Douglas County Past: Murder Suspect Pleads Not Guilty; South Ender shoots itself in the foot – Superior Telegram

October 25, 1924

The cow is killed
Yesterday evening, while driving his automobile on Central avenue west of Tower avenue near the Great Northern railroad crossing, George Boss, Lake Nebagamon, struck and killed a cow belonging to Thomas Swanoski, 6117 Oaks avenue, the police were told.

Two attempted car thefts have been stopped

Last night, two cars that were attempted to be stolen almost ended up among the missing. One, a car belonging to J. Ekdahl, 710 John avenue, was taken from the garage near the house about 12 o’clock.

Mr Ekdahl heard the commotion and came out of his house in time to see the car – a Ford sedan – disappearing around the corner. The thieves appeared to have difficulty driving and Mr. Ekdahl followed them. They overtook him, but when he arrived at Hammond Avenue, he found the car stopped and the thieves trying to start it. Then the men, two of them, were wearing overalls and ran away when Ekdahl approached.

October 26, 1894

Now they are married

Lewis Marsh, of this city, who has been in Fargo four months, arrived this morning in charge of Detective Purchase. Mr. Marsh did not want to come to Superior at this time, as he had a good job as a chef in a restaurant in Fargo, but there was a young woman at Superior who loved him madly, and she took the necessary steps to induce him to come here and endure his share of their stupidity. Mr. Marsh did not like being prosecuted, so the couple’s marriage was easily arranged. Miss Thea Hanson was the young lady in the case, and she and Marsh were married in Judge Hutchins’ private office by Judge French at eleven o’clock before lunch today. The dispatch from Fargo saying that Marsh is wanted here for bigamy is incorrect.

Urban underwear

To-morrow in the circuit court at Chippewa Falls will be heard an injunction in which the city is defendant, affecting the issue of bonds to pay Captain Barker for dredging the neutral ticket in Howards Pocket.

The Northern Pacific Railroad Company has completed the filling of the trestle between East End and Connors Point. The company has been working on this overpass since early spring.

A nine-year-old orphan boy named Oscar Herrick was sent to a public school in Sparta today by order of Judge Roberts.

Work continues on the new Twohy retail building. Construction will be completed in sixty days.

Mrs. Mary E. Young was arrested yesterday on a charge of assault and battery preferred by Ida Fisk. A few days ago Mrs. Fisk was fined for assaulting Mrs. Young. The defendant posted a $15 bond for her arraignment next Tuesday in municipal court.

October 27, 1924

A South Ender shot himself while hunting

Carl Johnson, 26-year-old son of Bert Johnson, 2916 North Fifty-sixth street, is recovering at St. Mary’s Hospital from a wound in the right leg received at 5 o’clock Saturday afternoon when the shotgun he was carrying while hunting near Calvary Cemetery accidentally worked, the charge hit his leg.

Johnson’s father, who serves as an usher at Calvary Cemetery, heard his son’s cries for help and rushed to his aid. He was taken by car to Dr. JJ Hathaway’s office and given first aid, and from there to St. Mary’s Hospital.

Two toes had to be amputated. He is recovering quickly.

William Boots has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder

Insanity at the time of the crime is also alleged

Two pleas of not guilty were entered in superior court this morning, one to a charge of first degree murder brought against him by District Attorney R.E. William Boots, who is on trial for murdering Mrs. Emil Ilitalo at her home early in the morning on the 7th of July last.

The crime, for which Boots faces a life sentence, occurred when Mrs Ilitalo was shot dead in bed at home by an assailant who fired four shots through a bedroom window. Arrested that morning by sheriff’s forces at his home near Ilitalo’s residence, Boots allegedly confessed to the crime when he was led to the dead woman at the ZA Downs business lounge.

Many young people attend Uncle Joe Carr’s funeral

With an array of flowers, including wheels, harps, wreaths and sprinkles, paying their respects to the children of the Fourth Ward, the funeral of Uncle Joe Carr, 74, the children’s Santa Claus, who died last Thursday after a short illness, took place on Saturday afternoon from JE Nicol’s salons. Pallbearers were Philip Gannon, Patrick Frawley, Norman Lackey, Louis Lacombe, Dan Rice and John Harmon.

He narrowly escaped death under the wheels of a train

Einer Thorsen, a 43-year-old transient resident, narrowly escaped death under the wheels of a Soo Line freight train early Sunday morning while “making his way” to Minneapolis. He fell from the train as it crossed Baxter Avenue and his screams were heard by passers-by who called the police.

He was treated at the police station before being taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, where he was cared for by Dr. Earl Carpenter. It is known that he received only bruises on his body.

A butcher is not as good as a safe cracker

Arnold Milawitz, one of the owners of the Central Market, sympathizes with the profession of a safe-cracker.

“They work hard enough to get everything they get,” he said this morning.

Mr. Milawitz’s experience in the safe breaking line began yesterday morning, when he took up with a small hand drill a company safe for which the combination had been lost. In the safe there are securities to which Mr. Milavits wanted access.

When the sun had just peeked over the eastern horizon, Milawitz began his attack on the safe. At night he still worked hard, but the result of his day’s labor was a small hole halfway through the door. “I’ll take the power drill today,” he said. Meanwhile, Mr. Milavits is looking for a full-fledged safecracker.

October 28, 1924

The old elevator was destroyed by fire

In one of Superior’s most spectacular fires in recent months, the old “Hall” elevator, located near North Twenty-eighth Street and the Great North Yards, was completely destroyed early this morning. Flames from the fire, believed to have been caused by sparks from the locomotive, shot high into the air and could be seen from almost any part of the city.

The alarm was sent to fire department headquarters at 4:55 am. Due to a small water main on Elmira Avenue, sufficient water could not be obtained to make any material impact on the burning building.

Realizing that there was little they could do with such an ineffective amount of water, firefighters turned their attention to boxcars in yards, houses and sheds west of the burning elevator.

The elevator has not been used for several years.

Articles and images courtesy of retired librarian Judy Onet of the Higher Public Library.