Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-25

ter stepped out. turning his star over
to John Robinson, now dead, and in
1882 T. B. Trotter again took the office
and held it for another two and one
half years, serving in all five years,
which is the record for long service in
the Office of marshal or chief of police
in Ottumwa
Ed H. Kent, well-known South OF
tumwa resident, served as marshal
from 1885 to'1SS6 and he was succeed
ed by Henry G. Williams, who served
until the election of Dan Harmon,
which was in March, 1888. Mr.. Han
non had been a deputy since the first
term served by 7. B. Trotter. He
went out of Office in March 1891, and
his successor was Abe. j. Nader, who
wore the star for one year.
HI. G. Williams entered the office
again in 1892 and he held it for year,
turning it over in the spring of 1893
to B.W.Van der Veer. Van was the first
chief of police, and when he was made
chief Dan Harmon was made night
chief or captain of the force, and the
office of marshal existed thereafter in
name only and was held by John Gep-
hart. until the salary was reduced to
81 per annum, thereby abolishing it en-
tirely
The present chief, Henry c. Viii,
liams succeeded Mr. Van der Veer in
the spring of 1897, and Night Captain
Harmon was succeeded by the present
night captain, John Gray, nephew
of the Marshal John Gray of the sew
enties.
Salary Small-Receipts Large.
Major Wood said during the reunion
yesterday afternoon, that when he
served as marshal, the salary in that
position was $50 per month, and that
of the deputy marshal was $25 per
month. Then and for a number OF
years, or during the terms of John
Gray, Al. Vanneman, and Davis, the
fees chargeable for each arrest were
S2.45. Major Wood openly said that
he made it the rule of his office to let
no guilty man escape, and to make all
of the arrests possible. The town was
lively in those days, he said, and he
frequently cleared $40 to $50 per day
by making arrests. When business
was light according to his story
whether he was joking or not is not
known to the writer, he made it a
point to make a raid in Smoky
or some other equally questionable
ionable portion of the city, and these
raids, he said, usually resulted in a
cleaning up of $50 to 500 night.
The major told many very interest
ing incidents connected with his term
of office, but space forbids their repro,
duction here.
The Smith Lynching.
1t was while AL. Vanneman was
marshal that John Smith, a farmer
who lived somewhere in the eastern
portion of the county, was lynched in
broad daylight, in front of the. city
hall in Ottumwa. AL. had arrested the
man on one or two occasions, and he
entertained mean feeling towards
the officer. One evening, Smith was
drunk somewhere in the Smoky Row
district, and Officer AL. Logan arrest
ed him. Smith thought that Logan
was Vanneman, and when they reach
ed point near the old Baker house,
on Green street, Smith drew revol-
YER from his pocket and fired fatal
bullet into Logan's body. Logan
continued to walk with his prisoner
for nearly block, when he fell from
exhaustion due to loss of blood, and
to the shock, dying shortly afterwards.
Smith was arrested by other officers
and taken to the station. His hearing
was set for the next morning. Be-
cause of the high esteem in which the
murdered policeman was held, there
was great indignation against the
murderer, and when he was brought
out for his hearing the next morning
a mob of Infatuated citizens overpower
ed Marshal Vanneman and Deputy
Marshal E. B. Davis, took possession
of the prisoner, and III less than five
minutes had him strangling at the
end of a moose. The rope had beer
thrown over an iron lamp post, which
occupied a place in front of the sta
ton until two years ago, and willing
hands helped t'boost" Smith to the
eternity which they thought he de
served.
John Gray Saw 1t.
Mr.. Vanneman said to the party
yesterday that he did not see the
lynching; that some parties threw ;
coat over his head, floored him anc
! sat upon him. Davis was caught ant
his arms were pinioned with a cane
which he happened to have in hi:
hands. He got to see the hanging
however, and some of the minor in
cidents in connection with it which
he detailed yesterday, were well re
membered by most of the officers ant
ex-officers present, and especial!
Night Captain John Gray, who, tho ;
boy, was within ten feet of the LAM
post, and therefore, as he has always
been since, where there is the mos
going. on
T. b. Trotter and B. w. Van de
Veer each had lynchings in their tern
of Office. Pleas Anderson lost his lif
at Blakesburg, while Mr.. Trotter wa
in Office. He was suspected of tn
murder of man named McAllister
and the details of the horrible affai
are still unforgotten in the minds O
the people who lived in the Blakes
burg neighborhood.