A Book of the Saint Paul Police 1838 - 1912 — 16
Robert Kehle was arrested April 21st, 1908, after robbing a number of convents. Kehle was captured by detectives McHale and Schwitzer and immediately confessed and even told the police where the money was hidden. Detective Fraser and County Attorney O’Brien went to North Dakota and brought back the cash. Kehle was given five years in States’ Prison.
On April 6th, 1908, John Smolensky, 73 years old was found murdered in his home in a shack on the upper flats. He was murdered during a drunken quarrel by Fred Eschle, 47 years old, an ex-convict. The murder was committed 20 days before the discovery, and the murderer lived all this time in the same house with his victim, the body being covered up. The murderer fled but was captured by Detectives Frank Fraser and Patrolman John Mellrose at Lyndale. The murderer confessed later and was given a life sentence on May 29th, 1908.
On April 29th, 1908, Nicholas Kill, was sentenced for life as recorded in early part of this history for murdering Jacob Kohn in St. Paul. He died in the penitentiary at Stillwater of apoplexy.
Forty horses were incinerated in a fire at the St. Paul Transfer Company’s stables May 19th, 1908.
A. Z. Drew was indicted for receiving a deposit at the Hamline bank which was bankrupt after knowing that the bank was insolvent, on March 22, 1908. Mr. Drew was tried and found guilty, appealed to the Supreme Court and a new trial was granted, but he was never tried again.
Daniel W. Lawler was elected mayor of the city at the election held May 5th, 1908. He defeated Joseph McKibben by 3881 votes.
Mrs. Bert Owens caused a panic in the Majestic Theater on May 10th, 1908, by sitting in a box and firing five shots at her husband who was one of the actors on the stage. The victim recovered and no trial was ever had of the case.
On June 8th, 1908, Thomas Duncan, one of the best known race kings of the country hung himself in the rear of a livery stable at 256 Selby avenue. No cause for his suicide is known.
June 15, 1908, H. C. Taylor of Seattle, travelling through St. Paul on a Pullman car was robbed of ten thousand dollars worth of securities and the thief escaped. The thieves were never caught but they sent the wallet containing the securities, back to Chief O’Connor through a registered letter from Chicago, Illinois, and the money was turned over to Mr. Taylor.
Dr. S. W. Robilard, former Legislator, was tried for manslaughter for having performed a criminal operation in June, 1908, and was found not guilty.
Fred Forseen accidently shot Ed Fulmore, a companion while the two boys were playing on a dairy farm near the city. Forseen gave himself up to the police but the case was clearly accidental and no charge was ever preferred.
Stanley Ross, angered at Clara Ziesler during a quarrel July 4th at the home of the Ziesler woman on Lee Avenue, shot at her and then made his escape. The shot struck a sidecomb and this saved her life. Ross was captured later and given a sentence for assault.
On August 9th, 1908, George Villemont, a St. Peter street saloonkeeper, was shot by Margaret White at her resort on 7th street. The woman was arrested but released by Judge Finehout in Municipal court at her preliminary hearing.
On August 16th, 1908, John F. Fitzgerald, the veteran Superintendent of the workhouse died at Detroit, Michigan.
On August 22nd, 1908, Mrs. Ida Lewis after leaving her aged husband at Sault Ste Marie, came to St. Paul, took a room with John McGillen of Stillwater at the Euclid Hotel, took poison and died.
August 25th, 1908 Joseph Hanley, colored, was murdered by Ida Dotson at a 9th street colored resort during a knife battle. The Dotson woman was tried and acquitted.
On September 25th, 1908 Patrolman Phillips was nearly killed trying to stop a runaway, and added his name to the long list of police heroes.
On September 6th, Joseph Ienberg, who lived across the line in Dakota county, quarreled with his wife, shot her dead and then killed himself.
On September 15th, 1908, John Klein, janitor of the Assumption Catholic School, shot himself, dying instantly. He was despondent over ill health.
September 14th, 1908, Billing Irwin, one of the best known criminal lawyers of America and usually known as the “Tall Pine,” died at his summer home at Miama, Fla.
Dr. Marcus Tessler, one of the best known German physicians of the city, who had just returned from a trip to Vienna, Austria, for study, took poison at his office in the Baltimore block and died October 19th, 1908, leaving a note saying that he feared that his mind was leaving him from over study.
On November, 2, 1908, John C. Shea’s livery barn on Selby avenue near Western was consumed in a $75,000 fire. One man and about eighty horses were cremated.
On November 11th, 1908, John Woffard, a colored man, armed himself with a gun and broke into a dozen houses. He was captured the next day through the efforts of Chief O’Connor and his men and soon after was given a ten year sentence at Stillwater.
On December 13th, 1908, Charles E. Hellstrom, one of the most prominent east side merchants of the city, committed suicide by shooting himself through the head.
On November 15th, 1908, J. H. Pewters, an ex-convict, while a prisoner at the Central Station, became insane and tried to hang himself with his suspenders to his cell. Jailer Hammes cut him down in time to save his life.
On December 14th, 1908, Timothy R. Palmer, famous lawyer and life insurance official, shot himself in his Grand Avenue home, worrying over ill health.
December 18, 1908, James Dugan, the last of the Rice street gang, killed himself at the Stillwater penitentiary.
On January 13th, 1909 Jack Havlin, also known as Jack Curtin, one of the three men who killed officer Charles Myer on University Avenue, engaged in a pistol duel with the Omaha police. Curtin killed one of the officers and himself died of wounds two days later.
