The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 27, 1904

Signs of Approaching Summer

Police Make a Raid On a Camp in Duncombe’s Woods on Tuesday Afternoon and Arrest Five.

The police paid a visit to the Duncombe’s woods Tuesday afternoon and although they did not find the first flowers of spring they found what they were looking for – the first hobo camp of the year. In the past the Wearies seem to have been drawn to these woods as if by an irresistible force and despite indications to the contrary now that they have again begun to frequent their favorite abode summer must be near at hand.

The hoboes (sic) were housecleaning, or as near as they ever come to it, when the police made their unceremonious visit. Coats, trousers, shirts, socks and other wearing apparel that had seen a winter’s wear, in some cases probably without a single change, were hung out to “air” on an improvised clothes line stretched from the limbs of nearby trees.

Only two of the knights were “at home.” They were in the act of building a fire and as there was nothing in sight that they could possibly cook, the conclusion was drawn that the rest of the gang was out foraging. This conclusion proved to be true.

The two found at the camp gave their names as Robert Anderson and Alva  Bruney. They were given an hour to get out of town and they took the chance. A second visit was made to the camp a few hours later and the remainder of the party, three in number, were transported to the city bastile. They gave the names of William Gundy, Gus Turner and Erick Johnson. They were arraigned in police court this morning and like their companions given an hour to shake the dust of Fort Dodge from their shoes.

Two drunks completed the line-up in police court this morning. They were Joe Bockert and Arthur Simpson. Both pleaded guilty and were fined $1 and costs.

Tags: 1904, Bockert, Bruney, Gundy, Simpson, Turner