STOECKER, Melvin 1904-1923

STOECKER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 1/13/2011 at 21:48:12

#1:

CHARLES CITY BOY
SHOT BY OFFICERS
FOR RUM RUNNER

Melvin Stoecker Fatally Injured
When Held Up in Dark
Road by Deputies

MEN PUT IN MASON CITY
JAIL FOR SAFEKEEPING

Intense Feeling Exists in Home
of Dead Youth; Charges
Are Filed

CHARLES CITY, IOWA - Melvin Stoecker, a junior in Charles City High School, is dead here today from wounds received early Sunday morning when deputy Sheriffs mistook him and his boy companion for rum runners and fired upon their automobiles.

Because of the high feeling following the lad's death, Deputies Verne Cutler and Johnson, who were detained after the shooting, were taken to Mason City to avoid violence. The officers were being held this morning on a charge of assult with intent to kill.

County Attorney Linnell declared the officers fired upon the automobile in which young Stoecker and Melvin Smith were riding, when the boys refused to halt. They were being pursued by the officers who have been told rum runners were enroute from Waterloo to Charles City.

The boys were returnig here from Nashua, where they had spent Saturday evening.

Stoecker was wounded in the back, paralysis resulting. He died late last night.
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Charged With Murderous Assult.

MASON CITY, IOWA - Verne Culter, jr. son of Sheriff Verne Cutter, Charles City, and the sheriff's son-in-law, Ralph Johnson, both deputies, are in the jail here today for safe keeping following the death last night of Melvin Stoecker, 18, son of John C. Stoecker, blacksmith at Charles City, who had been shot early Sunday morning by one of the two deputies, stationed a half mile west of Charles City to stop a rum runner's car supposed to be on the way there.

Both of the men are held on a charge of assault to commit murder. They were brought here on the advice of County Attorney F. M. Linnell, who feared violence for them in Charles City. Feeling is said to be running high there. The deputies wanted to be brought here.

The bullet from one of the guns in the hands of the two deputies entered the shoulder of the youth and lodged inside one of the vertebrae of the spine.

Police Deny Deputies' Story

The youth died at the Cedar Valley Hospital at Charles City at 5 o'clock Sunday afternoon following an operation in which the bullet was removed.

The two men were brought here during the forenoon and were followed by the county attorney who carried a warrant for their arrest on the charge of assult to commit murder, preferred against them by the father of Melvin.

The deputies claimed they were notified by officers in Mason City Saturday that an automobile of booze would be on its way to Charles City Sunday night. The automobile in which the high school boys were riding answered the description given them, they said.

Both sheriff and police here denied they had furnished any information regarding a car of booze to the Charles City sheriff.

With Stoecker, at the time of the shooting, was his cousin, Raymond Smith. The two had been to Rockford Saturday, where Melvin, who is a junior in the Charles City High School and a member of the high school band, took part in the state musical contest held there.

Attended Class Play

Following the contest, the two drove to Nashua to attend a class play given Saturday night.

On the road home the lights on the car they were driving went out and they were forced to get a farmer living adjacent to the highway to drive them home. When they arrived within half a mile of Charles City they met the deputy sheriff's automobile. When its occupants endeavored to stop, they mistook the officers for robbers.

"What shall I do?" asked the farmer who was driving the automobile, which the officers said answered the description given to them by Mason City authorities.

"Drive on," cried the youths.

When they attempted to pass, the two deputies fired three shots each. One of the bullets of .38 calibre struck Stoecker. The other deputy carried a .32 calibre revolver, it is said.

Victim Was Paralyzed

Which man carried the gun that brought Melvin to his death has not been determined by the Floyd County attorney.

Stoecker became immediately paralyzed in the lower part of his body following the shooting as the bullet had entered the spinal column and injured the spinal cord. Physicians at Charles City knew it was but a question of time before he would die when he was brought into the Cedar Valley Hospital early Sunday morning.

Two x-rays were taken of the wound, one at the hospital and the other in the office of Dr. W. L. Griffin. Physicians then made a desperate effort to save the boy's life and operated and removed the bullet.

Shortly before he died the wounded youth asked to see the silver cup which he helped to win at Rockford where the Charles City band was given first place.

Was Popular Youth

The cup was brought to his bedside by Thomas Weatherwax, leader of the band. His parents were at his beside at the time of his death. They were told those who were about them that this was the second son they had lost by a violent death. The other was killed in a train accident some time ago.

No arrangements for the funeral were announced this morning. It was stated, however, that burial probably will take place in the Charles City Cemetery. It will be a funeral to which all Charles City will go. The victim of the shooting was a popular youth and prominent in high school activities and a member of the Charles City football team.

[Waterloo Courier, Monday, May 21, 1923]
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#2:

HONOR SLAIN SCHOOLBOY.

The entire student body of Charles City High school paid homage to the memory of Melvin Stoecker, high school junior, who was shot and killed Sunday morning by deputy sheriffs, who mistook the boy for a rum runner.

The First Methodist church was overflowed long before the services commenced and hundreds stood outside in the churchyard. Stoecker's classmates placed a tribute of a blanket of roses on the coffin with the letters C. C. H. S. through the center with white carnations. The pastor chose as his text, "For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself."

The front of the church was massed with floral offerings. The pall bearers and honorary pall bearers were selected from the football squad and the high school band.

Stoecker was buried beside his brother, who was killed in a train accident a short time ago.

[Postville Herald, June 7, 1923]

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#3:

Burial: Riverside Cemetery (Charles City), block 6, Section 100, Row 9. Photo of Melvin's headstone, taken by Kathy Gerkins (findagrave.com)

Floyd Obituaries maintained by LaVern Velau.
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