Herman Ellinghouse

ELLINGHOUSE, COOK

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 4/15/2015 at 07:13:24

History of Jackson County, J. W. Ellis, Volume I, Page 231

Patrick Cook, or Patsy, as he was familiarly called, and who was a witness in both the Town and Seeley cases, also met a violent death in Bellevue. Patsy had a great penchant for beer and whiskey. On one occasion, while on a spree, he went into Shorty Arnes' saloon, where Herman Ellinghouse was tending bar, bought three beers and went away without settling for them. Some time later he came back and wanted more beer; the bartender refused to set up more until the fifteen cents was paid. Patsy was angry and called hard names. Ellinghouse, who was a powerful man, seized a beer glass and leaped over the bar, striking poor drunken Patsy on the head with the glass, kicked him with all his strength in the bowels, and threw him out of the house. Patsy dragged himself across the street and lay groaning for some time before anyone went to his relief. It was finally ascertained that he was seriously injured and he was carried home on a litter and a doctor called, but the kick in the bowels proved fatal. Patsy lingered a couple of days and died of peritonitis, leaving a wife and two small children in almost destitute circumstances.

Ellinghouse was indicted by the grand jury and tried in the district court in Maquoketa, Judge Hayes on the bench. The defendant was found guilty of assault and fined fifty dollars and we remember that there was a petition presented to the board to have that remitted or canceled.