LOCK, Thomas "Tom"

LOCK, ASHFORD, BUCHANAN, GOODWIN, THRAVES, SPAIGHT, RANKIN, FITZGERALD, KOTCHELL, ROGERS, ASHELFORD, WETZ, SWEITER

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 12/10/2013 at 10:35:58

Obituary - Thomas "Tom" Lock
June 08, 1860 ~ August 04, 1942

Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Tuesday, August 04, 1942

Tom Lock, 82, Police Chief in City's "Roaring" Days, Dies

Ill Several Years; Rites Not Yet Set

___________

Thomas Lock, 82, more familiar to older residents of Mason City as "Tom" Lock, chief of police and law enforcing officer throughout the first quarter of this century, died at his home, 915 Delaware avenue northest, Tuesday morning following an illness of several yeas.

Funeral services have not yet been planned, pending a word from two grandsons, Loren Lock, Fayetteville, Ark., and Emlin Lock, Vermillion, S. Dak. The Patterson funeral home is in charge.

In his slow easy manner of handling affairs, Lock ws a familiar figure here through one of the most colorful periods in Mason City's history, from the days of horse and buggy thieves, when this was merely a large trading center, through the expansion era when large factories were built, with ther concurrent problems of foreign elements, through World war I, the prohibition eaa and into the roaring '20s. Lock was a familiar character of that never to be forgotten period.

Born at South Grove, near Malta, Ill. June 8, 1860, Lock spent his early boyhood on a farm, where he developed his slow easy pace and strength almost unbelievable in a man of such angular build. He was one of 13 children of Mr. and Mrs. James Lock, immigrants from England. He was married to Miss Ida May Ashford, Feb. 20, 1884, near his home town and they moved to a farm near Manly in 1886. After three or four years there, they moved to a farm northwest of Mason City.

* * *

While residing on the farm they lost one son, Lester, who was burned to death at the age of 4 1/2 years. His clothing was set afire by sparks from a brush fire when he was on the way to the field where his father was plowing.

Their only other son, Arthur, is now a physician at Rock Valley.

In 1901, Lock gave up farming and moved to Mason City. The arrival of a carnival here sometime during the summer of 1902 first brought Lock in contact with police work. He was hired as special patrolman for the week. Later he ws added to the regular force, working nights.

* * *

In January of 1907, Jim Bucahanan, now a detective on the local police department, began his service as deputy under Sheriff Coe Goodwin. It was about this time that Lock was made chief of police and these two men worked together as law enforcing officers through any rough times in one of the most colorful episodes of Mason City history.

Many a time this pair walked from 8 to 10 drunks to the police station, well over a mile. There were few cars in those days and if assistance was needed they had to hire a horse an buggy from the livery stable.

* * *

The arrest involving the largest number of persons ever taken at one time in Mason City was made by this pair and three other offices in 1908. At that time a strike was impending among the foreign laborers who ahd been brought here to work in local factories. It was a boom time for Mason City and the town was flooded with foreigners from practically every country in Europe.

Holden was sheriff at the time, Lock was chief of police, Bucahanan was deputy sheriff, the late John Thraves was night captain, and the late Bill Spaight was patrolman.

This quintet of officers heard there was trouble brewing among the foreigners in the brickyards of what is now the Central station of the Mason City Brick and Tile company. The quintet of officers struck and - the records will vouch for this - arrested 93 armed men who couldn't understand English without interpretors. And not a single injury was recorded.

* * *

The officers walked these men to what was known as the old office at the end of Eighth street southwest to line them up under a light. More than a bushel basket full of pistols, knives and other weapons was taken from them. The following day officers searched the area traversed and found more than a dozen other pistols which had been thrown in the weeds when the arrest was made.

* * *

This army of men was marched to the courthouse and lined up between the courthouse and jail. Here interpreters of the various languages obtained the information the officers wanted. About 10 of the ringleaders were held and the remaining offenders were released. The trouble was finally settled without a single injury.

Stabbings and gunfights were frequent in those days, however, in all outlying sections of Mason City. "Powder Street" was in full bloom and the cement plant "rows" were often settings of mysterious deaths and fights aplenty.

* * *

Only once did Lock seriously wound a man in a gun fight, however. A man had been arrested on a charge of having stolen a gun from another man who was at that time in jail. He was arrested and taken before Justice of Peace Wiley Rankin, but the officers had failed to take the gun from him.

During the trial, as it was being held in Mr. Rankin's office, the gunman pulled out the weapon and shot the witness who had been brought there from the jail. He then threatened the remainder in the room and fired at Lock, only to miss and knock a picture from the wall. Lock didn't miss. He shot the man through the side, but the man recovered later. His victim also recovered.

Lock not only seemed to fear nothing, but he had a sense of humor along with it. At one time he was called upon to get some horses from a farmer who had threatened dire things would happen should anyone attempt to take those horses from him.

* * *

Lock walked up to the farmer and said, "where are the horses?"

"Out in the barn," replied the farmer, "but you'll take them over my dead body!"

"I always hate to kill a man," drawled Lock. "Where are the halters?"

At another time, before the police and sheriff had their finger-print and record departments, an Albino Negro with eight wives was arrested on a federal charge. The officers needed a photograph of him and took the prisoner to a local photographer's studio.

Upon arrival they found the photographer had a number of appointments already waiting for him, but the Negro began to be ugly so they decided to take his picture at once. As he went before the camera, the Negro decided he would not have a photo and proceeded to throw Lock to the floor. A fight ensured then and there between the two officers and the Negro, with the photographer attempting to get his camera out of the way.

The officers won, Buchanan's fist accounting for a badly bruised and cut face on the Negro, but the picture was taken. On the way out, quiet-spoken Tom Lock thought a word was due to the waiting customers, so he stopped long enough to say, "You're next, I believe, Ladies!"

* * *

In 1913 the commission form of government was voted in Mason City and there was a concurrent shake-up in the police force. As a result, Lock terminated his office as chief. He served as a deputy under Sheriff Ed Fitzgerald and later under Sheriff Fred Marsh.

Later Lock was again made chief of police by Mayor Nate Kotchell, following an upsetting incident on the local force during World war I as the boys ere leaving on a troop train and Lock succeeded the resigned chief in office.

* * *

Lock was chief of police when the present chief, Harold Wolf, was hired on the force as a patrolman, July 15, 1920. In 1923 Lock left his office as chief. Since that time he had served only in the capacity in which he started his law enforcing career, as special policeman during the North Iowa fair and other occasions of carnivals and shows in Mason City.

* * *

Surviving are his wife and son, Arthur, Rock Valley, and two grandsons. Three brothers, John of Mason City, and Charles and Robert of Rockford, Ill., and four sisters, Mrs. Clara Rogers, Lennox; Mrs. Will Ashelford, Byron, Ill.; Mrs. Mary Wetz, DeKalb, Ill.; and Mrs. Alice Sweitzer, DeKalb, Ill., also survive.

~ ~ ~ ~

Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Thursday, August 06, 1942

TOM LOCK RITES TO BE SATURDAY

Funeral services for Tom Lock, 82, former Mason City Police chief, who died at his home Tuesday morning, following an illness of several years, will be held at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon at the Patterson funeral home.

The Rev. J. Lee Lewis, pastor of the First Baptist church, will be in charge of the services.

Pallbearers will be members of the Mason City police department: Ray Follett, Frank Sanford, Harold Wolfe, Dick Pierce, Leo Risacher and James Buchanan.

Burial will be at Elmwood cemetery. The Patterson funeral home in charge.

~ ~ ~ ~

Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Monday, August 10, 1942

TOM LOCK RITES HELD AT LOCAL FUNERAL CHAPEL

Pastor Lauds Work of Former Chief of Police of Mason City

Funeral services for Tom Lock, 82, former Mason City police chief, who died at his home Tuesday morning, were held at the Patterson funeral home Saturday afternoon, with the Rev. J. Lee Lewis, pastor of the First Baptist church, in charge.

"Thus has the end come of the earthly life of a well-known and faithful public servant of Mason City," said Mr. Lewis, in his funeral sermon. "In the colorful history of your city in the first quarter of a century when a firm hand was needed to deal with the law-breakers, he represented you.

* * *

"'Tom' Lock, was he ws familiarly called, was a conscientious public servant of yours. He made your city a better place to live in. He stood for the maintenance of order in a day of growing disorder. He was the guardian of your homes and your businesses.

"So your attendance at his funeral is a sign of your interest in one who in many tough sots cared for your community first and his person second. You honor him today because he was faithful to the hard duties laid on him by a bewildered community. No arrest seemed tough enough to frighten him.

"The presence of such a large number of friends today assures the relatives of the high esteem in which their dear one is held by the community. You are saying today, as a benediction to his life of devoted public service, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

* * *

Mrs. Harold E. Wolfe sang "No Night There" and "Crossing the Bar." Mrs. R. E. Patton accompanied at the organ. Mrs. Viola Dickoff and Mrs. Ella Maddy were in charge of flowers.

Ray Oulman was in charge of the uniformed police of Mason City who attended the services in a body. Harvey Fitzgerald was host at the funeral chapel.

Attending the services from out of the city were Dr. and Mrs. A. L. Lock, Rock Valley, Iowa, Emlin A. Lock, Vermillion, S. Dak., Loren L. Lock, Fayetteville, Ark., Mrs. F. L. Dixon, Mrs. E. R. Scanlon, both of Rock Valley, Frank Ashelford, Central City, Neb., Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lock, Creston, Mrs. Emma Lock, Lennox, Mr. and Mrs. Rob Lock, Rockford, Ill., Mrs. Nancy Ashelford, Byron, Ill., Mrs. Alice Drake, Forreston, Ill., Mrs. Mary Wetz, an Mrs. Alice Switzer, DeKalb, Ill., Mrs. O. E. Miller, Titonka, Mrs. Hazel William, Fort odge, and Mrs. Ella Hutchins, Algona.

Pallbearers were Ray Follett, Frank Sanford, Harold Wolfe, Dick Pierce, Leo Risacher and James Buchanan.

Burial will be at Elmwood cemetery. The Patterson funeral home in charge.

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, December of 2013

Cerro Gordo Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen