Leo S. Gadient 1864-1925

GADIENT, LIEBAL, MARTENS, DAVIDSON, RUYMANN, COPP, LYONS

Posted By: Joe Conroy (email)
Date: 3/14/2010 at 15:45:20

The Davenport Democrat and Leader
1 Mar 1925
Page 16

Dillon Sperry Held for Death of Leo S. Gadient, Hit By Car

Rock Island Man Out On Bond of $3,500 for Manslaughter and Driving While Drunk -- Victim Run Down at Third and Marquette Streets, Dies Without Regaining Consciousness -- Sperry Admits Buying Drinks at West End Bar -- Bartender Is Arrested.

A. Dillon Sperry, 28 years old, son of A.D. Sperry, vice president of the Rock Island Stove company, faces a charge of manslaughter and another for drunken driving folling his running down and killing of Leo S. Gadient, 61 years old, 1131 West Sixth street. The fatal accident happened shortly before 6 o'clock Friday night at the intersection of Third and Marquette streets where Gadient received injuries which resulted in his death at Mercy hospital at 2:55 Saturday morning. His skull was fractured and he was injured internally.

Sperry was intoxicated according to the police, and in a confession to officers Saturday admitted that he had spent about two hours preceding the accident in a so called soft drink bar in west Davenport.

Assistant County Attorney John J. McSwiggin filed the charges Saturday morning after Sperry made a confession and officers had conducted an investigation. Bond was fixed at $2,500 on the manslaughter charge and a bond of $1,000 was set on the drunken driving charge. Bond was furnished in both cases by Sperry's family who engaged Attorney W. M. Chamberlin to defend him.
In a statement made to Officers Rogers and Lamont and Detective Peter Kuehl, Sperry admiddted driving the car, a Ford coupe, which struck Gadient and named the place where he bought several drinks of hooch or "cut alcohol" late Friday afternoon.

Bar is Closed.

Frank Weetz, 104 North Elmwood avenue, a bartender at the Ed. Carstensen bar, 2046 West Third street, where Sperry secured the liquor, was immediately placed under arrest and the bar was closed Saturday afternoon. Mayor Louis E. Roddewig revoked the license and police closed the place.

Officers Rogers and Lamont and Detective Peter Kuehl raided the place Saturday morning following Sperry's statement and found a quantity of liquor. Weetz faces a state charge of maintaining a liquor nuisance and is out on bond of $500.

Coroner J. D. Cantwell, who took charge of the case, soon after being notified of Gadient's death will hold an inquest Monday night when several witnesses will be called.

The chief witness will probably be officer Joseph Kopp who placed Sperry under arrest. Officer Kopp, who was off duty at the time the accident happened, was in a street car when Gadient was struck and witnessed the accident. Other witnesses were questioned at police headquarters Saturday to determine what they knew about circumstances connected with the tragedy.

Desk Sergeant Sidney LaGrange will probably offer important testimony as to Sperry's condition at the time he was brought to the station. Sergeant LaGrange said Sperry was so drunk he could hardly stand up and that he immediately fell asleep after being placed in a cell at headquarters.

Will Not Talk.

Sperry is said to have given his name and address, but when asked to relate his version of the accident he is said to have refused to say anything other than that he would tell officers nothing about it. It was said that Sperry was allowed to drive his car to police headquarters following the accident. An officer accompanied him.

Weetz, who sold Sperry the liquor, was also inclined to say nothing in connection with the alleged sale of hooch. He made no statement in court Saturday when arraigned, but in a statement made to officers before a preliminary hearing was held he is said to have declared that he sold Sperry four or five drinks of hooch between the hours of 3:30 and 5:30 when Sperry left the bar and drove away.

Sperry's Statement.

Sperry in his statement to police Saturday, said that he was 28 years old, that he lived at 914 Second Avenue, Rock Island, and that he was employed by the Harry Mann Automobile Co., Second and Iowa streets, Davenport.
The substance of his statement is as follows:

"I quit work about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon and took a car for a ride. I went down to Ed. Carstensen's soft drink bar on West Third street. I don't know just where his place is on Third street, but it is near a drug store. I remained there for about two hours and had about four or five drinks of hooch or cut alcohol. I then got into my car and drove east on Third street. At some street corner a man stepped out into the street in front of my car. I guess it was at Marquette street. I tried to turn out of the way, but the car hit him. He was walking out from the south side of the street. Then a police officer in plain clothes arrested me and the ambulance came to take the injured man away. I was driving about 15 miles per hour."

Officers who investigated said that Gadient's body had been dragged about 25 feet from the place where he was struck. Gadient was crossing on the south intersection of Third street on his way home when struck and had evidently just stepped off the curb for his body was found lying six feet from the curb. Sperry was driving east on the south side of Third street.

Weetz's Statement.

Weetz also made a statement when brought to police headquarters. His statement is in substance as follows:
"I am employed as a bartender at Ed. Carstensen's soft drink bar at 2046 West Third street. Sperry came in about 3:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon while I was on duty at the bar. He ordered some drinks. I sold him what he asked for which was whisky. He had about four or five drinks while he was in the place. I think he left at 5:35 o'clock. He turned his car around at the corner and started east on Third street. The drinks that Sperry bought were of intoxicating liquor known as hooch or cut alcohol. I sold him the drinks between 3:30 and 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon."

The ambulance was called and Gadient was rushed to Mercy hospital. When found by officers his head and face was bruised and cut and blood was streaming from his wounds. The injury to the left side of his skull appeared to have been made by a rod or other sharp instrument according to surgeons. Dr. E. F. Strohbehn was called to the hospital where Gadient underwent an operation. For a time his condition was considered hopeful and he was reported as doing nicely at midnight when members of his family left his bedside and returned home. He died at 2:55 Saturday morning without regaining consciousness.

Was Born Here.

Leo S. Gadient was born in Davenport March 31, 1864 and spent his entire life in this city. He was married to Miss Margaret Liebal in this city, June 14, 1889.

He is survived by his widow and eight children. They are Mrs. A. Martens and Edwin, Walter, LeRoy, Charles and Roy Gadient, all of this city, and Mrs. Joe Davidson, of Quincy, Ill. Three brothers, Martin, Edward, and Frank Gadient and one sister, Mrs. Henry Ruymann, of this city and two sisters, Mrs. Will Copp and Mrs. Lou Lyons, both of Rock Island, are living.

Mr. Gadient was a driver for the Klaus & Gadient Co., and had been an employee of that firm for 16 years. His brother, Martin, is a member of the firm. He was a member of the Eagle's lodge, Claus Groth guild and St. Joseph's church.

The funeral will be held from the family home at 8:45 Monday morning and services will be held at St. Joseph's church at 9 o'clock. Burial will be in the Holy Family Cemetery.

The Davenport Democrat and Leader
2 Mar 1925
Page 15

Many Attend Last Rites of Leo S. Gadient

The funeral of Leo S. Gadient, who was run down Friday evening by an auto driven by D. Speery, and died shortly afterward, was held this morning at 8:30 o'clock from the family home 1131 West Sixth street, with 9 o'clock services at St. Joseph's church.
Rev. Anthony Schoeningh was celebrant of a Solemn Requiem High Mass. Rev. Nicholas Meinhardt, deacon, and Rev. Richard Brundenburg, sub-deacon, assisted at the services. Rev. Schoeningh pronounced the burial absolution, and preached the funeral sermon. He also officiated at the interment in Holy Family cemetery.

The funeral was one of the most largely attended ever held in the church. There was a large profusion of floral offerings.

Four sons of the deceased, Walter, Leroy, Leo and Charles' a nephew E. J. Gadient, Jr., and a son-in-law, Joe Davison, acted as pallbearers.