Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-16
CITIZENS FAVOR
LAW And ORDER
MEN OF oTTuMWA WHO DESIRE
COMMISSION OF CRIME LES
sENED, TAKE ACTION.
COURT ROOM CROWDED
Resolutions Setting Forth Object are
Passed and Each Ward is Sup
piled With Special
Committee.
From satnr,lav,s nailx

From Saturdays Daily.
With the memory of the atrocious
murder Friday night of Clara Rosen,
fresh In their minds, law abiding cit
liens Of Ottumwa gathered last night
In the main court room of the court
house and i'll speech and action en-
phasized their desire to aid in freeing
the city of all crime, from the com
mission of petty thieying to the more
serious offenses of criminal assault
and murder Special committees of
three members from each ward were
appointed to meet with the mayor and
police chief next Tuesday to perma-
nently organize all portions of the city
and resolution setting forth the OBJ
Ject OF stamping out crime was unan-
imously passed.
Charles Deeds as chairman, called
the meeting to order. Robert Shana-
han was appointed secretary and F. B.
Thrall was named to assist. Later Mr..
Thrall was named permanent treas
urer. John w. Lewis, the first speak
er, introduced the resolution, accom-
panying 1t with talk in which he set
forth why Ottumwa should be better
protected from crime The resolution
and idea of aiding the police by spec.
tally deputized citizens was discussed
for and against by Mayor T. ]. Phil
lips, T. H. Picker, John Rugg, Walter
5. C0en, Sol PHI artman, John F. Web
Der, William Wilson, 10 r. jacques and
D. A. Emery. While all the gentlemen
favored the movement to aid the reg
ularly appointed officials, there was
variety of views presented, some IA
Voring additional policemen and 9TH
ers urging the necessity of plain
clothes men under salary. The sum
OF $3.50 was subscribed and turned
over to Treasurer Thrall to pay for
tanitor service Of the room used and
the printing of poster announcements
of the meeting,
Ward Committeeman Named.
Committees from each ward were
appointed and instructed to meet with
the mayor and chief of police Tuesday
evening In the council chamber, as
follows:
First Ward-T. H. Pickler, William
Wilson, L. D. Lee.
Second Ward-Daniel Harmon, G..
G. Afford, Fred Hahn.
Third Ward-J. F. Weber, D. A..
Emery, Robert Daniel.
Fourth Ward-Robert Johnson, John
| w Gray, Fred Isaacson.
Fifth Ward-Charles Deeds, w. l.
Peck, F. P. Baer.
Sixth Ward-Dr. ]. A Hull, John
Ninemires, John R. Criley.
Seventh Ward-W. ]. Berry, John
w. Lewis, Lloyd A. Gordon.
The Resolutions:
The resolutions as passed unani-
mously are complete as follows:
| The citizens Of Ottumwa In mass
meeting assembled hereby adopt the
following declarations:
First-The crimes of assault, rob-
berry, rape and murder must be stamp
ed out of our midst.
! Second-To accomplish this re-
quires a much more numerous force
Of men than the city can possibly af-
ford to employ as part Of it's paid
police establishment.
Third-1t is the duty and should be
the esteemed privilege of every good
citizen capable Of such work TO vol
unteer his help in this cause.
Fourth-A volunteer force of cit
liens should be organized in each
ward under competent leader to
serve as auxiliary to and under the
control Of our regular police force.
Fifth-This leader or ward chief Of
volunteers should If possible be sworn
| in as a peace officer of the city and
paid a nominal amount per month for
his services.
Sixth-This volunteer force should
meet at frequent and regular times
| with the chief of police for instruction
and direction and be brought to some
semblance of discipline SO as to do In
telligent and efficient service in this
work
Seventh-The regular police force
| aided by this volunteer force should
at once make a thorough and sys-
tematic study of the conditions in
each ward, locating suspicious per-
sons and disreputable places and
evidences Of misconduct and wrong
doing on the part of persons whether
white or black should be reported and
| such persons kept under surveillance.
Eighth-ConCerted alarms and sig
nails and systematic methods of opera
ton and service should be adopted to
insure results in case crimes are re-
ported or suspected.
Ninth-The public should be edu-
Gated promptly to report to the police
station the instant any crime is COM
mitted or reasonably apprehended
Be it. therefore resolved, that this
meeting for itself and for the citizens
Of Ottumwa hereby announce their
firm and unalterable determination
| that that class of crimes above men
toned, SO odious to every sense of
humanity, must and shall be stamped
out of this city and the guilty perpe-
traitors, whether white or black or Of
high low degree, brought to speedy
and deserving punishment.
Resolved that the citizens at this
meeting present from the several
wards of the city shall here instantly
choose committee of three from
each ward, which committee Is en-
powered on behalf of this meeting to
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