Iowa
Old Press
Daily Citizen
Iowa City, Johnson co. Iowa
April 1, 1893
ALL "TORN UP" -- How the Young Men of 38 Years
Ago Celebrated April 1st.
An All Fools' Day that was Made Historical by the Young Men of
Iowa City.
Thirty-eight years ago last night [1855], Iowa City,
professionally, was all 'torn up'. Five young men, W.H. Woods,
Gus William, Tully Sanders, Jo Fates and Will Munger were out
serenading their young friends, and towards midnight turned into
a restaurant that was kept in the basement of Furbish's shoe
store. That was a new and pretentious building at that time, and
the basement was nicely fitted up with curtains, alcoves, and it
was the most popular resort in the city, as an oyster and ice
cream saloon. They had not been long there, when Hon. Jo.
Williams, then chief justice of Iowa, who had been out to some
musical entertainment, and returning to his hotel heard the music
in the restaurant and entered it. As he went down the stairs his
son saw himi coming and stepped into one of the alcoves. The
Judge lived in Muscatine and his son had come up unknown to his
father, probably to spend a night without the knowledge of his
father. He had brought up his guitar, and the Judge nearly always
had a flute with him. Both were very fond of music. Another
guitar was in the company and Woods could play a little.
The Judge soon took out his flute and proposed that Woods should
accompany him which he did in a manner, but young Williams, who
was in the alcove who was a skilled player, struck in and for an
hour they played together to the delightful surprise of the
Judge, who complimented Woods on his skill. The boys enjoyed the
joke hugely, for it was fully an hour before the Judge discovered
that his own son was accompanying him. He was the first
"April Fool" and went home, but the boys 'laid' for
more.
There was then practicing medicine here, Drs. Murray, Morsman,
Moore, Vogt, Lake and Funk, and among the lawyers were W.P.
Clarke, JD. Templin's and Gil. Folsom, old Father Dennis was
pastor of the M.E. church and Father Hanlon of St. Mary's church.
Between one and two o'clock Dr. Murray was called and told that
Gil. Folsom was very sick and wanted him immediately. He was very
tired as he was not the family physician of Gil. Folsom he first
refused to go, but the messenger was urgent, and he finally went.
Dr. Vogt who was the family physician was called and urged to
make all haste to Mr. Folsom's as he was dying. Dr. Morsman was
called by a messenger who would wait for him but when he got to
the door the messenger was gone and the doctor went back to bed.
A messenger called up Dr. Moore, saying that he was wanted at
John Bay's at once. The doctor was expecting a call and hurried
to respond. Dr. Lake was sent to another part of the city,and
when he arrived he saw a light in the house, but a fierce dog
would not let him come on the premises.
Dr. Funk was informed that he was wanted at Mr. Poland's as soon
as he could get there. Rev. Father Dennis was called to go and
administer dying consolation to old Mr. Crummey.
J.D. Templin was requested to go to the same place prepared to
draw Mr. Crummey's will.
Penn Clark and P.D. Turner, sons-in-law of Mr. Crummey, were
hurried to his bedside, as he was reported to be near his end.
Rev. F.A. Shearer was called up and told that he was wanted at
once by Mr. Bay, and Father Hanlon was told that Mike Freeman
needed extreme unction at once.
When Dr. Vogt reached Folsom's all was dark and the family
asleep. He wakened them, when Mr. F. said it must be his father
that was sick, for they were all right. Scarcely waiting to
dress, they hurried down the hill and met Dr. Murray, who, seeing
Dr. Vogt, went home, the doctor and Folsom continuing on to his
father's house, to find all dark and quiet.
Dr. Moore found all quiet at Mr. Bay's house, but alight was
burning, and he roused them up, to find that he was not wanted
just then.
Poor old Dr. Funk!! The roads were awful, the night was dark, and
it was six miles to Poland's but he went all the same and was
gone for two days.
Old Mr. Crummey was greatly disturbed when awakened from a sound
sleep to find that his pastor had come to visit a dying man, and
soon after when a lawyer came to draw his will. Soon Messrs.
Clark and Turner entered. Mr. Crummey had got up and found out
the joke. Mr. Clark exclaimed, "Why, father, I thought you
were dying!" "Oh, no," said he, "but March is
dead."
Mr. Shearer found all dark at Bay's, but knocking at the door,
came very near making it necessary to call the doctor in fact.
Mr. Freeman was roused from sleep by Father Hanlon, and, when
fully awake, assured his reverence that he would not call any man
up at night for himself "unless he was speechless."
If you visit the historic rooms Mr. Lathrop will show you a
cartoon hanging on the left of the door as you enter, drawn by
George Yewell soon after the above described events occurred,
that illustrates them in part.
--
Additional Local.
- Horace Jones and Ray Stover are visiting in Marengo.
- P.J. Regan is home from a business trip to St. Louis.
- Maggie Cole is spending Easter in Cedar Rapids with friends.
- Charley Mauer has returned from a visit in Philadelphia.
- C.L. Holt has returned from Tipton where he was on business.
- Schooley and son took possession of Dad's restaurant yesterday.
- Lilly Busch, of Council Bluffs, is visiting her aunt, Mrs. G.
Strub.
- Mr. and Mrs. Sohman Baker of Lone Tree, were in the city
yesterday.
- Mattie Huffman is slowly recovering from a protracted seige of
sickness.
- Frank Sueppel returned yesterday from a visit with his brother
in Muscatine.
- Horace Jones returned yesterday from Marengo, where he was
visiting friends.
- Hattie Underwood, local editor of the Lone Tree Branch,
was in the city yesterday on business.
- Frank Mosely, engineer of engine 114, leaves next week on a
two-months visit in Galveston, Texas.
- Louis Kenyon returned last evening from Omaha, where he has
been visiting for the past two weeks.
- Miss Tonie Stover of Brooklyn, who has been the guest of Miss
Kettlewell, will return home this evening.
- Geo. Lee, who has been visiting his cousin, Mrs. Schindhelm,
returned to his home in Clinton yesterday.
- W.W. Morrison leaves for Dysart, Ia. to-morrow, where he will
take charge of a drugstore at an increased salary.
- George Hartman of Diagonal, Iowa, returned home yesterday,
after spending three days in this city on business.
- Kate McCluskey of Mechanicsburg is in the city, the guest of
her brother, Henry McCluskey, a law student.
- General Superintendent Kimball of the C.R.I.&P. Ry. was in
the city yesterday, the guest of Hon. Peter A. Day.
- John Keppler of the Press office, has let a contract
to J.W. Metzinger to build him a handsome residence, in Clark's
addition.
- Jerry Plum disposed of the Hawkeye Farmer yesterday to
H.D. Garment, a student of the University, who will remove it to
Carroll, Iowa.
- The German Lutheran Zion's church will hold special Easter
services both morning and evening. All are cordially invited.
J.J. Hoerlein, pastor.
- Frank Novak, the builder, received word this morning of the
death of his younger brother, Anton F. Novak, in New York on
March 15. The cause of the death was not stated.
- Charles Cammack has accepted a position with the Golden Eagle
Clothing Store at Cedar Rapids. Charley will leave a vacancy in
the business and social life of Iowa City which will be difficult
to fill.
- Roy Switzer has recovered sufficiently from his recent injuries
to walk about with the aid of crutches. His friends will be
delighted to learn that the doctors did not find it necessary to
make an amputation.
- Annie Joseph leaves to-morrow for Monroe township, where she
will take charge of a school. As she has taught this school
before, the fact that she has been engaged to take charge of it
again bespeaks of her ability.
- The much delayed funeral of the late D.H. Jones, will take
place to-morrow at theWelsch church. The deceased's son, the
cause of the postponement, was delayed on account of some
railroad wrecks.
- Quite a number of young friends of Jennie Curtis celebrated her
16th birthday by a very pleasant surprise last Thursday eve.
Among those present were: Misses, Maggie Keim, Susie Johnson,
Bessie Ferguson, Bessie Letts, Fannie Turner, Alice Turner, and
Messrs. Charles and Frank Dunkle, Wendell Watkins, Charles
Ferguson, William Berry and Frank Atkins.
- For several days "Joe" Unash's face has been
decorated with a broad smile, which reached almost from ear to
ear. Until yesterday the source of his pleasure was a secret,
when it leaked out that Joe is going to be married. It is said
that the prospective bride, who lives in Des Moines, is quite
wealthy. Joe leaves for Des Moines Tuesday, where the ceremony
will take place.
- Yesterday the firm of Lee, Welch & Co. disappeared from the
list of Iowa City business houses. It was a firm which has been
always alert as to the wants of the public, not sparing any
efforts to supply them. The old firm will be replaced by a new
one, Lee Brothers & Company, composed of Isaac B. Lee, Joseph
Lee, and Henry Strohm. The Lee Brothers have had sole management
of the business in the past, and that they are still in the firm
is a sufficient guarantee to the public that the firm will
continue to thrive.
[submitted by S.F., April 2004]
---
Daily Citizen
Iowa City, Johnson Co, Iowa
April 12, 1893
Patrick Donovan, Jr., brother of J.A. Donovan, died at his home
in Nolan Settlement, near Solon, this morning at five o'clock. He
was a prosperous young farmer of twenty-one years, and his death
is deeply mourned by his friends in this city, as well as by his
many friends in the country. The funeral services will occur
Friday morning at nine o'clock.
[submitted by C.J.L., Nov. 2003]
---
Daily Citizen
Iowa City, Johnson Co, Iowa
April 14, 1893
Quite a number of Iowa City people attended the funeral services
of the late Patrick Donovan, which occurred this morning at Nolan
settlement.
[submitted by C.J.L., Nov. 2003]
-----
Daily Citizen
Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa
April 15, 1893
THROUGH HIS OWN HEART
John Rath, of Riverside, in a Fit of Insanity, Shot Himself
Through the Heart.
Yesterday morning John Rath was found lying in his own house with
a bullet hole through his heart. The doors were locked and a
string was tied to the trigger, all of which indicated that the
act was committed by the dead man's own hand. Until Tuesday he
was confined in the Mt. Pleasant asylum receiving treatment, when
he escaped. As he attempted to kill his wife before he was sent
to Mt. Pleasant, she was immediately informed by wire of his
escape. Until Friday Constables Hawthorne and S.B. Creswell
remained at the house keeping guard, when, thinking that Rath was
either captured or would never return, they left the house.
Yesterday morning he returned home, raving, and drove all of the
family out of the house except his two younger boys. The news
soon reached Riverside and P. Fowler and H. Roberts went to his
house to recapture him. Upon reaching the house they found him
lying a corpse, with the doors locked. Mr. Rath was formerly a
prosperous and wealthy farmer and his sad death is the cause of
very much sorrow.
[submitted by C.J.L., Feb. 2004]