The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-06-10
After Weeks of Quiet, Police
Department Has It's
Hands Full.
DRUNKS AND BRAWLS
These Are Many But More Serious
0ffenses Add to the Records
Of the Day.

After several weeks OF quiet. a crime
wave swept over Hammond yester-
day afternoon that threatened 10 en-
gulf the local police department who
are struggling along with half as many
men as the law allows and are handi-
capped on every hand by the refusal OF
the mayor and city council to pro-
vide working facilities for the police
department.
After o'clock yesterday afternoon
when the report OF the holdup and
shooting at Gibson came in, there was
not moments rest for the police de-
partment until late in the evening.
Police Kept Busy.
1t seems as though the telephone bell
rang every two minutes and trouble
would be reported in some part OF the
city another. There were three
fights reported within five minutes.
At IS Sibley street fight was re-
ported. and an officer had no sooner
started TO put a stop to 1t. than an
other was reported at e33 Sihley street
where some Jews were lighting over
the sale OF a COW. An officer was sent
out to stop the disturbance there. when
the report came in that two young men
were having a fight at the corner Of
State and Sohl street.
Crowd of Spectators.
When the officer arrived here he
found a crowd Of several hundr, ! peo-
pie watching a fight in whic Otto
Doebler. bully. jumped upon August
Hamann in a quarrel over a dog.
| At every opportunity the officers
picked up drunks on the streets and
were compelled 10 almost carry sod
den soaks to the police station because
there was no patrol wagon in which
to load them.
Then the report came IN that the Erie
freight office has beeh broken into ana
two officers were sent out to invests
gate the matter. There was found to
be nothing much to the story but the
time of two officers was taken up and
there were other drunks to be taken
care of.
Wires Cut For Third Time.
Some one reported that the wires at
the @. II. Hammond company's old
plant had been cut again and an officer
was compelled TO make an investiga-
ton. He found the report true. IN
the meantime the jail was filing up
with prisoners. The cells were filled
and the men were put in the corridor
of the jail as they came in. Drunks
got to fighting with each other and
had to be separated. The officers were
kept on the jump every minute.
The officers who had been securing
the eighborhood in the vicinity OF
Gibson in an effort to find the men
who had been seen with McCluster. the
man who held up the saloon on For
sythe avenue, finally brought them in
and they had to be put in the place
usually reserved for the women.
Must Close Windows
The drunks made so much noise that
they could be heard all over the neigh
borhood and the officers were compelled
to close the windows The stencil from
the clothes and breaths of a dozen
hoboes and drunks became almost un-
bearable but there was no ALTERNATIVES
and so these habitues from the under
! regions were compelled TO put up with
it.
. It was not until late IN the evening
when the Sunday orgies were over that
the worn out officers were permitted to
have an hours respite. There were
> other matters too numerous to men,
tion that were called to the attention
of the police but the following are the
. cases that were thought important
4 enough to book.
Walter Basney. drunk: William Pull
? man. drunk; Otto Doebler, hghtlngi
August Hamann, fighting; Ed McCius-
I ter, robbery; John Paski, accessory,
Alex Poleski, accessory; Ignatz Orsh-
e letz. drunk: Frank Farley, drunk
d Frank Lands. drunk; F. r. Lienan
l. disorderly.