The Fort Dodge Messenger and Chronicle: Aug. 24, 1917

Poor Location Chosen by Woman

Moves Next Door to Chief of Police Jordan

And Then is Disorderly

Lives There Two Days and is Then Arrested

Failure to investigate her neighbors caused Mrs. Daisy Cole, formerly of Eagle Grove, to clash with the city authorities. Had she looked over her neighbors carefully, she would have chosen another location and might possibly have kept out of police court a few days longer at least. Mrs. Cole and other inmates paid $25 fines.

Mrs. Cole was brought before the court this morning on a charge of disorderly conduct, which consisted of running a house of ill fame. She moved into Fort Dodge from Eagle Grove only two days ago, and moved next door to Chief of Police M.J. Jordan.

When an auto awakened him at 3:00 a.m. Wednesday night, Jordan noticed that it stopped in front of the Cole house. The next morning the car was still there. Friday night about midnight Jordan was again awakened by another car and the shouts of the occupants, who entered the Cole residence.

Jordan called several of his men and raided the place. They found Evelyn Weitzell of Eagle Grove, upstairs and Margaret Taman was also there. Homan Williams and M. Bryon, the latter of Fort Dodge, were among those present.

Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 4, 1906

Divorced Couple Remarried in City

J.W. and Mrs. Dora Leighton Divorced in 1903 Remarry Yesterday.

One of the most peculiar marriage incidents on record in this vicinity occurred in this city yesterday when Rev. George C. Fort united in marriage J.W. Leighton and Mrs. Dora Leighton, both of Livermore.

The story of the strange romance is that Mr. and Mrs. Leighton were divorced in 1903, the decree being granted from the Humboldt county district court. Mr. Leighton, who was a prosperous hardware merchant of the town of Livermore, took to drink some years ago and according to evidence given at the hearing of the divorce proceedings, made life miserable for his wife and family for several years prior to the action for separation. The decree was granted, despite the protests of Leighton who did everything within his power to prevent it.

Sobered and saddened by the action that his wife had found necessary, he began rapidly to mend his ways, maintained strict sobriety, and sought to repair the wrong that he had done. In the end a reconciliation was brought about between himself and wife which has ended in their marriage in this city yesterday. Mr. Leighton is a cousin of E.I. and L.L. Leighton, of the firm of Leighton Bros. of this city and is well known to many Fort Dodge residents.

Fort Dodge Daily Chronicle: Oct. 20, 1893

Judge Hyatt Adjourned Court

Judge Hyatt Adjourned Court Last Evening, Until a Week From Next Monday – Grand Jury’s Report.

The Webster County district court adjourned last evening untill (sic) a week from next Monday. After listening to the report of the Grand Jury which returned three indictments two fro assault with intent to committ (sic) murder, and one a liquor nusiance (sic). The grand jury has transact4ed considerable business this session taking in to consideration the trouble they experienced in getting witnesses together. They also made a tour of inspection through the county jail and report every thing in good shape, and also reccomend (sic) that the jail be equipped with electric light as the only means of lighting the jail at the present is with a tallow tip.

Fort Dodge Semi-Weekly Chronicle: Jan. 3, 1905

Seven Women Ask For Divorce

The Popularity of the Divorce Court Rapidly Growing

Allegations Set Forth in Petitions Practically the Same as Those of Old

That the Webster county matrimonial sea is no less turbulent than that in other counties, is made manifest by the number of divorce applications filed with the clerk of the district court for hearing this term. In number they are seven, and in every instance excepting one of this seven, the application is the gentler member.

The allegations set forth in the various petitions for separation are not greatly dissimilar, and are about the same as the usual ones set forth in any divorce petition. Now that the wave of divorce has struck this section of the state, having for its headquarters Des Moines, it is likely that the courts will be kep tbusy listening to the things that he did, and that she did, and the charges of cruelty and non-support, intermingled with many other charges of like nature. At the present rate, Webster county will not be long in gaining the same matrimonial notoriety that Sioux Falls has gained, and that Des Moines is fortunate in having.

The applicants and the defendants in the seven actions to be heard this term are:

Mary Laura Anderson vs. August L. Anderson.
Lena A. Hanrahan vs. Michael Hanrahan.
Mary Duehring vs. Julian Duehring.
J.M. Williams vs. Cora Williams.
C. Bella Culver vs. Harry E. Culver.
Minnie Weeks vs. Garvield Weeks.
Bertha Overbye vs. Andrew Overbye.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: June 22, 1903

Were Held to the Grand Jury

Henry Burk and George Dolan Under $300 Bonds.

Charged With Attempt to Steal Trousers From Hennebry Store – Waived Examination.

The men giving their names as Henry Burk and George Dolan who were arrested on Saturday on a charge of attempting to steal several pairs of trousers form the Hennebry clothing store, were held to the grand jury this afternoon.

When brought before Justice Martin for their preliminary hearing they waived examination and were held to the grand jury under $300 bonds. They were unable to furnish bonds, and have been lodged in the county jail until their case can be disposed of by the grand jury.

It is now believed that the men were successful in getting trousers from the Hennebry store on other occasions, as a pair which was located by the police on Saturday afternoon and was identified by Mr. Hennebry was sold by one of them, and other pairs were missing.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: June 19, 1905

Grocery Store is Burglarized

McIntyre & Mallon Store Was Entered Saturday Evening

The Glass Cut From Window

Four Dollars in Cash and Small Amount of Goods Taken — Work That of an Amatuer (sic) and is Attributed to Local Parties.

Though Fort Dodge has been for the past few months exceptionally free from the usual class of sneak thieves and dishonest characters that infest a city of this size, and most of its citizens have entertained the opinion that petty thievery had been abolished, through the activity of the local police, an occurrence which took place in the city Saturday evening will show that a few undesirable characters still inhabit the town and manage to secure an occasional opportunity to ply their nefarious trades to the loss of respectable people. The information has been conveyed to the police that the McIntyre & Mallon grocery located on South Sixth street was entered late Saturday evening and the contents of the cash register rifled. Entrance was effected by cutting out a pane of glass in a rear window, and by means of the opening thus created, raising the window sufficient to allow the thieves to enter the store.

About four dollars in cash was taken from the drawer and a few dollars’ worth of cigars and tobacco stolen. The work is evidently that of an amateur and is attributed by the police and the proprietors of the store to local parties.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 6, 1905

Twenty-nine Arrests Made in August

Police Had More to do in August Than in Any of Preceeding (sic) Months

But Few Sensational Cases

Most of the Wrongdoers Were Drunks, Vagrants and Beggars No Burglars Thieves, Pickpockets or Other Similar Culprits Fall into Net

The police record of hte city of Fort Dodge for the  month of August shows that the city during that month was not as free from the rough and rowdy element as during the three or four months that preceded it.

In the month of July only some ten or fifteen arrests were made and a number of fines levied considerably below that number. The August record brings forth the intelligence that during the dog-day month twenty-nine arrests were made and about eighteen fines assessed.  There were few, if any sensational arrests or cases of any kind brought before the mayor during the month, despite the large number of wrong doers haled before him. Most of the transgressors were plain drunks, vagrants, beggars and others of a similar nature.

The arrests with their causes are as follows:

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 4, 1903

Thor Experiences Burglar Epidemic

Three Places Entered Thursday Night — Robberies by Same Men

Burglars Have Hard Luck

Blow Open Safe, Break Into Store, and Enter the Postoffice

Thor, Sept. 4 — Thor experienced a burglar epidemic last night, the chief characteristic of which was the hard luck attending the efforts of the hard working robbers.After breaking into three buildings and blowing one safe, they succeeded in getting away with a quantity of silk and other merchandise.

The safe in the office of the Chapman Lumber company was found this morning to be in a badly demolished condition. The door had been blown from its hinges, and the force of the explosion had wrecked the entire safe. Fortunately, nothing had been left in the strong box over night, and the burglars were compelled to leave empty-handed after their trouble.

By what is thought to have been the same persons, a second burglary was committed at the general store of Stewart Oleson, where a large amount of silks and a few other articles of merchandise were taken.

The postoffice was broken into, but not entered. A window had been forced open and the burglars were about to enter when they were frightened away by a burglar alarm.

No arrests have been made, nor is there a clue to the robbers.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 25, 1904

Merry Quartette of Drunks

Appear in Police Court This August Morning

All are Relegated to the Pen for Punishment and Meditation Fancy Free

A quartet of drunks and vagrants graced the mercy seat in police court this morning. All plead guilty to their respective charges, as a result the city jail now houses four new ocupants (sic). The first man up was James King who appeared Wednesday morning and was allowed to leave upon promise to get out of town at once. He was given a strong dose this morning in the shape of a $9.35 sentence (about $235 today).

William Carroll of Minnesota was quickly disposed of at $5.85 ($147). William Davis from the Windy City took his $1 ($25 today) and costs and was lead to the bastile without a murmur. John Wilborn was the last man up and he made a strenuous plea for fresh air, saying that he had an appointment at Oelwein. He too was relegated to the city pen.