The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 1, 1905

Ice Box Thieves Operate Wholesale

Five Familiies (sic) in East End of City Find Storage Boxes Tampered With

Entirely Looted of Contents

Hoboes (sic) Thought to Be the Guilty Parties – Made no Discrimination but Took Everything in Sight – People Should Telephone

After a relaxation of several weeks, from the inroads of the burglar and the petty sneak thief Fort Dodge people have again begun to be troubled by those who believe rather in making their living by dishonest practices and at the expense of others than through honest labor. For several nights, recently, inroads upon the stores of ice boxes, of Fort Dodge residents have been made but last night the practice was carried on in a wholesale manner. Five houses in the east part of the city were visited by the refrigerator thieves and the ice boxes entirely looted of their contents.

At the Larrabee, Price and H. Weiss homes, with several others, the names of whose occupants we have been unable to learn, the thieves came boldly onto the rear porches and into the cellarways taking anything and everything within the coolers that they fancied, and leaving them as bare as the proverbial cupboard of mother goose fame.

In most every case not only eatables but dishes and such commodities as lard, molasses, eggs and a stray bottle of blue ribbon or two were removed. The ice box thief usually confines his larceny to bread, potatoes, cooked meats, pastry and such other edibles as can be eaten without cooking or preparation, but these fellows seem to be of a new class and no doubt are laying up a supply for a coming famine, should they strike a territory where the people take unkindly to their requests for donations.

A search of the wood in the vicinity of the city would probably result in finding three or four weary Willies ensconced in some cosy nook surrounded by groceries and supplies, in ample proportions, and engaged in preparing a delicious meal with what they had taken from the supplies for Fort Dodge tables. At one place a fine six pound roast of meat, purchased that very day from the butcher is reported as among the things taken. Juicy porterhouse, pork chops, tea and coffee, pies and cake all went to garnish the woodland board of the hoboes (sic), for such the thieves are supposed to be.

Two hungry looking specimens of the genus tramp, called at several east end residences yesterday morning and it is thought that they are the fellows whose hands have found their way into the storage boxes. Mayor Bennett stated to a Messenger man this morning that the people of the city were in a large measure to blame for such results.

“If they had telephoned to the city hall when the fellows called there we would have placed them in safe keeping and the ice box thefts would not have occurred” said he. “Instead of doing this, however, they let them go. only to have them return in the evening and help themselves to all that they could lay their hands on.” Local residents are cautioned to notify police headquarters when suspicious characters or loafers are seen in their neighborhoods under pain of suffering similar inroads upon their stocks of provisions.

(Editor’s note: This is not the first time this was an issue.)

City directory information on the likely victims:

In the 1908 city directory, there were two Larrabees. It’s most likely Charles Larrabee, a vice president at Iowa Savings Bank, living at 1508 Fourth Ave. S. The name Winston is in parenthesis after Charles, which is usually where a spouse’s name would go. I’m guessing that Winston was his grown son, living at home. In the 1909 directory, they are living at 1222 Sixth Ave. S.

There are three Price listings in the 1908 directory. Bertram J. Price, wife Jessie, lived at 1435 Fourth Ave. S. He was the county attorney, with an office at 305-306 in the First National Bank Building. In the 1909 directory, he is listed as attorney at law, with his office in the same location. They had moved to 1215 Sixth Ave. S.

Henry L. Weiss and wife Ida E. lived at 1411 Fourth Ave. S. in 1908. He worked at Thompson, Kehm & Co. In 1909, he worked as a clerk at Plymouth Clothing House, but they are still at the same address. There are 14 listings for Weiss in 1908 and 10 in 1909

Tags: Bennett, Larrabee, Price, Weiss

The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 7, 1906

Mayor ‘Gainst Swimmin’

Posts Sign at the River Which Warns the Small Boys to Keep Away From the Stream

The above notice posted at the river bank near the city waterworks has struck terror into the hearts of the small boys of the city who have been in the habit of taking an occasional plunge at any point along the river that their desire suggests. Complaints from residents living near the river has been the cause of hte posting of the sign, and on this occasion the mayor, though his jurisdiction usually extends only to the city limits has moved his authority line up the stream and barred the bathers entirely. The order will be strictly enforced too. The police have orders to arrest all violators.

Tags: 1906, Bennett

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 12, 1903

Title to 160 Acres is Now in Question

Webster County Land Which Was Once Included in Swamp Land Grant is Claimed by Denver Lawyer

The title of fifteen forty acre tracts of Webster county land, with an average value of fully $40 an acre ($958 today) and a total value of $24,000 ($574,788), is now in dispute, owing to an action taken by the county board of supervisors two years ago, at which time, on the recommendation of their agent, S.J. Bennett, they waived the rights of the county on these tracts, which were originally included in the swamp land grant. Upon t his action of the county the swamp land selections on these tracts were canceled by the United States land office at Des Moines.

All this time, the owners of the fifteen tracts in question were blissfully unconscious that anything was going on, no notice having been served upon them. When they learned what had been done, their titles had already been cancelled, and a Denver lawyer names Moses had filed application for the purchase of the lands for the regular government price, a proceeding which he was perfectly free to pursue under the law. The owners were notified a day or two ago, and by prompt action were able to reach the land office at Des Moines in time to give themselves at least a fighting chance to reclaim the title to their property. Had Mr. Moses go this payment to the land office before the files filed their remonstrance, he would have received the title to the land, but the remonstrance arrived first, and the matter will probably go to the interior department at Washington for final action. To save their title to the land, it will be necessary for the owners to undo all that has been done with the department in Washington and it will probably be considerable time before the litigation is concluded.

Attorney Frank Farrell, who has been retained to represent the present occupants of the land, gave the history of the transaction this morning as follows:

“Two years ago, an agent from the department of the interior in Washington came here to adjust the swamp land grant in this county. The board appointed as their agent in the matter S.J. Bennett, at that time a member of the board, who made a tour of the county with the representative of the interior department, and made a waiver upon part of the county covering some fifteen tracts of 40 acres each, on the theory that they were not swamp lands, and not properly included wihtin the swamp land grant.

“These tracts were all regularly selected as swamp lands as early at (sic) 1869 and the selection was reported to the proper officers of the state and the United States, but the county had neglected to call upon the governor of the state for the patents covering the same. All of these tracts were included in the sale of swamp lands made by the county in 1860. The county’s grantee sold them to different parties, and most of them have been transferred, by deeds of general warranty, many times during that period. All of the tracts have been regularly taxed for more than forty years. All are under improvement and cultivation, and all but three of the tracts have been continuously occupied by the owners for periods ranging from ten to twenty years. The other tracts have been occupied by tenants.

“It seems that in the adjustment with the agent from the interior department, the county, thru its agent, made formal waiver to its claim to the lands as being swamp lands. On the strength of this waiver the swamp land selections were cancelled at the United States land office at Des Moines and this cancellation was later approved by the general land office at Washington. The owners or occupants of these lands had no notice of the proceedings.

“Upon the approval of the cancellation, a Mr. Moses of Denver, Col., had an application on file for the purchase of the lands at the government price. Information as to the action that had been taken came to the owners and occupants a day or two ago, and action was taken immediately with regard to doing all that was possible to retain the title of the lands.”

Tags: 1903, Bennett, Farrell, Moses

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 22, 1904

Spring Cleaning Needed For City

Accumulations of Filth Lie in Heaps in the Streets and Alleys

A Menace to Public Health

Public Spirit Must Be Aroused – Present Condition is Shameful.

“Spring, beautiful Spring” arrived officially on Sunday at one minute and twelve seconds to seven o’clock p.m. in Chicago and  as there is a slight difference in time, she was only a little later in getting to Fort Dodge. As soon as beautiful Spring arrived in this town she burst into tears and cried for twenty-four hours without surcease. Why did Beautiful Spring weep? Go out and wander up and down the length of our “fowl” city and see if it is not enough to make angels weep to behold the accumulated filth and microbe breeders and monumental ash piles strewn with tin cans and garbage. Now that the rain has come it will be double dangerous, if those places are not removed and set in order and cleanliness, the very first opportunity. No doubt the Beautiful Spring would stop weeping for a short time, if she understood that Fort Dodge really would clean up at once and then she would burst into the soft gentle tears of a thankful woman, those tears that bring violets and all beautiful things.

Of course after weeks and weeks of waiting and perhaps an epidemic of some kind Fort Dodge might be clean, but why not do it now right away and have something to be proud of. This sermon does not mean your next door neighbor, but you, whoever you may be, who own or occupy a building where the back yard and alley suggests a new kind of vulgar and dangerous inferno.

The Condition in Des Moines.

The Des Moines News is trying to rouse the citizens of that city to the conditions there. Frank Fountain, city scaventer, says it will take 4,000 wagon loads to clear away the vaults and alleys sufficient to insure a sanitary condition. Unless this is done at once it is feared an epidemic of typhoid may break out.

Fountain claims filth has been allowed to accumulate during the past two years. He states two years ago 1,800 loads were taken to the dump while last but 1,200 were dumped, considerable being permitted to remain to swell the accumulation of filth now poisoning the atmosphere thruout the city.

Two years ago jurisdiction in this department was turned over to the city physician, Dr. N.M. Smith.

Mayor Brenton stated today he has had no official notification of such filth or a threatened epidemic, except thru the newspapers, “but that, if this is true, it is high time the health department got busy. I know there are hundreds of open vaults in the heart of the business district, and the business men who pay men to clean the streets in front of their places of business, continue to clog their alleys with filth, which is enough to start an epidemic, if anything will.”

He also says: The city streets are filthier than I ever saw them before in twenty years’ experience as scavenger. Unless something is done at once the threatened epidemic of typhoid will attack the city. (Editor’s note: This “he” is probably Frank Fountain, referenced in the first paragraph of this section.)

Now Fort Dodge is a small place, but a little energy and firmness on the part of the city officials and a little awakening and public spirit on the part of the citizens will make everything come out all right.

There are men on Central avenue that are making so much money doing such a thriving business that they can’t possibly take the time to clean up the filth that they have strewn in their backyards and alleys, and every day of spring weather makes this condition more dangerous and disagreeable.

What Ex-Mayor Bennett Says.

“The most difficult job the city officials have to do, is to keep this town in any sort of decent order and sanitary condition. People who know better will neglect theset hings in a most astonishing way and then be offended because reminded of their duty. We have often had to send the firemen into the cellars of reputable firms on Central avenue, because such piles of paper were allowed to accumulate there that were dangerous to the safety of the city and the easiest way was to send the fire department to clear it out.”

What Mr. Mason Says.

“I have just returned from Southern California and that garden spot of the world, Pasadena. The shock is considerable from the perfectly clean and sanitary conditions which hold in all parts of southern California to the state of things here. As we came up Central avenue, the papers filled the air and were blown about our horses’ feet to welcome us, I suppose, while the receptacles provided for such things stood on every corner. Men will take an armful of refuse and papers out into an alley or sometimes the front of the store, putting them into an empty box that is already full to overflowing without a cover and then retire with a self satisfied glow as of having done all that is necessary. It is easily seen what becomes of these papers. With so little expense and trouble we could have a beautiful clean healthy town, one to be proud of. Why can’t we have it?”

Tags: 1904, Bennett

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 25, 1907

Victor B. Dolliver Dies While Sleeping

The Shocking Occurrence Was Entirely Unexpected – Natural Causes

Probably Had Heart Weakness

He Had Been Ill With a Cold for About a Week, But Seemed To Be Better. Was Found in His Bed Several Hours After Death.

Quietly reposing in slumber of life, Victor Brown Dolliver passed into eternity’s sleep at his residence room at the W.B. Moore home, 217 south 12th street. Death came without warning sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning and no one knew of it until about half past five o’clock Sunday afternoon. Natural causes for death were assigned by the coroner’s jury which held an inquest over the body.

The news of Mr. Dolliver’s death rapidly circulated about the town and at first seemed incredible to his many friends who had seen him apparently well in health and robust in strength, but a few days before. Many of them went direct to the dwelling that was his home to see if there was not some mistake in the rumor. The facts were found to be as follows:

Discovered Hours After Death.

Mr. Dolliver had been rooming with the Moore family since last November. He took his meals at down town restaurants and was away from the city a good deal of the time looking after business matters. for this reason his habits of life were not intimately known by the family and they did not pay close attention to his coming and going. That is the reason his death was not sooner discovered.

Sunday morning before church time the door of Mr. Dolliver’s room was tried and found locked. It was supposed he was still asleep and would not want to be disturbed. After 12 o’clock the door was again examined and it was thought Mr. Dolliver had gone out. He usually locked his door at night, but left it ajar when he left the house and it was commented on as unusual that he should have gone away and left his door locked. Some uneasiness was felt over the unusual proceedings, but it was dismissed as an act of forgetfulness.

Mr. Moore went to the men’s meeting of the Y.M.C.A. on Sunday afternoon and returned about five o’clock. He went at once to Mr. Dolliver’s room and was determined to make certain whether he was there or not Looking through the key hole he was able to see the key in the lock on the other side. He called and there was no response.

A door connected Mr. Dolliver’s room with the adjoining vacant room. A large trunk was set against the door, but with the help of his son, Ezra, Mr. Moor forced the door in. They found Victor Dolliver lying in his bed like one asleep, but it was the sleep that has no waking.

Had Been Dead Ten Hours.

Doctor Evans was the first physician to reach the scene. He said Mr. Dolliver had been dead from ten to fifteen hours, judging from the condition of the body which was cold and rigid.

Coroner Lowry was summoned and a jury composed of Messrs. J.B. Hine, J.W. Campbell, and W.F. Maher was summoned. They inspected the deceased and the condition of the apartment and adjourned to meet at the court house this morning at nine o’clock.

Conditions of Body and Room.

The deceased was in night attire with the bed clothing covering him and undisturbed. His eyes were closed and countenance was composed. He lay on his right side in easy position with hands carelessly thrown across his breast. The room was orderly: shoes placed with care side by side, clothing he had taken off for the night hung up in its place. Fruit had been placed on the table and the clock with the alarm signal set at eight o’clock on the trunk near and facing the bed was ticking along, showing it had been wound the evening before.

Every circumstance indicated that painless and unexpected death had taken away life.

Had Sore Throat.

Mr. Dolliver returned from a two week’s trip to Oklahoma and Texas a week ago last Saturday. He complained of having gotten a cold while away and last Tuesday he went to Doctor Ristine and said his throat was very sore. Examination by the doctor showed an inflamed condition and a gargle was prescribed. This is the last time the doctor saw him. On last Wednesday his sister Margaret Gay Dolliver came from Sioux City en route to New York and she spent the day in nursing and caring for Victor with simple, old-fashioned remedies. He said that he was better and she left for the east on Wednesday night and was in Washington today.

Ill, But Up and Around.

On account of his illness Mr. Dolliver gave up an engagement to deliver an address at Morningside college, Sioux City, on Washington’s birthday and asked Reverend Fort to go in his place. He was up and around all of last week, but it was evident to his associates that he was not well and he so stated.

The Inquest.

The facts concerning the last few days of Mr. Dolliver’s life as brought out at the inquest this morning shed considerable light upon the sad affair. It was shown beyond doubt that the deceased had been quite ill with a cold, but was better and in his usual jovial spirits. No foreboding of this sudden fate could have entered his mind.

Mr. Bennett stated that he had been with Mr. Dolliver for two weeks in Oklahoma and as far south as Galveston. They had splendid weather all the way but Victor said on his way back from Kansas City to Omaha that he had taken cold. Mr. Bennett had not seen his companion since their return a week ago.

Mr. J.B. Butler called at Mr. Dolliver’s office in the Mason building Friday afternoon. His forehead was covered with moisture and he said he was not well.

Mark Hopkins, a barber in the Reynolds shop, shaved Mr. Dolliver Saturday night at a quarter of eleven and gave him a shampoo. Mr. Dolliver joked with him and said if he caught cold after the shampoo that was given him it would be worse for him (the barber).

Mr. A.W. Lewis said Mr. Dolliver stopped in his drug store on his way home from the barber shop Saturday night and conversed for about half an hour. He mentioned his cold and having gotten a shampoo and Mr. Lewis advised him he might add to his cold.

Mr. W.G. Moore, in whose home Mr. Dolliver lodged, stated the details of the discovery of the death substantially as told above. He said that the family were sitting in the parlor Saturday night when Mr. Dolliver came home after eleven o’clock. He heard him at the door and let him in. He thanked Mr. Moore for saving him the trouble of getting out his key in the dark. He paused on his way upstairs to say to Mrs. Moore that his cold was better and he thought he would get along all right.

Undertaker Scott embalmed the body at about nine o’clock. He judged death had taken place twelve to fifteen hours before, as the rigidity was relaxing as it does that long after death. He thought there was fatty degeneration of the heart and  produced specimens of the blood as evidence, but the physicians who saw it said it was the fibers of the blood settling that gave the appearance.

Doctor Ristine had prescribed for Mr. Dolliver he said, at various times in the past and had let him have a room in his house for two years before he went to Mr. Moore’s. He had prescribed a gargle for him last Tuesday. In the past the medicine he had given him was for rheumatism which he complained of often being troubled with, but never was laid up by it and he had not thought it of a serious enough character to affect the heart. He thought from the indications and information given he had died of heart failure. Such cases occasionally happen with people with weak hearts, when if there were some one at hand to administer restoratives the heart could be started to work again and the patient would not die.

Doctor Evans told of his finding Mr. Dolliver dead in bed. He could not way what he died of but was certain from the peaceful condition of the body that no unnatural cause either external or internal had been present

No post mortem was held, the coroner’s jury being satisfied, and so stated that death was the result of natural causes.

Heart Was Weak.

Today several instances have been mentioned when Mr. Dolliver had told of having a weak heart and in one case he was temporarily prostrated by this ailment.

His Immediate Plans.

Ed. Thompson, manager of the Dolliver farm west of town, said this morning that Victor Dolliver had proposed to him right after his return from Oklahoma a week ago that the two go into partnership in the livestock business on the farm. He had made a similar proposal one year ago but the arrangements had not been made then. This time, whoever an agreement was reached and Mr. Thompson had taken an inventory of all the live stock now on the farm. He had been in Mr. Dolliver’s office last week Tuesday, Thursday and Friday to complete the plan and the contract between them was to have been signed today (Monday).

The Funeral.

Telegrams were sent out Sunday night and today many message of condolence have been received. A message received today from Senator Dolliver and Miss Gay Dolliver say they will leave Washington today and are due here Wednesday morning at half past three o’clock. If they arrive on schedule time the funeral will probably be held on Wednesday afternoon. It cannot be stated for sure today.

Besides his brother, J.P., and sister Miss Gay, there are left a brother, Reverend R.H. Dolliver and sister, Mrs. E.R. Graham. Both live in Illinois and will probably be here very soon.

Rev. J.J. Dolliver, Victor’s father died two years ago and his mother died about fifteen years ago. Both lie at rest in Oakland. It cannot be stated at this time, where the interment of Victor Dolliver will be. An expression of his wishes may be found in some of his papers.

Mr. Dolliver’s father-in-law, Governor Larrabee, Mrs. Larrabee, and Frederic are in Florida and it is not known if it will be possible for them to be at the funeral. The services will be under the auspices of the Methodist church, of which deceased was a member.

Victor Dolliver’s Career.

Victor Dolliver was born in Morgantown, West Virginia in March 1862 and came to Fort Dodge with his parents twenty-seven years ago, his brothers having preceded the family here by two years. He was for a time a student of the high school here and later taught school in Webster county. He received a college training at Cornell college, Mount Vernon, and later graduated as a lawyer and was admitted to the bar.

The marriage of Victor Dolliver and Miss Augusta Larrabee, eldest daughter of Governor and Mrs. Larrabee, occurred August 18, 1896 at Clermont and the couple moved to Minneapolis where Mr. Dolliver opened a law office in January 1897. The happy life that was promised was not to be fulfilled for Mrs. Dolliver died in March of 1897. She was buried in the cemetery at Clermont and her husband’s life since that time has never regained its former hopes and ambitions. He pathetically said he had never rally had but one wish and that had been taken from him.

Since the death of his wife Victor Dolliver had devoted himself unselfishly to the welfare of his brothers and sisters and they are inconsolable at his loss. The little children of the family especially have felt his affectionate attentions and his heart was always warm for them.

Since Miss Gay Dolliver became dean of the women’s department of Morningside college Victor has turned his attention to the welfare of that institution with all the loyalty that he had for anything his sister was interested in and last summer he made a donation of ten thousand dollars (about $231,000 today) to endow a chair in that institution.

Although Mr. Dolliver has not followed the practice of his profession he had through his excellent business judgment made a good-sized fortune by investments in land and the estate that is left is estimated at about forty thousand dollars ($924,000). He was a half owner with his brother J.P. in the Dolliver farm of about five hundred acres west of Fort Dodge and was planning to spend a larger share of his time there assisting in the management of the place.

An Orator of National Fame.

Victor Dolliver acquired a national reputation as a campaign orator and has stumped the country during most of the hot presidential and congressional campaigns of the last ten or twelve years. Over six feet in height, robust of form, with piercing voice and eloquent tongue he was a striking figure wherever he spoke.

No one would have believed that so powerful a specimen of physical manhood could have had his life ebb away, gently as the breath of a little child.

(Editor’s note: Here’s an article from another newspaper of the same era. Also, Victor Dolliver was mentioned in the Fort Dodge papers on other occasions.)

The Carroll Herald: March 6, 1907

Victor Dolliver Could Have Been in Congress

Washington, D.C., March 1. – Senator C.W. Fulton, of Oregon, for many years a resident of Iowa, was one of the sincere mourners when news came to Washington of the sudden death of V.B. Dolliver. He had been a close friend of Mr. Dolliver for several years.

“Vic could have gone to congress from Oregon as easily as not,” said Senator Fulton. “He went out there in 1902 and captured the state by a great speaking campaign. Nothing like it was ever known by our people. He spent several weeks with us, and in 1904 went again. That time he spent a month, speaking all over the state and then liked it so well that he remained two or three months, ans we thought he was going to settle, He was urged on all hands that he could go to congress if he would live among us long enough to get a residence; but he said he had interests and attachments in Iowa, and little taste for public life, and he refused to stay. He was the best stump speaker I ever knew, and everybody in Oregon will indorse (sic) me in saying it.”

Tags: 1907, Bennett, Butler, Campbell, Dolliver, Evans, Fort, Graham, Hine, Hopkins, Larrabee, Lewis, Lowry, Maher, Moore, Ristine, Scott, Thompson

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: Jan. 24, 1906

Oleson Park Deed is Filed

O.M. Oleson Present Deed of Oleson Park to The City Today.

Senator O.M. Oleson formally conveyed the tract of land known as Oleson park to the city this morning by placing a deed to the property with Mayor Bennett.

Through the gift to the city was made nearly a year ago the final step in the transfer was not completed until today. The deed shows that the tract contains 70.81 acres. It will be filed for record at once. The park board are daily expecting to hear form the eastern landscape artist who has been employed to draw plans for beautifying the park. The tax of four thousand dollars is due in less than two months and active operations along the line of improvement will probably be started at that time.

Tags: 1906, Bennett, Oleson

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 14, 1907

Cocaine Sellers Look Out

Mayor Bennett Says He Will Prosecute if Parties are Discovered.

“Some druggist or other is selling cocaine to a bunch of drug fiends about town,” said Mayor Bennett this morning. “I don’t know who it is but if we find out they will be prosecuted to the limit. They will do almost anything to get the drug but that is no excuse for a merchant and if the thing keeps up somebody will have to sweat for it good and plenty.”

Tags: 1907, Bennett

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 8, 1903

Family Trouble Up in Court

Herman Schmidt Blames His Father-in-Law

Mayor Sides With Herman

Curtain Falls upon a Watery scene. Human Baracade (sic) at Wolf’s Barber Shop.

Herman Schmidt, with tears in his eyes, declared to Mayor Bennett this this (sic) morning, that he is a barber by trade and that he had never been in jail before. He laid the blame for his being in jail at all upon his father-in-law, who, he said, had stirred up discord between himself and wife. Schmidt was arrested on Wednesday night for being drunk and disorderly, the more specific charge being that he was abusing his family. His Honor was impressed with the apparent honesty of his story and discharged him, at the same time warning his father-in-law to let Schmidt and his wife alone.

A little tailor whose name did not appear on the police docket, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon, while forming a human barriacde (sic) at the front door of Fred Wolf’s barber shop. He had fallen across the door in such a manner that those inside could not open it, and he himself was quite beyond moving. Marshal Larson picked him up and cared for him till he was able to navigate, and then set him at liberty, retaining, however, a large fat bottle of good old forty-rod whisky (sic), which he found on his person.

Tags: 1903, Bennett, Larson, Schmidt, wolf