Iowa Old Press
Davenport Times
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Tuesday, October 2, 1900
NEWS OF VICINITY
ELDRIDGE
Eldridge, Ia. Oct 1- Peter Arp, of Davenport, spent several days
here
last week...M.H. Calderwood attened the Republican rally at Dixon
last
Wednesday...Chas. Browlle of Long Grove, was here Sunday...Julius
Helkenn,
of Crawford County was renewing old acquaintances here last
week...Henry
hahn began business on Main street, Oct. 1...Jonathan McDowell,
of
Davenport, was a visitor here last week...The Long Grove band
serenaded all
the places of business in town Saturday night...Bryson Ackley and
Miss Cook,
of Port Byron, Ill., will be married at Port Byron Wednesday. A
reception
will be given Thursday evening for their friends here.
DIXON
Dixon, Ia., Oct 2- On last Wednesday night burglars broke open
the
B.C.R.N. railway hand car house and got a supply of tools such as
crowbars,
chisels, spike mauls, and other devices to burglarize property.
They then
went armed to enter the grain merchant's office of John Dammann
& Co. With
these tools they tried to open the safe, with no success. They
spoiled the
combination and handles cape undetected, as there was no clew as
to who the
robbers are. They took with them a coat and an overcoat that was
in the
office, but if the thieves had gotten into the safe they would
not have
found any money ther, as the firm only keeps its letters and
papers therein
for safety against fire. The firm had to have a safe expert from
Davenport
come to open the safe...Wm. Steinbeck died Thursday morning at 6
o'clock.
His age was 65 years and the funeral occurred at Amity on
Sunday...Chris
Cross was a passenger for Davenport Monday on business...Alvin
Grevis has
gone to Davenport to visit an uncle...C.B. Snyder and wife went
to Cedar
Rapids to attend the carnival there this week...The world's
champion
wrestler, Martin Burns, "The Farmer", now of Big Rock,
his old home, was in
town with two of his class, D.A. McMillen and Frank Gotch of
Hummell, Ia.
They were visiting Monday with their friend, Horace Carter, the
lightweight
champion of Iowa who lives southeast of town...Wm. Hickson and
John Hickson
went to Blue Grass Monday after two loads of coal.
FUNERAL OF AMANDA TIMM
It Will Be Held from Bereaved Home Tomorrow
The funeral of the late Amanda Timm, who passed away on Sunday
afternoon, will be held tomorrow morning from her parents' home
at 1506 West
Seventh street, at 2 o'clock with interment at the Fairmount
cemetery. The
deceased is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Timm, and
two
sisters, Wilhelmina and Emma
FROM THE CLERK'S FILES
Katie Steinmuller has entered through Lischer, Bawden & Neal
a suit for
divorce against her husband, E.G. Steinmuller. Cruel and inhuman
treatment
is alleged. The couple was married in Peoria, July 17, 1899 and
left one
another on Sept. 19, 1900. An absolute divorce is asked for.
Elisa A. Loving and Christopher C. Loving are unhappy. The first
named
wants a divorce on the grounds of desertion. The same is alleged
to have
happened on Sept. 10, 1898. The couple were married in Jefferson
county, Ia.
in the fall of 1869 and all of the children are full grown The
plaintiff
wants an absolute divorce.
Alvina Schick, Laura Meier and D.H. Stuhr have entered a suit
through
Schmidt & Vollmer for the appointment of a guardian for their
father,
Captain D.H. Stuhr, whome the allege is 75 years of age and
insane, and has
been out of his mind for the past five years or more. The
petition alleges
that the defendant is possessed of $10,000 worth of property.
Therefore a
guardian is asked for.
[Transcribed by C.J.L.]
-----
The Daily Times
Davenport, Scott co., Iowa
Thursday, October 11, 1900
WILLHITE - At the home of his parents, at 1810 Gaines street, at
9 o’clock last night, occurred the death of Clarence, the
2-years and 8-months old son of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Willhite.
The funeral will be held from the parents’ residence at 1810
Gaines street at 2 o’clock tomorrow afternoon, with
interment at Oakdale cemetery.
[Transcribed by L.Z., May 2018
-----
Davenport Weekly Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
October 23, 1900
WOULD NOT BITE
GOLD BRICKS SWINDLERS MAKE A BAD GUESS
They Wanted $7,000 But Their Proposed Victim Would Not Give Up-
A Bogus Indian "Government Assayer" and
"Miner" Were Principals in Plot
On Oct. 3rd a farmer named Daughterty, residing about six
miles north of Albia, Iowa, was buncoed out of $7,000 by two gold
brick operatives.
On September 26th, without a doubt the same two men who secured
Daughterty's roll attempted to obtain a similar amount from Mr.
E.T. Dankwardt, of Burlington, offering him in return two bars of
heavy yellow metal, alleged to be gold. Mr. Dankwardt's sagacity,
however, prevented him from being swindled. He is a man who
always has a goodly amount of cash where he can lay his hands on
it, and it was probably this fact which induced the gold brick
artists to single him out as a profitable victim. On September
26th, about 9 o'clock a middle aged man, commonly dressed and
possession [sic] the appearance of a miner called at Mr.
Dankwardt's home on the corner of Seventh and Maple streets, and
enquired if Theo. Dankwardt lived there. Mrs. again and took his
departure.[?]
About one o'clock he returned and found Mr. Dankwardt at home.
The visitor assured himself of the identity of the man he was
addressing and then introduced himself as Sam Black of southern
California. He said he had been searching for a lost uncle named
Theodore Dankwardt, who disappeared from his home in Mexico a few
years ago. He claimed to have learned through extensive
correspondence that a Theodore Dankwardt lived in Burlington, and
at once left for this place in hopes of finding his missing
relative. Black said that he realized that Mr. Dankwardt was not
his uncle, although he favored him to some extent. He seemed
greatly disappointed that his mission had proven a failure, as he
had come into possession of some valuable mining claims and
wished to share his good fortune with his uncle.
Black alleged that his holdings embraced fifteen claims in all
and he intended dividing them into three parts, five of which he
would retain, five would go to his uncle and five to an Indian,
his informant as to the location of the mines and who was living
with him. He said that he had the claims ready to put on record,
but could not do so until he found his uncle. However, having
found someone who possessed his uncle's name, he thought it would
be just as satisfactory.
Disarmed Suspicion.
In spite of the apparent crookedness of such a transaction, the
sincerity with which Black talked was enough to completely disarm
suspicion. Several millions of dollars could be easily realized
out of the mines, as the ore was of extraordinary richness. He
produced a small specimen that he had in his pocket and said that
he would not be home until noon. The caller said he would drop
around Dankwardt said that he did, but also had two bars of the
gold which had come from one of the claims, hidden in the timber
about three miles south of town, carefully guarded by his Indian
friend. He wanted to sell the precious metal, but being unable to
read or write, he asked Mr. Dankwardt's assistance. Would Mr.
Dankwardt and his family drive out in the country with him, see
the metal and form the acquaintance of the red man? The
invitation was declined, but Black insisted so strongly and
offered to hire a carriage for the trip that Mr. Dankwardt
acceded to his request. A vehicle was secured at Bazel's stables.
Mr. Dankwardt, his wife, daughter, and the stranger formed the
party who drove out West avenue about three miles and in the
vicinity of a patch of timber Black left the carriage and went in
search of the Indian. He came back in a few minutes carrying a
weighty package, while the warrior, who was attired in a red
blanket, skulked in the distance. Black said that the Indian did
not like white people and was afraid of them, but that he was
harmless as a baby. The wrapings [sic] on the package, which
consisted of a blanket and piece of oil cloth, were removed,
disclosing two bars of metal two feet in length, four inches wide
and two inches thick. In order to convince the Dankwardts of the
genuiness [sic] of the gold the owner produced a brace and bit
and bored a hole into one of the bars. He brushed the borings
carefully off the surface of the bar with one hand into the palm
of his other hand and, stretching his arm out, contemplated the
glittering shavings in an admiring manner.
"That's the genuine article, sure
enough," said he half to himself and half to his companions.
"I want to take these filings to town and
have them tested if you can tell me some place where they do that
kind of work."
The party then drove back to Dankwardt's home
and the latter accompanied Black down town and suggested Chas.
Waldin's as a likely place to test the metal. His companion
demurred, saying that he would rather go into Paule's, but
insisted on Dankwardt remaining outside. In a few minutes he came
out and said that Paule had recommended to him the services of a
government assayer who was staying at the Delano Hotel. Black
handed Dankwardt a card which read, "Henry D. Clinton,
Government assayer, Room 135 Delano Hotel."
They repaired to the hotel and found Clinton
in his room. He tested the borings and pronounced them to be all
gold, 24 carats, and worth $20 and ounce, placing the value on
the two bars at $27,000. Clinton appeared to be strictly business
and after making the test filled out a government assayer's slip,
which he turned over to Black and politely bid his visitors good
evening.
Both returned to Dankwardt's home where Black
appeared to take a strong fancy to Dankwardt's son, whom he
thought would make an excellent miner. The guest talked
entertainingly of his mines, discussed his plans for the outlay
of the money he would receive from them and related many
incidents of his life in the west. He casually remarked that it
would require $7,000 to pay off the Indian's share and if Mr.
Dankwardt had that amount the red man could be easily disposed of
and sent back to his home in the western wilds. Black would leave
the gold bars as security for the repayment of the $7,000.
Whatever suspicion Dankwardt may have
entertained concerning the stranger previously, the last
proposition made him doubly cautious. He insisted that a test of
the gold be made by some reliable jeweler. Black would not hear
of it as he did not want it generally known that he possessed the
treasure. No agreement was reached that night and the following
morning he came back to the house and wanted to sell a bar or
even a half bar of the metal. Dankwardt stuck to his proposition
of the previous evening in regard to another test, but his minor
acquaintance said it would be impossible, and after some further
conversation, Mr. Black bid the family a cordial good-bye, saying
that if his mines panned out successfully they would surely hear
from him.
Read of Daugherty.
A few days ago Mr. Dankwardt read in the papers about the
flim-flamming of Daugherty and he is quite certain that he had
been selected for the same fate. He describes Black as being
about forty years of age, five feet nine inches in height, of
slender build and wearing a black stubby beard. He was a pleasant
conversationalist, although apparently of limited education. If
he was fraud he was certainly an accomplished actor, as he played
the part he assumed in a manner most perfect.
It was the opinion of Mr. Dankwardt that the Indian and the
government assayer were the same men. The assayer was about
thirty-five years old, sandy complexion and moustache to match.
He appeared to be about five feet nine inches in height and to
weigh about 180 pounds.
Black confidentially told Mr. Dankwardt that he had twelve bars
of gold like the two he had shown, which were buried in a safe
place along with a number of sacks of virgin ore. He was afraid
to dispose of it, however, until he had put his claims legally on
record, and he knew of his uncle's whereabouts.
The "government assayer" charged $2 for his services in
testing the gold, and the fee was pail [sic-paid] by Black, who
likewise settled for the carriage in which the trip to the
country was made.
[Transcribed by C.J.L.]
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Davenport Weekly Leader
Oct 30, 1900
Saturday was a rather quiet day in the District Court. In the
divorce suit of Julia Petersen vs James H. Petersen, Judge
Bollinger rendered a decision in favor of the plaintiff, granting
her the relief prayed for and awarded her the custody of their
minor children as follows: William aged 9 years, aged 7 years and
Julia aged 3 years.
The defendant is to have the right to visit the children at all
seasonable times. The couple married Dec. 24, 1892, and according
to the statement of the plaintiff she has on numerous occasions
been subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment at the hands of her
husband.
[Transcribed by C.J.L.]