Iowa Old Press

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Friday evening, May 4, 1923

YOUNG MATRON PASSES AWAY AT HOME NEAR CITY
Mrs. Edith Roggenkamp Is Survived by Two Weeks Old Babe.
    Mrs. Edith Roggenkamp, well known young matron of the community, died at her home, six miles northwest of Davenport, Thursday afternoon, after an illness extending over the past two weeks. She leaves an infant daughter, two weeks old.
    Miss Edith Thomas was born in Scott county, Oct. 26, 1901, and was united in marriage to Louis Rogenkamp, July 26, 1922. The couple settled on a farm north of the city and have resided there since their marriage. Mrs. Roggenkamp was well known among the young people of the community in which she lived and had a host of friends who will mourn her untimely death. She is survived by her husband, Louis Roggenkamp; her infant daughter, Ruth Edith; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Thomas of Scott county; three sisters, the Misses Anna, Ima and Verna Thomas; two brothers, Harry and Wilbur Thomas and her grandmother, Mrs. Katherine Sieh.
     Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the home with interment in Rose Hill cemetery, Buffalo, Ia.

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
May 6, 1923

JOY RIDER GETS $50 FINE;
USED THE WRONG CAR.
Wrecks Rented Ford in Taking Girl Friend Home from Resort.
    When his girl friend, whom he had taken to Hollywood Inn, declared she was sick early this morning, F. Burkett, 20, bellboy at the Blackhawk hotel, took her home in an auto he thought was his own, but which proved to be a Saunders system car, rented by Aleck Johnson of Silvis.
    Charged with joy riding, Burkett was fined $50 and costs by Police Magistrate Harold Metcalf this morning. In default of his fine, he was sent to Scott county jail for 17 days. The automobile he took at Hollywood was wrecked while he was driving it, but Burkett claims he can remember no accident. Harry Toon, Moline Saunders system agent, says the damage amounts to $86.
    "Your story sounds fishy to me", Magistrate Metcalf said in assessing Burkett's fine.
    Johnson and two Moline youths, R. Blackmore, 22, and G. Monroe, 23, obtained a Ford sedan from the car renting agency in Moline last night, using it for a "date" with three girls. Late in the evening they conveyed one of the girls to her home below Nahant, and then stopped at Hollywood Inn for lunch.
    While they were lunching, Burkett and his girl got into the Saunders sedan and drove away. Spectators notified Johnson and he dispatched his two friends on the chase. Monroe and Blackmore trailed Burkett to Davenport and then back to the inn, where it was discovered that the rear end of the sedan was crushed, and the rear wheels damaged.
    Burkett was brought to Davenport by Monroe and Blackmore. The three went to the local Saunders agency where they got into an argument. Police were called, and all three were arrested by Officers Kropp and Stafenbiel, at 5 o'clock this morning.
    Monroe, Blackmore and Burkett were fined costs of their cases on intoxication charges this morning. The joy riding charge was filed separately against Burkett.

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Tuesday, May 22, 1923

PROMINENT MT. PLEASANT MAN IS DEAD
Geo. W. McAdam Passes Away, 90 Years Old - Was Editor
Special to the Democrat.

    Mount Pleasant, Ia, May 22 - Funeral services were held for George W. McAdam at the Presbyterian church this morning at 10:30 o'clock. Mr. McAdam died in Chicago at the age of 90 years. He left Mt. Pleasant about twenty-five years ago and lived in Chicago most of the time. For a few years he lived with Frank, a son, in Pittsburg. Frank and his wife came for the funeral. Interment was made in Forest Home cemetery. Rev. Alex McFerran had charge of the services. Mr. McAdam was one of the best known men in Henry county in his time, say fifty years ago and at one time was owner of the Weekly Journal which he edited for a good many years. He was also postmaster of Mt. Pleasant for twelve years. He was born in Cadiz, Ohio, and came to Mt. Pleasant when a young man. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church for many years.

    A shop man who drives or who has been driving that long red racing car in Mt. Pleasant for the last month and has succeeded in giving a good many people driving cars, heart failure, met a car yesterday which he could not pass. Two cars were parked on either side of the street in front of the E. Lines home on East Washington street yesterday and that made the space between the two cars rather narrow, and when Judge Walters of New London who was driving east met the red racing car did not have room to miss him and crashed head on into the Walters car, wrecking both, but fortunately not hurting anyone. The racing car was coming so fast it was impossible to dodge between the cars and the crash could not be averted. People on East Washington streets have been afraid to cross the street on foot and while they feel sorry for Judge Walters the same can not be said for the racer.

    Mrs. Ernest Cole of Chicago is visiting at the Withrow home.

    Mrs. O.H. Espy of St. Paul arrives today to visit Mrs. Stanley Miller.

    James T. Whiting and Stanley Miller went to Davenport today to attend a meeting of Mutual Life Insurance agents.

    The men who are wrecking old Central High school are taking out some immense timbers, probably the only ones of the kind in Henry county today. They removed three timbers which were 51 feet long, 8x12 inches and each timber contains over 400 feet of lumber. They are white pine without a knot in them. You could not find any other timber like that today in Henry county, probably, as the timbers were placed in the old school house in 1857.

    A.D. Andrews of Mt. Pleasant is attending the general assembly of the Presbyterian church in Indianapolis. Rev. Hauter of Winfied is one of the two Iowa delegates in attendance. Rev. Hauter is recognized as one of the coming ministers of the church, as he is among the youngest in the ministry.

Davenport Democrat and Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa;May 4, 1923

Arrest Here Bares Activities of Great Bootlegging Ring
Richard Walsh, “Master Mind” of Ring That Shipped Large Quantities of Grain Alcohol and Bonded Liquor Into Davenport, Arrested by Prohibition Officer R. Muhs – Leaking Trunk Leads to Seizure.

     Activities of a gigantic Philadelphia booze ring that has shipped great quantities of grain alcohol and bonded whisky into Davenport during the past eight months were bared yesterday by the arrest of Richard Walsh, alleged “district manager” for the ring in this territory. He is a former Philadelphia man.
     A leaking trunk consigned to “M. Scanlon,” recipient of all the booze shipments to Davenport, led to the arrest of Walsh and the discovery that the trunk contained 21 pints of whisky that has been seized here in many months. “Scanlon” also received the grain alcohol which was seized in a raid on the Walter Hummel garage several days ago.
     This morning another box consigned to the mythical Scanlon was seized by Federal Prohibition officer Roy E. Muhs at the American Railway Express offices in the Rock Island station. The liquor was shipped as “belt dressing” from the Oriental Manufacturing company of Philadelphia.
     Walsh was held on $1,000 bonds by United States Commissioner A. G. Bush pending his preliminary hearing on May 22. He is a man of medium height with iron gray hair and the appearance and self-assurance of a business or professional man.

Credit to Muhs
     Credit for uncovering the activities of the eastern booze ring, in Iowa goes to Prohibition Officer Roy E. Muhs, who trapped Walsh after the arrest of Hummel several days ago had convinced him that “conditions in Denmark were not up to standard.”
Some 30 quarts of alcohol in boxes consigned to Scanlon were seized at the Hummel place. It was learned that similar shipments had been received by the same Scanlon for a long time but that he had never called for them in person.
     Then came the incident of the leaking trunk which was received at the express office.
     Taking a man who had seen the owner of the trunk with him, Mr. Muhs boarded the 2:26 Rock Island train from Chicago at Moline yesterday afternoon and “spotted” Walsh. When they arrived in Davenport Officer Hanlon of the police department was at the station and     Walsh was placed under arrest. The check for the trunk and the key that unlocked it were found in his pocket.
     At first Walsh asserted that he had found the check for the trunk on the train but after the key had been found he admitted that it belonged to him.

Method of Distribution
     Walsh did not make his headquarters in Davenport but apparently came here frequently. The shipments for Scanlon were called for by different people at various times, according to the express company officials.
     Alcohol was taken to places like the Hummel garage for distribution of the bonded whisky himself, according to the theory of the officers. He would secure a room at a local hotel and pass the whisky out to his agents there, at the same time making collections for alcohol. It is probable that a number of his assistants will be arrested.
     The whisky bears a Canadian stamp, but it is believed that it is forged.

Goes to Des Moines
     Federal Prohibition Officer Muhs will go to Des Moines within the next few days to confer with the United States attorneys and prohibition officers on the prosecution of the case. It is possible that charges of conspiracy or of violation of the interstate commerce act by false representation of shipments will be filed.
     Walsh was represented before the United States commissioner by Attorney Carl Lambach. The $1,000 bond on which he was released was furnished by W.J. Bryson.
     Authorities at Philadelphia will be notified of the seizure of booze here and it is probable that the arrests here may lead to the uncovering of a booze ring of nationwide scope.


Davenport Democrat and Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; May 6, 1923

VICTIM’S TALE STARTS POLICE ON CITY RAIDS
Fourteen Arrested in Disorderly Houses Attacked by Officers
     Fritz Ziebarth’s lugubrious recital of how he had been robbed of five dollars in the establishment of Mrs. Agnes Thiel, 328 ½ West First street, Saturday afternoon led to a raid on the Thiel place which netted four prisoners last night. As a follow-up police entered the Mrs. Mildred Brennan house at 422 ½ West Second street, arresting seven men and three women.
     Ziebarth, who lives in Fishertown, told Chief Schlueter that he had bought several drinks at Mrs. Thiel’s place and that, when he dropped a five dollar bill as he was paying his debt of two dollars, the woman grabbed the bill from the floor and refused to give it back. Ziebarth’s disclosure of conditions at the Thiel place caused the raid.
     When police officers Homeyer, Kuehl, Hennely, and Phelan walked in they found two men and two women, who gave their names as F. Blakemore, J. Spencer, Ruth Woods and Hezel Wiese. The four were arrested on charges of immoral living.
At the Brennan place a party was in progress when the officers called. The men and women were sitting at a table with a pint of hooch in evidence. Those arrested gave their names as Al Rush, J. Wiels, J. Russell, Al Johnson, George Morrison and Rose Murray. Mrs. Brennan was taken into custody as the keeper of a disorderly house, while her guests were booked as inmates.
All those arrested in the raids will be tried in police court Monday morning.

Davenport Democrat and Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; May 22, 1923

FINES OF $100 METED OUT TO 2 SALOON MEN
Raids by Police and Prohibition Agent Staged Last Night
     Raids on the soft drink bars of W.T. Perry, 711 West Second street, and of Frank Schultz 922 West Second street, yesterday afternoon and evening, resulted in the arrest of Perry and Schultz as keepers of disorderly houses and the confiscation of a small quantity of hooch.
In police court this morning the proprietors pleaded guilty and were assessed fines of $100 and costs by Police Magistrate Harold Metcalf.
The raid on Perry’s bar was conducted by Officer Pat Dietz of the local police force, and by Prohibition Agent Roy E. Muhs at 4:30 o’clock yesterday. There were two customers in the place at the time of the raid. A pint of moonshine whisky and several whisky glasses were found in a rear room of the saloon, the officers claim.
     Dietz and Muhs found a half pint of hooch and whisky glases behind Schultz’s bar when they raided it at 9 o’clock last night, the assert. It is claimed that Schultz dumped a pitcher of moonshine liquor when he saw the officers enter his bar. The confiscated hooch remained in the pitcher.

ROCKINGHAM OFFICIALS CLEAN UP TOWN
Rockingham has declared war on hooch parties and disorderly houses within the corporate limits.
     Four men and one woman, arrested in a raid Sunday night, were arraigned last night in the court of Justice of the Peace A.H. Kohlhammer and assessed fines ranging from $25 and costs to $75 and costs.
     Joe Balluf, who was booked on a charge of keeping a disorderly house was fined $50 and costs of which $25 was suspended upon the condition that he clean up the premises and refrain from staging any more parties.
     Beryl Thompson, who was accused of bringing hooch to the party, was fined $75 and costs and $50 of the fine was suspended. His wife, Nellie Thompson, mother of five children and the only woman in the party, was fined $25 and costs. The justice suspended $20 of the fine. Ben Rollason was fined $50 and costs and $45 of the fine suspended pending good behavior. Frank Weaver, the fifth member of the party, was fined $25 and costs, and $20 was ordered suspended.
     The party was raided by Marshal Homer Ashcraft.

SHERIFF RAIDS 5-MILE HOUSE; ARRESTS MEYER
     Victor H. Meyer, proprietor of the “Five Mile house”, located north of the city on the Brady street road, is in the Scott county jail awaiting trial on a charge of maintaining a liquor nuisance as the result of a raid upon the roadhouse conducted last night by Sheriff William Brehmer. No liquor was found by the officers although a careful search was made of the roadhouse and the buildings adjoining.
Meyer will be arraigned before Police Magistrate Harold Metcalf late today or Friday according to County Attorney John P. Weir who is in charge of the prosecution.
     The raid was made by the sheriff on the strength of a story told the police by James Royer, 1812 Harrison street, who was arrested Sunday night in company with Jake Killion and R.W. Anderson on a charge of assaulting a watchman following an attempt to steal tires off trucks belonging to the McCarthy company. In his story to the police, Boyer claimed that the party had visited the roadhouse in the afternoon and had purchased several drinks.

Davenport Democrat and Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; May 29, 1923

“Sponge Squad” Seeks to Dry the Mississippi in Big Booze Drive
     Prohibition men are “mopping up” the Mississippi Valley today. Federal and state agents were united in a great clean-up trip from Buffalo to LeClaire in which they were raiding houseboats and riverside shanties where bootleggers held forth.
     Working on both sides of the river in what is perhaps the biggest “sponger squad” venture ever attempted from Davenport, the prohibition officials hope to choke off he supply-places of Tri-city hip liquor distributors.
     Twenty-seven warrants, most of them calling for the arrest of that well known character, John Doe, were sworn out by the deputy sheriffs before they started on their Volstead mission late yesterday afternoon.
     Sheriff William Brehmer headed the county officers, while James Risden of the state prohibition force and Federal Prohibition Officer Joseph Terrill were also the raiders. It was reported that a similar campaign,also directed by federal agents, was being carried out on the other side of the river.

Three Under Arrest
     The following were arrested last night and today as a direct result of the raids:
     William Olson, who lives in a shanty house east of Hollywood Inn. The raiders discovered considerable “hooch” and “home brew” in Olson’s place.
     Harry Hoffman, who lives near Olson’s place in Rockingham township, was not at home when the raiders visited the place. He was arrested today by the Davenport police and turned over to the custody of the county and state authorities.

Shortest Bar in World
     Sabin Bray, also living along the river front in Rockingham township, was taken into custody. Bray, according to Deputy Sheriff Fred Scharfenberg, who headed the raid on the place, boasts the shortest bar in the world. He had a counter not more than three feet in length. What the bar lacked in size it more than made up on the quantity and quality of “wet” goods on tap, according to deputy.
     The home of Anna Drake, also in Rockingham township was next on the list. A quantity of liquor was seized but no arrests were made.

Followed by Trucks.
     The raiding squads were followed by trucks to cart away the liquor. The four raids conducted by Deputy Sheriff Scharfenberg netted a truck load of beer and hooch. Other trucks were busy throughout the major portin of the night hauling the liquor to the federal building and county jail.
     Raiding the soft drink bar of Julius Goettsch, 932 West Sixth street, Officer Patrick Dietz, of the Davenport police force, assisted by Prohibition Officer Roy E. Muhs and State Inspector Risden, securing a large quantity of moonshine liquor at 6:30 last evening.
     In a room opening off the barroom at Goettsch’s place, the raiders found receptacles respectively containing 15 quarts, four pints, 9 ½ pints, five gallons and one gallon of hooch.
     Goettsch was given a continuance until Saturday morning when arraigned before Police Magistrate Metcalf this morning. He is held under $500 temporary bonds. 

    

Submitted by C.J.L., July, Aug 2005, March 2007