Iowa Old Press

Daily Davenport Democrat
Davenport, Scott, Iowa

April 15, 1870
     Police Court. Several parties were brought up before Justice Peters
today on various charges. One J.D. George surrounded himself with too much
valley tan and was fined $2 therefor. J.G. Sanford and Caroline Stanton were
arrested for bringing several persons to a house of ill fame. Fined $20 and
costs: went to jail in default.

April 22, 1870
Insanity-A young Lady becomes a Raving Lunatic.
     A sad case of insanity transpired today on our public streets, which
excited the city of all who beheld it. The facts in the case substantially
are as follows.
     About four miles from the city of Ottumwa resided a family by the name
of Fisher. There were two sisters in the family, the youngest one Lydia E.
aged 22 is the one with whom we have to do. She came to Davenport two years
ago, seeking employment, which she found at Joseph Shield's factory, where
she tended a loom. She boarded with William Nelson on Main St. where she
lived eighteen months, working early and late at the factory, and winning
the good will of everyone by her correct deportment and unexceptionable
character, Six months ago she went to live in the family of E.A. Tilebein,
working still at Shields and there she remained until the present time.
     One night about a week ago, Mr. Tilebein and his wife were awakened by
a series of shouts, prayers, and singing from her room, upon going thither
they found her laboring under a temporary attack of insanity superinduced by
strong religious excitement. She recovered in a short time and appeared as
well as ever during the past few days, except an occasional wild look about
the eyes.
     Just after dinner today, she quietly left the house and walked directly
through the water above the railroad bridge, over two and a half feet deep,
and turned down Third street, where she commenced to swing her parasol,
shout, and conduct her self like one demented. Mr. Tilebein had left his
home a few moments before, and took the street cars down to Western avenue,
where , after transacting some business, he turned down to Second street and
sin walking up he met Miss Fisher coming toward him, with a rabble of boys
following her. Her clothes were wet through and through, soiled and torn,
and she was talking incoherently. Mr. T. could scarcely believe his own eyes
that this was the neatly dressed girl he had left quietly eating dinner with
his wife half an hour since. An officer, who had been watching her movements
came up, and the two persuaded her to go up to Major Schnitger's where a
room was furnished her, and proper treatment administered. At this writing
she is still raving wildly and talking as only insane persons can talk.
     Miss Fisher had recently been attending revival meetings at the Baptist
church, and had become greatly aroused on the subject of religion with the
above result. She is represented by all who know her as a very amiable girl
of strict integrity and pleasing manners. The best of medical attendance has
been summoned and pleasant apartments assigned her at the jail where she
remains temporarily until a suitable place can be provided for her.

April 23, 1870
Miss Fisher's Lunacy
     In the following communication from the pastor of the Calvary Baptist
Church, is set forth the supposed true cause of the deplorable mental
condition in which Miss Fisher was found upon the streets yesterday. Having
no acquaintance with the unfortunate young woman, we are unable to speak, of
our own knowledge. What our reporter said of the cause of her demented
condition he gathered from the statements of those who knew her.
     Messrs Editors: In the Democrat of yesterday was the article concerning
Miss Fisher, in which occurred the following statements. She was found
"laboring under a temporary attack of insanity, superinduced by strong
religious excitement. Miss Fisher had recently been attending revival
meetings at the Baptist Church, and had become greatly aroused upon the
subject of religion, with the above result.
     Now , Sirs, I venture to say that no one who had ever attended any of
these meetings at the Baptist church which closed several weeks ago were
entirely free from excitement and all exciting circumstances. They were
conducted as are ordinary prayer meetings in this or other churches. The
attendance at any time was scarcely larger than at the regular Thursday
evening prayer meeting for the past year. That this case of insanity was
"superinduced" by attending such meetings, would not have been stated by any
one acquainted with these facts.
     Besides, Miss Fisher attended these meetings by no means regularly. She
stated that she had formerly been a member of the Baptist church in Ottumwa,
but had not walked as a christian for some time past. She expressed in the
meetings a desire to renew her life and become a member of the church. But
in this she certainly showed no evidence of intense excitement.
A diseased system for which she was under careful medical treatment,
struggling to maintain herself with scarcely strength for her daily toil,
vexed with previous troubles, all these combined have undoubtedly for a time
overwhelmed reason. Justice to the cause of religious compels me to ask you
to make these statements. Yours, T.W. Powell.

April 27, 1870
     Police news. But one case before Justice Peters today, which was that
of Henry Williams, for assaulting and fighting with Lindary Kitts. Fined $6
and costs and sent to jail in default.

April 30, 1870

A Chapter of Crime
..Three brothers, named respectively James, John, an William Owens, living
at the Pennsylvania coal bank near Buffalo, were the Principals in an
outrageous affair which transpired there on Thursday evening. It appears
they have heretofore, had some difficulty with a man named Lavernz Kearns,
and on the evening in question as Kearns was driving his cows home, the
three set upon him and assaulted him as is alleged with intent to kill. He
was knocked down with a club and pounded while down. Word was sent to the
city and this morning at 2 o'clock a posse of officers went down to Buffalo
and captured the offenders, brought them up and lodged them in jail. They
were brought up for preliminary examination this afternoon before Justice
Dowd, Wm A Foster appearing for the State, and John Gallagher on the part of
the defence.
The case is in progress as we go to press.

A Swede girl commited a horrible crime last night. She came from Galesburg
here yesterday morning, and during the course of a day obtained employment
at the house of Capt. Gabbert on the bluff, as hired girl. This morning the
remains of a newborn infant were found in the privy vault, and the girl
confessed to the birth of a child and of depositing the body there. Coroner
Thompson held an inquest this afternoon, and a verdict was tendered in
accordance with the facts above stated.

Monday, May 2, 1870
Almost a Murder, A Man Nearly Pounded to Death
A murderous affair occurred last night in Rock Island, which nearly reslted
in the death of a man. The following  are the particulars as collected by
our reporter. A shoemaker, named Henry Schmidt, in the employment of R.
Trenneman, was paid off Saturday and proceeded forth with that evening on a
bender. He remained in that condition nearly all day Sunday. Last evening
while walking about the city he accosted a colored woman, one of the baser
sort, and was entered into an alley near John George's malt house. A woman
named Mrs. Herman, living nearby, was sitting at an open window when she
heard the dull "thud" of a blow struck apparently with a club. This was
immediately followed by a cry, and a moment later another blow, then the
person fell to the ground. Groans were heard and blows apparently showered
on the prostrate body. Mrs. Herman rushed out and down the alley just in
time to see a woman in a white dress running away. A little further on she
discovered the body of a man lying in a pool of blood. She raised the alarm
and in a few moments a crowd collected. The man Schmidt was taken up and
carried to his boarding house and the police ran for the ferry where, on
examination, they found a negress in the cabin dressed in white, whom they
immediately arrested. Shcmidt's pocket-book was found near him, turned
inside out and contents gone. The story of the Negro woman was that she went
into the alley with two white men and they began to quarrel and one knocked
the other down whereupon she ran, but as there was blood upon her dress that
didn't wash. This morning the sounded man presented frightful appearance.
His head is a mass of ghastly looking flesh and bone smashed cut and broken.
Strange to say, the doctors say he will recover. The instrument used was an
iron dray pin. No clue has yet been found of the other party to this
transaction and nothing can be gained in way of information from  the negro
woman.

Submitted by: #000525