The times., 1899-02-12
EVANSTON'S DAYS
OF Blind Pig Fame
Resorts in Chicago Surburbs
Where Crime Was King.
Many Grewsome Murders on the
Western Prairie.
of sAIu ..c Ia.
Memories of Violations of the Laws
In Days Long
Gone by.
rrom the Chicago chronicIe.l

driven from their home in the cassie city
three weeks ago it marked the climax to
the long series of catastrophies and misfor-
tunes of those who have engaged in the
Illicit selling OF liquor within the four mile
limits of Evanston. They were sent from
their abode by the Evanston police, with
out money and without friends, to become
wanderers and fugitives from the law. Now
that they have gone the citizens of Evan
ston have begun to review the histories of
the notorious keepers of ''bOotlegs and
blind pigs in the suburb, and they have
arrived at the conclusion and are firmly
convinced that it is both unlucky and un
profitable to engage in the nefarious traf
fic in Evanston.
The memories of the old time violaters
OF the law, after Northwestern University
was founded, in 1885, live only in the
minds of the citizens of the classic town,
but since Chief Bartram took charge of the
Evanston police force, three years ago, he
has kept Il close account of the fortunes
of the yiolatOrs, and hidden away in his
desk are the records of long list of sui
cides, mysterious poisonings and violent
deaths attendant upon the men and their
families who have kept the Illicit places.
Away back in the early days of the city the
engaged in constant strife with the blind
pig keepers. and tales of two grewsome
murders have been handed down by the
white-haired pioneers who took up their
residence on the prairies that have since
become the site of the city of churches.
These, however, occurred way back in the
early COS. Both men were found lying in
their own blood, stabbed many times in
the breast. 1t looked as if they were killed
was never discovered.
Joseph Kirker was the first of these. He
took up his home in the sparsely settled
Evanston in 1861. Only mile from the
university he constructed cabin and lived
by hunting and trapping the minks which
were at that time plentiful along the
shores of the lake. For two years he fol-
lowed this quiet and uneventful life. TAX
ing the skins to Chicago every month dur
ing the winter. From these he realized
good income, for the pelts at that time
were valuable. In the meantime, however,
others had come and had located near him.
He saw that his profits were decreasing
day by day. Often he had heard the men
with whom he associated say that they
wished there was place where they could
drop in for their drinks of an evening. in
stead OF being compelled to carry from the
city the little Jugs which were to give
an idea from this, and it was not long be-
fore he informed his friends that although
it was contrary to the law he was prepared
to serve them with whisky at any time. He
no longer hunted and trapped along the
creeks which have their outlets in the
lake but stayed in his little hut and grew
rich.
One night, however, when his friends ap-
preached the cabin 1t was not lighted up in
u
the door no cheering log was burning in the
fireplace. They started for the well-known
chest, but stumbled over a PROSTATE form
| When dirty lamp was lighted Joseph
Kirker was found lying in a pool of his
own blood They knew he had been mur-
dered, but murder did not startle these
men, for they had seen too many murders
to be startled. Consequently that very
night lots were drawn in order to see who
/ would be the next TO carry on the business
of "Old Joe
| Thomas Campbell was the lucky man
| they called him so then, but before two
weeks had rolled by he proved to be the
unlucky one, for they found him on that
( wild night on ApriLj7, 1864, when the light
ming was cleavlng the trees out in the for
| est. just where they had found Joe. One
( hand rested on the open liquor chest. while
scattered around him We're broken jugs and
the crimson, clotted fluid that OOzed
through the cracks and the knotholes into
/ the cellar below. On paper pinned to the
flesh of the forehead was written: Yer
ken bet thet all yer what sells that durn
Internal Ticker in these parts is goin' to git
1 served the same way Bloody finger
marks covered the paper, and when the
lamp was held closer the very letters were
found to be formed from blood. The mat
q and
they buried him alone in the woods.
But the stories OF the CHASTITY murders
leaked out and for many years after that
no blind pigs appeared in the suburb.
! But those who remembered the occur
rences either moved away or were swal-
| lowed up in the advance of civilization
and adventurous spirits. greedy for gain.
began once more to Illicit traffic. run
ming fight was kept up between them and
the police which had now been stationed
in the suburb. but it is only within the
past few years that an effective warfare
has been waged upon the violators. The
record of Jimmie Martin, the pioneer
among the later keepers. as kept by Chief
Bartram shows that his career of misfor-
tune which landed him in the insane asy-
lum when released. has been duplicated by
several others who have handled the for
bidden beverage.
After Martin came the FOester family
the first prOprietors of the white from
blind pig. on Chicago Avenue. Jack Foes
trr committed suicide by cutting his thrOa
a short time after his place was raided by
the police. and it was not long before hi:
wife took her life in the same manner. TIL,
daughter Julia was the only member of til,
family left and she felt keeuly the finge
of scOrn that was continually pointed a
her Becoming respondent, she jumped
from the Demster Street pier on wilC
January night two years ago.
The attempt of Jack Foester TO establish
a business in Evanston was probably III,
most elaborate of any. He fitted up the OLE
white front" nOminally laundry. for th
Illicit traffic. With an ingenius arrange
ment of rooms and secret shelves he wa
enabled to throw the police off the tract
for two years In the dining room a slid
ing panel hid a large compartment file,
with bottles and jugs, and so cleverly wa
it contriyed that the police had to use axe
to open It. Other prOprietors followed
Foester in the white front"
Those coming Immediately after hin
were Frank Ainsley and James Turpie
Ansley. after being arrested time anC
again, finally left Evanston with severa
hundred dollars in fines hanging over hi:
head Shortly afterward his partner, Tur
pie while loading some illicit goods on
wagon, fell off the coal shed where the!
had been secreted and broke his neck.
Following these men in the old building
came Edward johnson. another keeper
though not so well known as either Ainslel
or Turpie. He was arrested and fneC
many times, and once while behind tn,
bars in the Evanston police station at
tempted to commit suicide by drinking
glass of water n which he had soaked
t.I,a ha N tak