Iowa Old Press

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
March 10, 1922

LONE DOCTOR AT LOCKRIDGE IS LOCKED IN JAIL
People Demand His Release, as There is Much Sickness.
By the Associated Press.

    Ottumwa, Ia., March 10- With Dr. P.J. Sherlock, the lone physician of the village, serving a four week's sentence in the county jail at Fairfield, citizens of Lockridge have stormed Jefferson county officials with petitions asking for his release. Justice of the Peace D.B. Wilson, who sentenced the man after he had been found guilty of intoxication, and Sheriff Walter Harris have no jurisdiction over the case, they assert, and the case is expected to be appealed to Governor Kendall today.
    The petitioners declare that there is an alarming prevalence of disease in the village at present, and that with their doctor locked up, they find it exceedingly difficult to summon physicians from other towns.
    In a long distance telephone conversation with the governor yesterday, the sheriff was instructed that recommendation from four county officials for the release of the doctor, would be promptly acted upon by Mr. Kendall.

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
March 12, 1922

DOCTOR HELD AT FAIRFIELD IS TO SERVE
Lockridge Physician, Held for Intoxication, Still in Jail.
Special to the Democrat.

    Fairfield, Ia., March 11- P.J. Sherlock, the Lockridge, Ia. physician, who is serving a jail sentence here for intoxication and for whose release a petition has been presented to Sheriff Walter Harris, will probably serve the remainder of his sentence. Lockridge city officials, headed by Mayor Gus Schillerstrom, are vigorously opposing his release, so county officers have thus far taken no action in recommending it to the governor. Sherlock has about three weeks yet to serve. His friends got busy with a petition in his behalf this week urging his release to care for his practice. It was freely signed by country people around Lockridge.

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
March 15, 1922

PETITION ASKS RELEASE OF P.J. SHERLOCK
Is Serving a Thirty-Day Sentence for Intoxication.
Special to the Democrat.

    Fairfield, Iowa, March 15.- A second petition asking for the release of Dr. P.J. Sherlock from the Jefferson county jail, where he is serving a 30 days' sentence for intoxication was brought to Fairfield Tuesday evening to be presented to County Attorney Ralph H. Munro. This petition bore the signatures of 204 persons around in  the vicinity of Lockridge, but the names of the Lockridge city people were noticeably absent. It was found after a careful perusal of the petitions that the names of the Lockridge township trustees were not on the petition.
    The first petition asking for Dr. Sherlock's release was presented to officials here the latter part of the week. It contained the names of 72 people in Lockridge township. The second is from Rome, Glendale and Lockridge township.
    The matter of Dr. Sherlock's release was taken up Saturday with Governor N.E. Kendall who intimated that he would act in the matter if the recommendations of the county officials accompanied the petition to him. Inasmuch as the Lockridge city people are not asking the release of the physician the county officials have thus far taken no action in the matter.
    However with the second petition before him County Attorney R.H. Munro will probably take the matter up shortly. Dr. Sherlock is known as a most successful physician and he has but lately fallen into the booze habit, but when he falls he falls hard for he has been before the Fairfield justices of the peace several times in the past two months only to be fined, pay his fine, go home and do the stunt over again. When Sheriff Walter Harris went after him the last time, now about ten days ago, he was taken before Justice D.B. Wilson of this city the next day, entered a plea of guilty and was surprised when the placid old justice said "Thirty days in the county jail."
    Dr. Sherlock is a likeable man, and one of the most successful doctors of Jefferson county. His practice at Lockridge and surrounding community is large and there is at the present time much illness among his patrons. On account of the bad roads it is sometimes next to impossible to secure a doctor from Fairfield or some of the other nearby cities.
    The entire community has become interested in Dr. Sherlock's case and the outcome will be awaited with a good deal of interest not only here but all over the state.
    

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Friday evening, March 17, 1922

David Thomas Succumbs at Jamestown Home
    David Thomas passed away at his home in Jamestown, Scott county, Thursday evening at 8:30 after several months of ill health.
    He was born in Carmonthenshire, South Wales, and came to America in 1866, settling near Jamestown. Fifty-one years ago he married Miss Martha Gettens who preceded him in death Jan. 15, 1915.
    The following children survive: Henry, Robert and Mrs. Annie Twigg of Buffalo township, and Mrs. Mary Lehnhardt of Walnut, Iowa.
    Services will be held Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock from the Nissen & Hartwig parlors, Davenport, and interment will be made in Rose Hill cemetery, Buffalo.

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Mar 20, 1922

JURY AWARDS MRS. M'MAKEN $10,650 VERDICT
Wife Sues for $25,000 for Alienation of Husband's Affections.

Special to the Democrat
    Mt. Pleasant, Ia, March 18 - The jury in the case of Mrs. Bertha McMaken vs. John McMaken, et al. brought in a verdict of $10,650 in favor of the plaintiff. They arrived at a verdict at two o'clock this morning and Judge Oscar Hale was on hand to receive it at that hour.
    Mrs. McMaken sued for $25,000 damages for alienation of affections of her husband Dwight McMaken. John McMaken is the father of Dwight. John and his wife and a brother Earl and the husband himself testified against Bertha and their testimony was as filthy as any ever given n the district court of Henry county. But the jury evidently did not take any stock in what they told, as every juror, it is said, was in favor of finding for the plaintiff, the only question being the amount. The jury was given its instructions late yesterday evening and at 2 o'clock it was ready to report. The lawyers for Mrs. McMaken were F.S. Finley and Max Kinney. The lawyers for the McMakens were S.K. Tracy and Frank Thompson, both of Burlington. The case produced filthy testimony, as already stated, and probably the biggest crowds that any trial has attracted since the present court was built. Every seat was taken and people stood for hours listening to the proceedings.

    A lost of people are ill with the flu. Mr. and Mrs. Will Evans and the children and Mr. and Mrs. George Crane and their daughter Helen all were ill at the same time. The flu is not so severe this time as it was three years ago, but it makes people very ill.

    The community club held its annual election of officers Friday evening and elected officers as follows: President Stanley Miller; vice presidents, H.T. Waugh and C.E. McLearn; secretary John C. Abraham, and C. Van Brussel, treasurer. The annual banquet will be held some time after Easter and it is planned to invite the members of the boys' and girls' pigs, sheep and brood sow clubs. There are about 50 boys and girls in these clubs and it is thought that it will be a pretty fine thing to have these youngsters present. The new president was instructed to appoint a banquet committee, a band committee and a membership committee.

Florist to England.
    J.W. Thompson, veteran florist, will make a trip to England, his old home this summer. He hopes to start about July 1 and may be gone three or four months. It has been 56 years since he left the Old Sod.

    If Mount Pleasant people hear explosions which sound like a battle in the southwest part of town, they will know that it is Quinn Huffman, R.P. Hobbs and J.G. Piper at target practice. They are all railway mail clerks and they work armed now, they are learning to shoot.

    Joe Miller and Lou Rinner of Noble were in town yesterday. Lou was down to see Jim Miller, the hog man south of town and Joe Miller came along to hold the springs in the jitney down.

    Word has come to town that some Indiana girl has married Clayton Wolf. She must be a girl of good taste, everyone will agree who knows Clayton.

    E.A. Cooper, who is studying chiropractic at the Palmer school in Davenport has been here several times within the last few months on business. He has only three weeks more to finish his course and to secure a diploma and would have been thru before this but for the unavoidable business which called him here.

    Miss Helen Crane left Saturday night for California, where she goes to seek work as a trained nurse. She has been the county nurse here for the past year and a half and resigned when it was found that the Red Cross did not have funds enough to carry on the work.

    Miss Louise Wilson won first place in the humorous section of the sub-district contest at Keota Friday evening. She will now enter the contest to be held at the high school. Three classes will be entered in this contest, the oratorical, the declamatory and the humorous.

    Miss Helen McClure, a sister of Earnest McClure of the Henry County Motor company, is visiting him. She was born in Siam and lives there now with her folks who are missionaries. She will speak Wednesday evening in the Presbyterian Sunday school room.

    Rev. Alex McFerran will attend the district Rotary convention to be held at Sioux Falls, S.D. this week. He goes as the delegate of the local club.

    W.S. Colgan lived on a farm owned by Chas. Hill near Mt. Union. Hill sold the farm to a Washington, Iowa man and then bought it back, keeping Colgan guessing just as to where he would come in on renting a farm. Hill had a chance to rent Orville Alberson's farm, but was led to believe that he could stay on the Hill farm by Hill himself. So finally when Hill decided that he would not rent the farm, Colgan sued him and won in local justice of the peace court here last week. Hill settled finally by giving him $250 and now Colgan has moved to the Sam Meeker farm four miles west of Mt. Union.

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Mar 22, 1922

THIEF ENJOYS MEAL BEFORE HE RIFLES STORE
Partakes of Repast and Then Proceeds to Help Self to Goods.
Special to the Democrat.

    Fairfield, Ia., March 22- Coolley sitting down to either a late supper or an early breakfast of cheese and crackers and canned goods, while a man lay sleeping in a bedroom upstairs some thief who entered the general store belonging to J.H. Number at Lockridge Monday night then used a chizel upon the cash register securing therefrom $1.50 in small change. Then taking unto himself a quantity of tobacco, two pairs of brown shoes size five, several pairs of gloves and various odds and ends he presumably walked calmly out of the window thru which he had entered and disappeared in the darkness.
    However there is a beginning to this story and said robber first entered the hardware store belonging to Chris Rauscher also in Lockridge and secured therefrom some knives, razor straps and like stuff, also the chisel which he has used with such effective work at the neighboring store.
    When Mr. Number and Mr. Rauscher opened their stores Tuesday morning and discovered that each had been entered and the same methods in each place they at once notified Sheriff Walter Harris of Fairfield who was soon on the scene.
    It was learned from several people that a small slender sallow-looking man had been seen in Lockridge late Monday afternoon but he was not to be found Tuesday morning. Several people who saw him described the stranger as being sickly-looking. Officers in all the near-by cities have been furnished a description of this stranger and are now on the lookout for him.

Submitted by C.J.L., Mar 2006