100 Year Old Weblog ~ News From 100 Years Ago That's New to You from Vintage Kansas City.com

May 8, 1907

PARK POLICEMAN IS FINED.

Slapped a Boy and Then Drew Re-

volver on Him.

David A. Bateman, a park policeman, was fined $10 in police court yesterday on a charge of disturbing the peace of Ray Welsh, a 15-year-old boy living at 1530 Montgall avenue. He paid the fine and gave notice of appeal.

Welsh said he was passing a pool hall at Fifteenth and Bellefontaine when Bateman came out and made him take a chain off a dog which Welsh was leading. Welsh then went down the street to where there was a blacksmith shop.

"He called me out," said the boy, "then he slapped me, hit me over the head with his club and drew his gun."

A man who did not know Welsh corroborated his statements as to the assault. Bateman said he had a bad cold and took some quinine and three drinks of whiskey, "which seemed to go to my head." Sergeant T. S. Eubanks, who arrested Bateman, said the latter had had trouble in a pool hall and also a store next door, and that his station had been notified to take him away. When he got there the trouble with the boy was on.

Labels: alcohol, Bellefontaine, billiards, domestic violence, Fifteenth street, Montgall avenue, police, police court

April 24, 1908

CAUGHT POSTOFFICE ROBBER.

Mount Washington Men Chased Him

With Guns Through the Fields.

After discovering a burglar in the postoffice at Mount Washington at 1 o'clock this morning, Orin Shaw, who runs a poolhall next door, armed himself with a Winchester rifle, and with W. H. Chitwood, a grocer, scared the man from the building and chased him across fields for nearly half a mile, finally making a capture just as the fugitive ran into a barb wire fence.

"I saw some one in the postoffice striking a match," Shaw told Sergeant James of the Sheffield station, who later took charge of the marauder. "I armed myself, and then went to Chitwood's house to get assistance. Together we went to the postoffice, but the man evidently heard us coming, for just as we got to the front door he broke from the house and ran past us. We called upon him several times to stop, but he ran on north across the fields.

"After we had chased him for about half a mile I fired at him, but missed. We had been gaining steadily, and just at that time he became tangled in a barb wire fence and we got him."

At the Sheffield station the man gave the name of William Soper. He said he was traveling from Oklahoma to his home in Illinois. A search showed that he had $2.75 in silver, and 45 cents in pennies. This money he confessed having taken from the postoffice.

Labels: billiards, crime, Mt. Washington, post office, sheffield

April 1, 1908

ELECTION WAGERS ARE SMALL.

Money Is Offered With Few Takers,

Pendergast's Odds.

Bets were being freely offered yesterday at even money as to the result for mayor and candidates on the main city ticket. The bulk of the cash seemed to be in the hands of the Crittenden supporters. Bets of $500 even on the Democratic nominee went begging, but smaller ones of $10, $20 and $50 were quickly called. A well known contractor visited the city hall, saying that he had $2,000 to bet on Crittenden in any sums convenient to Beardsley's supporters. After betting $50, the contractor ceased his bluffing, but promised to call again.

In a pool hall on Delaware street these bets were posted yesterday:

One hundred dollars, even, that Crittenden beats Beardsley.

Fifty dollars, even, Baehr, Republican, beats Ridge, Democrat for city treasurer.

One hundred dollars to 45 that Pendergast, Democrat, beats Rodman, Republican, for alderman of First ward.

Twenty-five dollars, even, Green, Republican, beats Hayes, Democrat, for alderman of Eighth ward.

Fifty dollars, even, that Woolf, Republican. beats beats Norton, Democrat, for alderman of Third ward.

Thirty dollars to $50 that Green beats Hayes.

Twenty-five dollars, even, that Kyle, Republican, beats Casey, Democrat, for police judge.

Labels: billiards, city hall, Delaware street, gambling, Mayor Beardsley, politics

January 30, 1908

BUILDINGS BURN AT SUGAR CREEK.

Saloon and Pool Hall Destroyed.

The explosion of an oil lamp in Rodman's saloon at Sugar Creek early last night set fire to the building. A call was sent to Independence for assistance but the fire department was not sent out as it was not considered that a water supply could be had sufficient to warrant the services of the department.

The fire department from the Standard Oil refinery worked on the blaze but the building was destroyed. The flames spread to a pool hall next door and this building also was a total loss. The damage is estimated at about $7,000.

Labels: billiards, Fire, saloon, Sugar Creek

December 25, 1907

SHOOTS FATHER IN THE LEG.

Too Much Hard Cider Is the Undoing

of Calvin Jackson.

Too much Christmas celebration out in Dallas, a little town about fourteen miles south of Kansas City, almost resulted in patricide last night. While Calvin Jackson and some of his friends were in the pool room of a combination barber shop and pool room drinking hard cider, George Jackson, Calvin's father, went into the barber shop to get a shave.

Soon the hard cider began to have its inevitable effect upon Calvin, and he drew a revolver and started to shoot out the kerosene lights in the building. The father jumped up from the chair where he was being shaved, with the lather still on his face, and tried to quiet his son. But Calvin did not comprehend, and turned the revolver upon his father, shooting him in the left leg.

Calvin was arrested by Constable O'Brien of Dallas and taken to Waldo, where he was met by Marshal Al Heslip and brought to the county jail.

Later he denied any knowledge of the affair, and said that he would not believe he had shot his father. Calvin is only 21 years old, and his father is about 45. Calvin was accompanied to Kansas City by his father It is not thought that the latter will prosecute the case.

Labels: alcohol, barbers, billiards, County Marshal Heslip, domestic violence, jail

December 5, 1907

RYLE CAN'T GET INTO JAIL.

He Wishes to Test the Sunday Law but

Judge Wallace Won't Let Him.

William L. Ryle, proprietor of a billiard hall at Ninth and Main streets, refused to give bond after answering two grand jury indictments for working on Sunday, appeared again in the criminal court before Judge Wallace yesterday morning. The judge told him to come back Friday at which time he will learn whether he is to be sent to jail. He wishes to go to jail and test the law by means of an application for a writ of habeas corpus in the circuit court. He was indicted twice for breaking the law on one Sunday. His contention is that he can break the law, if at all, only once on one Sunday.

Labels: billiards, criminal court, Judge Wallace, Main street, Ninth street

July 28, 1907

HAD BUG IN HIS EAR.

Billiard Hall Man Felt a Buzzing

of the Head.

When the Royal billiard hall at Eight street and Grand avenue closed early yesterday O. R. Bruns, the proprietor, felt a buzzing in his head. He finally located it in the neighborhood of his ear when that organ began to pain him severly.

"I never did have a bee in my bonnet," said Bruns, "and I don't know what this means."

When the buzzing reached the extent of a miniature thunder storm in his head he hied himself to the emergency hospital in city hall. there Dr. Ford B. Rogers removed a small green bug.

Labels: amusement, billiards, city hall, doctors, Eighth street, emergency hospital, Grand avenue

July 19, 1907

ANDERSON IS FREE TODAY.

His Three Months Seemed Like a

Year to Him.

William January, alias Charles W. Anderson, will be discharged from the United States penitentiary at Leavenworth in time this morning for him to catch the Missouri Pacific train leaving for Kansas City at 6:18 a. m. None of his friends will be there to go with him, Warden McClaughry having advised Anderson to go out early to avoid attention there and have his friends meet him at the depot in Kansas City. At the depot they will have a new suit ready for Anderson and he will go over to the Blossom house and change his attire. Dressed in the latest style he will make the trip uptown.

Anderson said last evening that he expected to open a pool hall in Kansas City, but added that he would not start in business for some time. He will visit his mother in Chillicothe, Mo., first. He will also be met at the depot by his wife and daughter.

Anderson says his three months in prison have seemed like a year to him, but he admits that he was treated very kindly during his confinement.

Labels: billiards, Charles Anderson, Leavenworth, penitentiary, railroad

May 7, 1907

SALOON MEN UNDER OATH.

Applicants Must Agree to Bar Music

and Pool Tables.

Saloonkeepers who keep mechanical musical instruments or pool and billiard tables for operation in connection with their saloons will hereafter be compelled to violate an oath as ell as risk the revoking of their licenses . Hereafter there will be incorporated in the oath which the applicant for a saloon license must take a clause providing that neither musical instruments nor pool and billiard tables be kept. The county court at Independence decided upon this yesterday at the request of the county license inspector.

Labels: billiards, Independence, saloon

March 4, 1907

ARRESTED IN LOS ANGELES.

E. A. Smith, Alias Herbert K. Nyler,

Will Be Brought Back for Trial.

R. A. Smith, alias Herbert K. Nyler, is under arrest in Los Angeles on the charge of altering checks of the Bruns Bros. bowling alley and pool hall at Eighth and Grand. Detective Gene Sullivan left for Los Angeles last night to bring Smith back to Kansas City.

A cartoon printed in The Journal several months ago was instrumental in effecting the arrest by the Los Angeles police on the request of the chief of police of this city. Smith was employed by Bruns Bros. and is charged with manipulating checks showing the amounts due from persons playing pool in the house.

Labels: billiards, crime, detectives, Eighth street, Grand avenue, The Journal