The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 21, 1906

Caught in the Cash Register

Thief Loses End of Finger in Russell M’Guire’s Store Saturday Night

A young man who resides in this city is minus the tip of the small finger on his right hand today as the result of a very bunglesome piece of robbery Saturday night in McGuire’s shoe store. In attempting to snatch money from the cash register while Mr. McGuire’s back was turned, the rascal caught his hand in the cash drawer as it was closed.

Mr. McGuire can give no particulars concerning the thief, although he knows him very well by sight. He is a young man about twenty-three years old who has been living in Fort Dodge this winter. The store was very crowded on Saturday night and Mr. McuGire (sic) was kept very busy waiting on trade. Several customers were lined up along the side of the store near the register. Mr. McGuire had just made a sale and was registering it. When the drawer of the machine closed it caught this young man’s hand and held it until he had snatched it away, leaving the tip of his finger to tell the tale. Mr. McuGire (sic) was very surprised, for he had not noticed the attempt until he heard the soft thud of the finger as it was crushed. With a coolness which belied his pain, the thief wrapped his finger in his handkerchief and walked from the store.

Tags: 1906, McGuire

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 16, 1906

A False Arrest Made

So Says “Nutty Willie” who is Charged With Trying to Get a Free Meal

One L. Willie who goes by the well known appellation of “Nutty” in the absence of a know given name was arrested by one of the night patrolmen last night ont he charge of trying to beat a restaurant keeper out of a meal. Willie entered an eating house near the Central depot and ordered a good feed. When he had finished he turned about, said to the man behind the counter “Let’s see who can walk the fasted” and made for the door. He was captured by an officer before he had gone a block and placed in jail. This morning he claimed that a false arrest had been made for he had merely strolled out for a little air and had forgotten to pay his bill.

Tags: 1906, Willie

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 4, 1906

Begging on the Streets

Will Harris Arrested on Charge Yesterday – Fined in the Mayor’s Court.

Will Harris, whose home is where-ever he hangs up his hat, was arrested by police captain Grant yesterday on the charge of begging. Harris was found to be able bodied and husky enough to make a good farm hand, yet he solicited everybody he met for a few cents. He was fined a dollar and costs in the mayor’s court in lieu of which he was put on the streets.

Tags: 1906, Grant, Harris

The  Fort Dodge Messenger: March 16, 1906

Housecleaning Time at Hand

Carpet Beating and Similar Scenes Will Soon Appear.

Cafes Will Do Rushing Business While Family Man Stays away From Home.

The above verse seems singularly appropriate to the season which will soon be fairly launched upon the populace. House cleaning time with all its sorrows, labors and exasperations will soon descend upon the public, to the public (sic), to the unutterable disgust and uncomfort (sic) of the long suffering family man, and the hard working housewife. Only the laboring woman and the professional carpet beater will rejoice and “Everybody will work, but Father,” who will take his meals down town while the  household is uptorn; to the profit of the cafe and the restaurant keep keeper (sic).

Tags: 1906

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 24, 1906

For The Custody of Children

Suit Between Divorced Man and Wife Filed in the District Court Today

Suit was filed in the clerk’s office today by Edward Fuller asking the custody of his five children who are now held by his divorced wife Jennie (uncertain about the middle initial – it looks like an upside-down F) Fuller.

The petition of the plaintiff states that he was granted a decree of divorce by Judge W.D. Evans in 1904 and that at that time the custody of the children was given to him. Despite this, his former wife has according to his claims held the children and has refused numerous requests to give them into his possession. He alleges that they are now wrongfully witheld (sic) from him and asks that the wife be commanded by the court to give them into his possession. The Fullers were former residents of this city who are now living in the country.

Tags: 1906, Evans, Fuller

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 24, 1906

Boys Entice Young Girls From Home

Mrs. Cochran Puts City Police on Trail of Her Child Daughter.

She Tells Shocking Story

Little Girl Who Smokes Cigarettes and is Genuine Tough Believed to be at Bottom of Affair – Three Boys and Three Girls in It.

Almost crazed with grief and apprehension, and hardly able to keep from weeping outright a woman living in the lower districts of the city, giving her name as Mrs. Cochran, appeared before Mayor Bennett this morning, bearing a shocking tale of woe.

She states that she is of the opinion that her young thirteen year old daughter, Mabel, had been led from home in company with two other girls scarcely older and is now in some resort or has left the city.

The girl, so she says, has been keeping company with one Isabel Anderson, whom she avers is a genuine tough, and though only thirteen or fourteen years old, smokes cigarettes and has a reputation otherwise in keeping.

Her daughter was seen yesterday in company with the Anderson girl and Bertina Overby, another of the same stamp, and the three were about the city with Joe Williams, Charley Hutchinson and Leo Halligan, who the chinson and Leo Halligan. Now (italicized text was an extra line in the article) states Mrs. Cochran, neither of the three girls have shown up at their homes and whereabouts of the entire sexette is unknown.

The police say that several of the crowd have been considered fit candidates for the reform school for some time. They will be on the look out for them today and if they are found some action will probably be taken in the matter which will prevent such happenings in the future.

Tags: 1906, Anderson, Bennett, Cochran, Halligan, Hutchinson, Overby, Williams

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 23, 1906

Roy Burkholder Accidentally Shot

Discharge of Shot Gun Gives Him a Painful Wound in The Leg

Roy Burkholder, a young lad about fourteen of (sic) fifteen years of age, who resides at 418 1st. Avenue south was the victim of a very painful through not dangerous accident yesterday afternoon.

Young Burkholder in company with another lad started out hunting yesterday afternoon. About four o’clock they stopped at the Central tracks near the Lizzard (sic) creek. A shot gun which they carried was deposited on one of the rails, while the boys sat down on the tracks. The gun became dislodged and fell in such a manner as to discharge the load, which entered the calf of the leg of Burkholder. He was taken to his home where a physician was called. The shot has been extracted and the lad will suffer no serious results from the wound.

Tags: 1906, Burkholder

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 23, 1906

Midget Passes Away at Otho

Iowas Smallest Baby Dies After Only Couple Days of Life.

The little baby boy born to Mrs. and Mrs. John Ford at Otho pased (sic) away Thursday. This little child was born Monday and only weighed one and a half pounds. The child was heralded as the smallest child born in this state. it was never strong and at no time was there any hope entertained that the child could live.

The funeral occurred the same day as tis death and only a short service was held. The mother’s condition is yet bad and for this reason the services were very brief.

The exact measurements of the midge was not taken, so it will never be known. The child, however, was not very much smaller than the ordinary small baby, but had apparently no flesh. Its weight was below the two pound mark, which in itself is a record.

(Editor’s note: I’m not sure why they termed the baby a midget, since he died shortly after birth and I doubt that condition could be recognized that soon, especially with the state of medical knowledge at the time. I could be wrong. But it’s interesting to see how much knowledge has been gained in just over 100 years – babies of this weight are not routine, but they do live, often with no permanent damage from premature birth.)

Tags: 1906, Ford

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 23, 1906

Ice Gorge on The Upper River

Big Mass of Ice Gorges Between County and Illinois Central Bridges.

Some apprehension is felt through the city this afternoon regarding a big ice gorge which has formed on the upper Des Moines, a short distance above the Lizzard (sic) creek. The great mass of ice chokes the passage of the channel entirely between the county and Illinois Central bridges, and water is slowly rising.

The river is breaking at the mouth of the Lizzard and it is thought that the breakup will extend to the gorge and loosen its hold in a short time. For this reason conditions are in no way alarming. The only damage that can result would be to the bridges, and both of these are firmly constructed. The water has risen about a foot during the last twelve hours.

Tags: 1906