Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-05
.OTTuMWA HAD
LITTLE CRIME
ONLY TWO MURDERS OCCURRED
IN THE CITY DURING THE
YEAR 1910.
MANY ARRESTS MADE
ANY ARRESTS MADE
Policemen Took 2,2os Offenders in
Custody-offenses Were Petty
Ones-Chief Gallagher Says
City 10 Good.

Ottumwa without a doubt has the
clearest record of any city OF it's size
in Iowa for the year 1910. Only two
murders were committed during the
year. One was the stabbing of H. P.
(Pack) Patterson. a negro by Jack
Luther, another negro. The other
Staying was that of Weeden AlbertsoE
by Bruce Grimsley. The murder OF
Patterson occurred in Smoky Row and
was the probable outgrowth Of a
drunken quarrel Luther was captured
and is now serving time at Anamosa.
The Staying of Albertson was said to
have been the outgrowth OF jealousy.
Grimsley made his escape after the
shooting and although the police have
searched throughout the United States
they never secured trace of him.
Only two murders in one year is an ex-
cellent record The reason given by
Chief Of Police Gallagher for the les
SEEMING of crime is the cleaning up OF
the famous Smoky Row, the denizens
OF that district being driven out OF the
city following the murder of Clara
Rosen by John Junkin who was
hanged for his crime at Fit. Madison
last summer.
2,2o8 Arrests Were Made.
A total of 2,20S arrests were made
by the police during the year. This
is an average of 1874 arrests month
or six arrests day which Is a good
showing for city OF Ottumwa's size.
The number while small is made
less by the fact that many strangers
who applied for lodging at the police
station overnight were included In this
number. 1t is estimated that nearly
500 strangers were provided with
shelter at night time. Most Of the Of
lenses OF which the men were charged
was that Of intoxication and yagrancy.
Disturbing the peace was another
prominent charge lodged against law
breakers and the large number OF ar
rests of offenders for keeping and be-
ing inmates of disorderly houses
showed that the police were on the
alert to preserve the peace Of the city.
Robberies were few, the majority Of
the offenses being petty ones, which
resulted in the guilty ones serving
Jail sentences. During the year, the
Ottumwa patrolmen arrested twenty
Ave parties who were wanted in neigh
boring cities or outside Of the state
for crime.
Ottun,wa 10 Good.
"The record for the year 1910 thus
far is very pleasing to me- declared
Chief Of Police Gallagher in an inter-
view. "It puts quietus on the stories
circulated by some people that OF
tumwa is bad town. am positive
that there is less crime here in OF
tumwa than in any other Iowa city
half our size. Oskaloosa had more
crime during the year 1910 than We
had. With the exception OF the
two murders, there has really been no
serious crime committed in Ottumwa.
outside the minor offenses OF drunk
enness, vagrancy and disturbing the
peace. This years record will eclipse
those Of any previous years in the his
tory of Otumwa since it became a city
of the first class. The city jail has
been vacated for days at time while
there were many days that Police
Judge Morrissey was not required to
hald court. as there were no offenders,
not even for drunkenness"
Arrests by Months.
compilation of Police Chief Gal
lagher's record for the year 1910
follows:
January ............... lOS
February .................'. 1890. lo1
March ................. lSO
April "
May 100
June .................. ..........l 4i
July ...................