Posts Tagged ‘Rossing’

11
Aug

Youthful Trio is Bound Over

   Posted by: admin    in Crime, Police court, theft

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 11, 1903

Youthful Trio is Bound Over

Three Boys, Youngest 7 and Oldest 12, Must Answer to Grand Jury

Enter Stores Sunday Evening

Earl Tennant, Harry Porsch and Arthur Hutchison, Ages 12, 9 and 7, Arrested for Entering Craft Hardware and Ertl Meat Market.

A record was set in the Webster county criminal court this morning when a 7-year-old boy was bound over to the grand jury. The youthful offender is Arthur Hutchison, who with Harry Porsch, aged 9, and Earl Tennant, aged 12, was arraigned before Justice Martin, charged with entering the Charles Craft hardware store and the Martin Ertl meat market. The defendants were bound over to the grand jury under $300 bonds, which was furnished by their parents.

The identity of the burglars was learned by tracing the possession of a pocket knife which was among the number stolen from the hardware store. A.H. Werner, employed at the Oakdale dairy, showed Marshal Welch a knife bearing the mark of the Craft Hardware company. The knife he said he had bought from a boy named Joe Rossing. Young Rossing when taken into custody by the police, said that he had been given the two knives by the three boys who were later arrested. One of the knives he had sold to Werner.

The arrest of Harry Porsch, Arthur Hutchison and Earl Tennant followed. After a number of questions had been asked they admitted that they had entered the stores and taken the money and the property. The police had some difficulty in locating the plunder as the stories told by the boys differed materially. Finally by the light of a lantern and under the guidance of the  youthful burglars, the police located two revolvers and twelve boxes of cartridges under a pile of lathes in the rear of the high school building, two buggy whips under a crossing on Tenth street and a number of knives  hidden in a barn at young Tennant’s home.

The substance of the story told by Arthur Hutchison, the most youthful of the trio, is as follows:

He met Harry Porsch and Earl Tennant at the base ball park Sunday afternoon. They were driving a horse which they said they had hired in the east part of town. They told him they had entered the meat market from the rear and taken $2.45 ($59 today) from the cash drawer, $1 ($24) of which they had paid for the hire of the horse. He accompanied them up town, and at 6 o’clock they again entered the building, he going with them. This time they went into the hardware store, and together with a third entrance carried away the revolvers, cartridges, knives, whips and about $6 ($144) from the cash drawer. The aggregate value of the goods stolen is about $24 ($575).

They entered by removing the boards from a cellar window on the east side of the building.

Young Porsch was employed by Ertl as delivery boy.

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7
Apr

New Police Begin Duties

   Posted by: admin    in Court matters, People, Police court, Uncategorized

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 7, 1903

New Police Begin Duties

Marshal Ed Welch and His Men Sworn in Monday Night

Enter on Their New Duties

Marshal Welch already has some of the Beats Assigned and is Organizing the Force.

Police Marshal Ed Welch, Deputy Marshal Frank Connelly and the new police officers of the city of Fort Dodge took their oath of office and entered upon the performance of their duties on Monday night.

Marshal Welch this morning announced the beats for the new officers, so far as they have as yet been arranged. Marshal Welch and Deputy Marshal Frank Connelly will be on duty in the day time, as is customary, and Patrolman Merton Jordan has also been assigned for day duty. The day men will be on duty from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Officer J.M. Mericle will take the beat at the Illinois Central depot which was held by Myron Tuller on the old force. Peter Ditmer will have his old beat, covering the Great Western depot and yards and the eastern business district. Adolph Rossing will succeed Peter Steiner of the old force. His duty will be to look after the gas lights, and to cover the business district in the neighborhood of the square. All the night men will go on duty at 6 o’clock in the evening and off at 6 in the morning.

This leave two beats to be arranged. August Andrews is as yet not assigned any regular run, and the man whom Mayor Northrup will appoint to succeed William McNally, whose appointment was not approved by the city council on Monday evening, must also be provided for. Marshal Welch expects to have his force organized in a short time.

The vigilance of the new police resulted in the apprehension of two culprits on Monday night. Dan Daly was picked up paralyzed drunk, and was given a secure lodgement in the city jail. He was released this morning on his promise to get out of town. He gave his home as Ackley. John Doe, from Clare, this time, paid $7.10 in expiation of his offense in getting drunk and was discharged.

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