Pressler when the brute was restored to its rightful owner.

(Editor’s note: Nick Carter is a fictional detective who first appeared in a dime novel in 1886.)

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 20, 1903

Sends Wolf Pelt by Mail

Lehigh Man’s Novel Plan to Pay His Taxes

Asks That County Treasurer Apply on His Taxes the Bounty of $4 Allowed for Skins

“Please apply enclosed wolf pelts on my taxes,” reads a communication from Lehigh received at the office of the county treasurer today.

The county auditor has them on his hands which have been transferred to this keeping by the county treasurer. The pelts are those of young wolves, and are worth $2 each, the bounty paid by the county. The name of the Lehigh man who has resorted to this novel manner to pay his taxes is withheld by the recipient of the letter.

The wolf pelts were wrapped in paper and sent by mail. The bounty of $4, however, cannot be applied to the taxes until the pelts are personally sworn to.

(Editor’s note: The wolf pelt bounty would be about $96 today.)

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 20, 1903

Ray Roper Painfully Injured

Sustains a Broken Leg in Runaway at Havelock

Horse Became Frightened and Starts to Run – Mr. Roper Jumps and Catches Foot in Wheel.

Ray Roper, traveling representative for the Fort Dodge Grocery company, met with a serious runaway accident Wednesday afternoon near Havelock, as the result of which he is suffering from a broken leg and other injuries.

Mr. Roper in company with another gentleman was driving near Havelock, when the horse became unmanageable, and started to run away. Mr. Roper was not driving so that he was free to jump which he did, but in lighting he in some way caught his leg in the wheel. At the speed of which the vehicle was moving it was impossible to extricate his limb so that he was dragged some distance during which he sustained a compound fracture of the leg which will necessitate his absence from work for some time. the driver kept his seat and was uninjured.

Mr. Roper is now in Havelock, where he is being nursed by his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Haney Roper, who went to Havelock Wednesday evening. The accident happened at five in the afternoon.

Dr. Saunders, of Fort Dodge, was summoned to Havelock to assist in the care of the patient. A telegram received from him today indicates that the injury is quite serious.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 8, 1904

An Escaped Circus Lion Stampedes City Crowd

Norris & Rowe’s Circus Provides a Sensational Act Not On the Program.

Beast Got Out of His Cage

He Was Being Put Thru His Paces By His Trainer in His Cage.

He Came Out of Open Door

King of Beasts Made a Run For The Woods and The Crowd Fled in All Directions – Jumped on Horse But Was Driven Off and Caught.

Escaping from his cage Saturday night while the tent was crowded with terrified spectators, Hannibal, the man eating lion exhibited in the Norris & Rowe side show, caused a panic as big as an earthquake and set the whole town agog with all kinds of rumors all day Sunday.

Just as his trainer, Gustave Koehen, was about to make his exit from the cage after having tantalized the creature into a state of frenzy, his protege bounded ahead of him and leaped thru the open door and flew thru the air over the heads of some of the open-mouthed spectators to the edge of the canvas where he gained his freedom. Instantly the whole troupe and audience was on the qui vive. To have such a fierce denizen of the jungles running about on the Iowa prairies is no conventional incident.

Causes Nearly a Panic.

For a moment there was nearly a panic in the little tent. The crowd almost went wild with fear and excitement. The doors were flung open at once and the throng allowed to escape at once so that the lion might, if possible, be summoned back to his cage. Every available man and boy with the troupe was pressed into the service. guns were loaded with blanks and a light placed in the cage with a large quantity of meat to attract his lordship.

Jumps on a Horse.

But it was not until the beast, who after all was probably as frightened as the crowd, had jumped on a horse which was hitched near the tent that the real excitement occurred. Before the eyes of hundreds of horrified spectators, the savage beast pounced upon a horse and dug his claws into the animal’s flesh. Not before the horse, which was the property of Charles Dayton, who resides in the south part of the city near the Bradshaw brick yards, had been terribly lacerated and torn, would the lion be scared away from the fresh blood he as relishing so much. His cruel claws had penetrated clear to the stifle joint besides horribly tearing the animal’s side. The horse is being cared for at the veterinary hospital, but will probably not live. With the best of luck the equine must be maimed for life. the damage to the horse and buggy is estimated at $150 ($3,592 today). Compared with the $120 ($2,874) received and the loss of the horse, this seems a pittance.

Cajoled Into Cage.

Finally after much effort, when every possible means had been taken to cajole the creature into his civilized habitation, the lion was induced to re-enter his cage. The firing off of the blanks was perhaps the most efficacious method to scare him back, though the bright light and meat in the cage semed (sic) also to entice the creature. For a while it seemed as if the Round Prairie was for sometime to be the scene of the gambols of the fierce denizen of the African forest. The circus hands had almost given up in despair when he had advanced 150 yards from his tent and was rapidly nearing the heavy timber. Just how long it would have taken to secure the beast had he gained the woods is a difficult question to answer. Certain it is that this location of town would have ceased to be the favorite haunt of picnic parties.

Due to Carelessness.

Was the accident due to carelessness upon the part of the show management? Many of the spectators affirm that the trainer was somewhat intoxicated and that had he taken due precautions the lion need not have escaped. The cage in which Hannibal was kept was a poor excuse for a prison for such a fierce creature. Unlike most of the cages used for lions and tigers, it had but one room and the door was in a position that its occupant could with little effort dash by his trainer and gain his freedom.

Did it for Advertisement.

It is said that the same accident occurred with less serious results at Fonda where the show exhibited. If this is the case there is certainly evidence for suspecting the management of deliberately freeing the lion just for the advertisement, which the the troup (sic) will receive in the next town they visit. Chief Welch hearing of this, has sent word to Webster City, where the show spread its canvas today, to report any accident of this kind that might occur there. If it can be proven that the show management have purposely freed the lion just for the advertisement they receive a serious charge may be made against them. The danger of the loss of life to men and animals when such a  creature is at liberty is imminent and appalling. By some it is also said that this theory is pure fabrication as the show company could ill afford to risk the loss of such a valuable part of their menagerie.

Kohler Says it Was an Accident.

“No this is not the first time Hannibal has escaped from us,” said Trainer Gustav Koehler, when interviewed by a Messenger reporter, after the accident. “He is one of the hardest propositions we have ever had to handle. He has killed two men in California, and a horse maimed in Missouri during the last year. Every time he gets away from us we risk the loss of thousands of dollars worth of property besides the possible loss of life.”

“No sir, there was not the slightest word of truth in the assertion that I was under the influence of liquor when I entered the cage. Such an idea could only be conceived by an idiot. Why, it is dangerous enough to monkey with Hannibal when one is sober, let along being drunk.”

Writ of Attachment Served.

After discovering the awful condition of their horse, the Dayton boys who had driven to the circus in their father’s buggy, notified the police and in turn immediately filed a writ of attachment upon the management. After considerable dallying the treasurer came around and reluctantly doled out $120 of the day’s receipts. As the cost of the case were twenty dollars ($479), Mr. Dayton will receive only $100 ($2,395) in remuneration for his loss. the show people said that they would return to the city next Saturday and fight out the case, but local authorities are of the opinion that they will be glad to drop the matter entirely. As $120 is the limit of the amount which can be secured by a writ of attachment, the full value of the loss could not be received. It is generally admitted that the company got off easily.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 1, 1906

Snakes are Scarce

They Are Few Along the Des Moines This Season

It is reported that snakes are scarce along the Des Moines this season. But no reason is given for this except that so many of them have been killed within a few years. But few of them are seen this summer along the stream and they are being gradually wiped out of existence.

The time was when a snake could be seen dangling from almost every bush which overhung the water and the head of one could be seen here and there sticking from beneath a stone. But they have gone, hundreds have been killed every season and it is no wonder the species is being wiped out.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 15, 1904

This Cat Rivals the Dog

Fred Devling Possesses a Cat That Will Hunt Small Game For Its Master.

Fred Devling recently received a foreign cat which is used in hunting squirrels and weasels. The cat is a large one and in color is much like the maltese. There are also six kittens of the same kind which although very young are beginning to show the traits of their kind, as they are also very good hunters.

The full grown cat is a very large one, being about twice the size of the ordinary cat and very much stronger. the cat has the instincts of the ordinary feline only developed much more. These cats when let loose in a field or woods immediately begin to search for game. From their size one would realize that they were much stronger than the ordinary cat and therefore much more able to attack larger animals and birds than the ordinary house cat would, but one even then fails too (sic) understand their real ability as hunters.

Mr. Develing (sic) intends to keep the full grown cat for use in hunting, but he intends to dispose of the younger cats.