A Book of the Saint Paul Police 1838 - 1912 — 15
An unusual discharge for neglect of duty from the police force occurred on June 1, 1907, when Charles Grisim, a Rondo Station patrolman was dismissed upon complaint of Sergeant Charles Gerber. Gerber found that Grisim had been in the habit of sleeping in a tool box on his beat with an alarm clock near his head which woke him up every hour in time to pull his box.
M. Wheeler, 26 years old, desperate for lack of work entered the saloon of M. Solomon, 345 1-2 Robert street, May 31st, 1907, and after firing several shots made his escape. He was captured, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to the penitentiary.
On May 29th, 1907, John Crinnean was given a seven year sentence for a criminal assault on his ten year old daughter.
On June 3rd, 1907, Iven Koplivitch, 13 years old, and his four year old brother were burned to death, and an eight year old brother seriously burned in a fire at their home 348 Chesnut street, which started after a servant girl had locked the children in the house.
On June 10th, 1907, St. Paul enjoyed its first Sunday with an absolutely air-tight lid on.
Mrs. Minnie Galles, charged with murdering her new born babe was exonerated by a jury on June 13th, 1907.
On June 19th, 1907, Fred Schroeder, one of the best known liverymen of the West, while speeding in an auto with Walter J. Hill, son of the railway magnate, mysteriously 4ell from the front seat of the auto while rounding a curve at Summit Ave. and Syndicate Street and was instantly killed.
On July 12, 1907, Phillip Kempier pleaded guilty to embezzling a large sum of money from the Capital National Bank. He was given a four year sentence.
Ross Clarke, a St. Paul prominent attorney, after a quarrel with his wife, shot and killed himself at his summer home at White Bear Lake, August 7th, 1907.
Martin S. Hertsinck, 22 years of age, Central Police Station telephone operator, attempted suicide by swallowing the contents of a bottle of oxalic acid July 29th, 1907. He recovered.
On October 8th, 1907, Lieut. Frank Horn was elected Superintendent of the Work House. Lieut. Horn is one of the best known police officers of the city, and for many years served as court officer for the St. Paul police department. He is still at the head of the work house, which during his regime has enjoyed a splendid era.
October 9th, 1907, Private Nestor Thompson, a soldier at Fort Snelling, was found dead under the bridge. It was never learned whether he had been thrown overboard, as some of his friends insisted, or whether he had committed suicide.
William Blackman, a paroled prisoner from St. Cloud Reformatory, shot himself on the morning of October 26, 1907 in front of Desk Sergeant Wright at the Central Station. Sergeant Wright was asking him some questions when Blackman flashed a revolver and died instantly.
Col. Alveron Allen, one of the oldest residents of St. Paul died November 2nd, 1907.
On November 5th, 1907, Chas. Rychmann was shot and seriously injured by Henry Fehrman while Rychmann was trying to shield Mrs. Fehrman from a violent attack by her half crazed husband. Fehrman was found insane and sent to the State Asylum.
On November 5th, 1907, Daniel Tipp, indicted for having killed Thomas Hollihan during a fight was found not guilty.
Two boys lost their lives in a terrible fire which did $50,000 damage to the Northern Cooperage Company plant on the West Side on the 9th of November, 1907.
On November 20th, 1907, the Rondo Police Station patrol was struck by an interurban car at Western and University Ave. Patrolmen Holland and Hervin were quite seriously injured.
Chas. W. Wiley of 951 Laurel Avenue, returned to St. Paul December 1st, 1907 after an absence of over a week and gave himself up to the police, admitting that he had robbed the Wells-Fargo Express Company, of which he was the cashier of $5,000. He was taken to Minneapolis and there pleaded guilty and was sentenced to the penitentiary.
On December 4th, 1907, the Empire Theater, one of the toughest resorts the police of St. Paul ever had to deal with, was totally destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt as a theater.
Fire in Carling’s downtown restaurant 3 days later resulted in the death of one woman and about ten others were seriously injured.
As the result of an effort of the police to prevent extortion by barbers near the Union depot, Leo Homer a young barber was convicted and was given a suspended sentence.
On December 15th, 1907, eight residences and two stores were broken into by a couple of burglars whom Chief O’Connor ran down and sentenced to the penitentiary.
Patrolman Dan J. McCart died December 17th, 1907, and the following day William Crooks, a pioneer railroader, statesman and early settler died in Oregon.
On December 20th, 1907, Anna R. Smith, claiming that she had been kidnapped and confined in a shack by a couple of men died at the City Hospital from exposure. No clew to her assailants were ever found, as she died before she could give any statement of her case.
Thos. Fitzpatrick and Chas. B. Bowlby, both prominent citizens of the state, died December 31st, 1907.
William O’Rourke and William Sullivan, who broke into a house on Summit Avenue early in January, 1908, were found guilty and given long sentences in the penitentiary.
Samuel Phillips, promoter of the Chicago, New York Electric Air Line, was found guilty of fraud and given a seven year penitentiary sentence February 25th, 1908.
On March 24th, 1908, W. F. Bramer, superintendent of the Harriet Island Public Baths, and a member of the police force in 1874, died.
Frederick E. Rice, one of the most prominent masons in the city, died April 3rd, 1908.
William Turner, a vaudeville actor, shot and instantly killed Mrs. Alma Pryor with whom he was travelling, March 29th, 1908. Turner then killed himself. The murder occurred in a room in the Clarendon Hotel.
April 13th, 1908, Daniel R. Noyes, one of the oldest and most prominent citizens of the city, died.
