The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-11-04
THE HITCH RACKS
ARE REMOVED
Work Done Quietly In the Middle
OF the Night.
BUT NO ONE KNOWS BY. WHOM
Forty or Fifty Men and Boys Armed
With Saws Add Another Chap
ter to Old Time Con-
troversy.
"Who killed cock robin?"


But no little sparrow came to make
reply when the question was aked
Sunday morning: well, well, who re-
moved the hitch racks :"
An organized raid was made upon
the hitch racks about the park Hal
lowe'en" night, or early Sunday morn
ing, by force of forty or fifty per-
sons armed with saws and other
tools. The force moved in a quick
and orderly way against the lines OF
posts drawn up in the form of hol-
low square on the sides of the park,
as if to defy the planned attack. The
force opened action on the east side
OF the park. A man was ready for
almost every post on this side. The
posts We're sawed about two-thirds
OF the way in two near the ground
and the railing and posts then pushed
over. The gang quickly moved to the
right, around the square, treating all
sides in a similar manner. The work
was done in less than twenty minutes
and the forces were withdrawn before
one o'clock.
The police were helpless against the
force of workers, for the officers were
scattered in the outskirts of town and
were not in the business part OF the
city at the time. A part of the plan
OF the attacking force was to get the
officers scattered and they were sent
to distant parts of town on fake calls
of, trouble. Chief of Police Gochee
took the last call and himself went to
the. Second ward school building
where a telephone message said some
boys were breaking in the contrac
tors sheds.
1t is said that most of those en-
gagged in the work OF cutting down
the posts wore masks and some were
in skirts and costumes. No one
knew who anyone else was. Not a
word was said, excepting by the fel
lows who struck the oak posts
thinking they were saving cedar. The
crowd left as quickly as it had come
and the work was witnessed by only
few stragglers and late pedestrians
The work was in full evidence in
the early morning, however. People
stopped and gazed at the sight that
met their eyes. The havoc that had
been created was of nature to com
pei notice, and everyone who came
within sight of the park knew what
had occurred. People on the way to
church stopped in establishment and
the fate of the hitch racks was the one
topic of conversation for the day.
Over two years ago the city council
ordered the racks removed In order 10
bring a test case to prove their point
The order was contested and after
passing through the district court 1t
was carried to the supreme court,
Here the city was given fun power to
carry out their plan. The case was
delayed owing to the hling OF no
ton for new trial. This motion was
recently overruled by the supreme
court and the city was left free to
exercise it's authority. AS the pres
ent administration was not anxious
to encourage trouble, they had per
mitted the racks to stand, and last
week the Oskaloosa Woman's Club
took the matter up in an open meet
ing and adopted the following reso
lrtion:
Whereas, the Supreme Court has
decided that the city, of Oskaloosa
has the right to remove the hitch
racks from the public square, and
whereas there is now a resolution in
force to remove the racks, therefore
be it = s'.4 49,.
Resolved, That the mayor be re.
quested to perform his duty, and to
at once direct the street commission
er to remove the racks and erect them
on the lot owned by the city"
This resolution was to have been
presented to the city council at its
regular meeting Monday night. But
the council was relieved of the task
in the manner stated above, and the
question still stands:
who killed cock robin?"