The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-11-03
No Policemen for Halloween.

No Policemen for Halloween.
Norfolk entered haliowe'en with
out single extra policeman. Consd-
cradle damage was done in all parts
of the city. Telephone calls to the
police station were continuous and
the police force could merely reply:
mo, we can't send man to your
neighborhood; we have no extra pc.
lice tonight
Sidewalks We're torn up, outbuld-
ings turned over and wagons picked
up and carried over town. In some
places the damage will run into a
good many dollars. One fight occur
red in the red light region in which
Robert Bathke was beaten up by a
gang.
Needless to say, no arrests were
made.
A Strenuous Night
The night was strenuous one.
The residence portion of the city was
in the hands of boys and girls rang
ing ages from 10 to 1S; several hun
dred dollars worth of damage was
done; a special policeman was as
saulted in the east part of town; the
mayor himself had to seek the assist
ance of police; for more than an
hour the business part of the city
was without any police and two men
| were kept constantly at the tele'
phone in the fire station informing
| indignant residents that it was i'm
Possible to give them protection, be-
cause the police were too busy else
where. Chief of Police Marquardt
himself was on duty until II o'clock
but with the exception of the regular
| force, no extra precautions were TAX
en- by the city for protection during
| the night. Not one arrest was made
during the night.
Councilman E. A. Amarine was the
victim of one gang of boys who tool
possession of his wagon and, taking
off the wheels, hung the box on {
telephone pole. A coal wagon was
placed in front of the high schoo
building and an outbuilding, carried
some distance, was left standing OF
the high school lawn. A large crowt
rack and wagon and pulled it dowI
Norfolk avenue to Ninth street where
they left it lying in ditch. CHECKER
coops were damaged and chickens il
some cases we're killed. In all, it il
estimated that over fifty outbuilding
were thrown from their foundations
Sidewalk crossings were torn up ant
many gates We're torn from the fences
and carried away.
In the west portion of the city ;
crowd of about forty girls and boy
paraded the street, dividing int
small groups and occasionally meet
ing at appointed places. For the sec
ond time all windows of business
houses were soaped and both bushes
men and residents are indignant a
the lack of protection they received
Bathke Is Attacked.
Near midnight several young mel
started a disturbance in one of tn
resorts in the east portion Of the city
Robert Bathke, who is retained t.
keep peace in that part of town, eject
ed the young men who later returne,
|
Mr.. Bathke. Bathke charges a MOI
folk avenue lodging house proprieto
with being the leader of the gang AM
says he has names of every membe
of the party. He declares he vii
file charges against them all durin
the day.
Bathke says the lodging nous
| pf &c, xtth;l
asking him what was wrong and in
medately he was struck over tn
head with a club, with one of whic
each man had armed himself. TIL
gang, says Bathke, ran short di.
lance and then threw beer bottles a
him. One of the bottles struck hir
over the left eye, breaking the bottl
when it struck, Bathke's face is Gu
badly and he was rendered unconsc
Gus. A physician was hurried to tn
: place and while he was looking afte
the wounds, the two night patrolme
=. arrived on the scene and informe
Bathke that they had noticed severe
men running toward town through
{ cornfield. No attempt was made b
y the police to arrest these men, Bathk
. says. Bathke believes the lodgin
I house man held his hands in orde
that he would not be able to proteC
himself
There is an order that no minor
t shall be allowed in these houses
!, says Bathke, There were at leaI
n four boys among the gang not owe
!. 10 years of age. told the man VII
t held my hand that the boys could NJ
y come in and he demanded what a
y thority | had Then one OF the me
e struck me and they all ran aero!
/ the street from where they tire
!, beer bottles at me, / was standr