Post St. Blues-Fiona at the library

[jon]

MORE METHODS
OF THE POLICE
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OFFICERS GIVING EVIDENCE IN
DAGWELL'S DEFENSE[/size]
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Explain After the Manner of Previous Witnesses How They Guarded the City's Security and Laws[/size]

The defense of Chief Dagwell was resumed this morning.

[jon]

Officer Jones was cross-examined by Mr. Coupe. He testified that he had been stationed in the lower part of the city about five years; had tried to make out a case of illegal liquor selling, but had not been successful and had reported the fact. It was the same with regard to disorderly houses and gambling. Mrs. Gorman was at 31 Broad St. until I think 1891; lost track of her until this trial came up. She was brought into court for a row in her place; was a witness in the case; she was convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary, if I remember correctly.

Officer Schaffer - Have been on the police force in Utica since Sept. 1, 1885. In 1890 was on the upper center and cross center, remaining there five years; then transferred to lower center and cross center; Officers Landors and Coakley were transferred with me; Dillon Jones and Cheney were transferred to our former district. When on the upper section I knew by the speech of people of places where the law was likely to be violated; one was the Seneca block; there were no houses of assignation that I knew of. Oh, yes, there was Post Avenue; had talks with the Chief regarding these places; the Chief had me watching the Seneca block in the effort of making cases against it. This was in '93 or'91; Officers Coakley and Cleveland were with me. One night we thought we had a sure thing and rushed up there, they would not let us in; Cleveland said he would kick the door if they did not let us in; after some quibbling, in which Nagle held that his place was a private club and we had no business there, we withdrew; the place was afterward pulled; I was not with the officers.

[jon]

The evidence continued in this line and was similar to that previously given by other officers. It went to show that a number of places were reported as improper and were watched. In most instances it was not easy to make a case against them. Some raids were made.

The witness said he never learned or observed anything disorderly about Mrs. Corman's; took notice of Mrs. Rowe's place on Catherine street, and what he saw was not a violation. He had had conversations with the Chief regarding 13 Broad St. The Chief had often told officers to watch it. Witness did not know that Mulligan's was not all right. The Chief never said anything to him particularly regarding it. He made no reports to Chief Sedwick's place. Under direction of the Chief he watched the place over the Postal Telegraph office, but saw nothing unlawful. He had been ordered by the Chief to watch Luke Haley's, Max Robertson's, Joe Olick's and Casey's the Northern Hotel.

Cross-examined - Knew of the places suspected as being gambling places; knew of Charles Davis's place about nine years; have heard of men suspected of being gamblers; never saw any of them about the Seneca block or Broad street; did see persons suspected of being common gamblers about the Postal Telegraph office;

[jon]

we simply walked along the street and watched the buildings; never saw the detectives enter the Broad street place; saw the common gamblers about there at the same time; the gamblers had no other occupation that I knew of; never heard of anyone losing money there; did not expect that detectives would get evidence of gambling by walking by the building in the street; nothing was ever said by the Chief as to the manner in which we were trying to get evidence against these places; when we visited the Seneca street place. Mr. Cleveland rapped on the door; could hear no voices inside; the brother of Charles Davis came to the door; Cleveland required him to open the door; Davis asked "What do you want to get in here for?" Don't remember the reply; don't remember that Cleveland stated his business; Cleveland said he would kick in the door; Davis said it was his privilege; the place was a club room; Davis said if there was any particular person he wanted that was in the room he would open the door; don't remember of any other conversation; Cleveland went out; he was gone ten minutes; Officer Coakley and myself remained there; Cleveland returned and said to us "you had better back out;" no further efforts were made then to enter the place. I do not know whether or not this transaction was reported to the Chief; the place was pulled about six months later; do not remember of any prosecutions resulting; 45 Broadway is two blocks from the station; has had the reputation of being a bed house --------ars; the proprietor has been reminded; it continues to have the same reputation.

[jon]

Q - Did you expect to procure any evidence against a place by walking up and down in front of the building.

A - Yes

Was in Wolff's two or three times; did not know but I might stumble on to something by going through the rooms; made two arrests in a Whitesboro street house in this matter; don't know whose house it was; they were taken to the police station; the chief did not really tell us to tell the North Genesee street, women to leave town; we drove them out of town upon our own responsibility; we told her that we were to break up all disorderly houses and she got out of town; no arrests were made; have seen men and women go into Mrs. Rowe's place; heard it had a bad reputation; no arrests were ever made; did not report the place; saw people going into Robertson's place; no special effort was made to procure evidence against it; these places had a notoriously bad reputation. There has been no effort to suppress these places to my knowledge in the past two years.

Upon re-direct examination Schaffer said that before he entered the names of suspicious houses it was necessary to secure proof against them. Mr. Lewis thereby handed him his own diary for 1897, in which no reports against disorderly houses had been entered and witness admitted that such was the case. He had had conversations regarding the place, but could give no dates..

[jon]

Officer Coakley's testimony was similar to that of Schaffer and others. He said that the Chief had told him once that things were going wrong on the lower center, and had watched the places. The Chief had told him that the woman had certain rights under the law. Testimony similar to that given by either officers was taken relative to other disorderly houses and gambling places. He denied that he ever said that there no use in arresting Wolff. Recess was taken until 1:45.

<Continued on Page ?>

UTICA OBSERVER - APRIL 11, 1898

[fiona]

very interesting snippits about Mrs. Gorman, who ran a disorderly house on Whitesboro Street, across from Wolff's notorius Imperial Hotel, and the date, April 11th, 1898, is prior to the murder of Carrie Cobb and Jon Karl at Peter Wolff's Imperial Hotel, on 12/24/1898. The Cobb affair really helped to seal Chief Dagwell's demise. I didn't know Mrs. Gorman was sent to the penetentiary. I never read that far into the backstory. She was a notorius madam who funneled prostitutes, some as young as 12, into Wolff's Imperial Hotel. I have read that the Hotel was one of the worst dives in the city.

[jon]

BORN WITH A TOOTH

Dr. Ira D. Hopkins is authority for the statement that there was born to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Burt, colored, of No. 11 Post Avenue. on Thursday night a daughter with an eye tooth developed. She is one of 12 children and is a well-developed child in other respects. The doctor says such cases are quite rare and the only case he has noted was that of Louis XIV, who is said to have been provided with a grinder at his birth.


UTICA OBSERVER - JULY 21, 1894

[Dave]

May 27, 2010 1:22:15 GMT -5 jon said:

DEPUTY SHERIFF
STOPPED THE MILL
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THE "CYCLONE" DISAPPEARED
WITH THE CASH

[/size]
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The Fight Had Just Started at Hinkley
When Matters Were Brought to a Close by the Law[/size]

There was a prize fight at Hinkley last night, it came off in a hotel just outside the village and attracted a crowd of about 200 people. The result, however, was anything but satisfactory, and a number of Utica sports who went up to see the mill returned this forenoon tired and thoroughly disgusted with the affair
[/quote]


That's a great story! I especially liked the part where the deputy sheriff stops the fight, tries to arrest the pugilists after they've all had a drink and they refuse to leave with him. Then, the deputy allows the fight to go on! Hard to believe the deputy wasn't in on the heist, even though the reporter says those involved didn't believe so.

[jon]

It does seem that these stories that involve Sam Lacey are particularly entertaining.

[jon]

IN THE POLITICAL FIELD

Short Paragraphs From the Canvass Now is Rapidly Nearing a Close[/size]

The Candidates next a xxxx that night and decided to participate in the Republican mass meeting to be held in the City Opera House this evening. The speakers this evening will be Hon. W. W. Hicks, Col. W. C. Sanger, Seagtor Coggswell and Mayor Wheeler.

It would be hard to find a candidate in either party who will not express himself as being tired cat. The long canvass is not relished and candidates freely admit that they are tired of being compelled to undergo so much badgering by those who have axes to grind or barn tickets to sell.

"There is no reason why the Eighth Ward should not give its usual Democratic majority for Mr. Gibson this year." said a well-informed resident of that ward today. "Our voters have not been blind during the past year and a half.The Eighth Ward is made up of working men, and they keep very close watch of affairs pertaining to their interests."

[jon]

The Republican bass had about 123 more votes to his credit than N. K. Kernan when the Sixth Ward polls closed at the municipal election eighteen months ago. In the interim the Sixth Ward voters have had their eyes opened, and a well informed resident of the ward said to-day that he would not, be a bit surprised if Gibson carried the ward by the same figure.

The chances of Alderman Scheehl's re-election in the Tenth are excellent. His opponent has no great desire to go to the Council.

Charles E. Pell, proprietor of the notorious resort on Post Avenue where a colored man was killed recently, is now employed on the Rutger street pavement. Can it be that this is the result of a noted visit credited to two distinguished politicians!

In an interview last summer Mayor Wheeler expressed the wish that "there was a plow stuck in every street in the city," meaning that pavements were to be laid to every street. Tole was impossible when Mayor Wheeler wished, but he did the next best thing for his interests - he put a lot of political cultivators in the Surveyor's office.

UTICA OBSERVER - NOVEMBER 21, 1893

[fiona]

that's very interesting that Rutger Street was paved before Genesee street was. I believe Genesee Street was paved in the very late 1890's.

[fiona]

continuation of Romance Of An Old Street

Joe Pell, a rare type of the Happy Plantation Darkey lived and laughed his life away on the Avenue. Joe also raised a large family. He had a knack of playing the fiddle, and managed, by playing for dances and doing odd jobs, to make a living. In those days there were no musicians unions or orchestral organizations and Joe was tickled almost to death to get a dollar for an all night job. He had abroad, open countenance, a hearty laugh that was always on tap and a cheerful disposition that made him welcome everywhere he went. ( see also pg 16, reply no 207)

[jon]

POLICE BUSINESS
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No Abatement in the Spring Trade[/size]
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In spite of the return of wintry weather, the lovers of whiskey seem to fall under its effects into the hands of the police as frequently as they did in milder weather. It is a notable fact that few, if any, of the old "rounders" are to be seen at the Station House now-a-days. The majority of them have taken temperance pledges and have good intentions, but a new crop of inebriates is growing up.

DRUNK

Officer Gross arrested Richard Jepson, charged with drunkenness.

John Norton, who was released a few weeks ago on his taking the pledge, was found drunk by Officer McDermott and locked up.