Historic Gossip

Historic Gossip

WIFE STOLEN BY A PREACHER

Washington County Journal - January 2, 1868: Some months since we chronicled some of the domestic troubles of Dr. Fischer - better known as "Garibaldi", who married a young lady, like himself a sojourner in Potosi, and subsequently removed to St. Louis. During the past year one Rev. Henry Mattice dropped in as a destroying angel upon the happy flock of shepherd Fischer, and as he alleges filched from his possession Mrs. F and her affections……..and a divorce suit was the result.

A few weeks since the victim sought redress before a St. Louis magistrate for an alleged castigation received at the hands of his spouse, Redelia. The jury couldn't see the injury and fined the Dr. $1 and costs. From this judgement he appealed to the Criminal Court and his wounded happiness was there further salve in a fine of $50 and costs.

Six Arrests For Drunkedness Friday & Saturday - Independent Journal - Pg. 1, Col. 2 - 26 May 1938

Six arrests are reported in Potosi Friday & Saturday of the last week for drunkedness on the streets. One of these men was released because of illness, & the other five pleaded guilty & their fines & costs amounted to $10.50 each. Two paid the amounts & the other three are serving the time out in jail.

WARNING!

Washington County Journal - March 31, 1870: There are certain unprincipled young men in this town who make it their business to make sport on a young man who minds his own affairs and are sending letters to innocent colored persons, who are not capable of reading, with my name forged to them. I have this to say, if I find out who perpetrated the dastardly act, I will use the law against him or them to the fullest extent, or I think myself man enough to whip the best of the cowardly dastards. I wish to be let alone, and grant the same privilege to others. S.S., Potosi

From: The Potosi Journal - 19 April 1911

W.T. Woolford spent Thurdsay last in St. Louis.

Mr. James Long made a trip to St. Louis last Thursday.

Judge Dearing will convene circuit court at Ironton next Monday.

Frank McCallion of Bellefountain was in our town last Thursday.

K.E. Dewey of Troutt neighborhood was on our streets Thursday last.

Born to Mr. & Mrs. D.O. Jarvis of near Undine on April 7th a son.

Mrs. J.F. Evans & daughter, Miss Ollie, spent Saturday last in St. Louis.

Miss Minerva Declue returned home last Sunday from a week's sojourn in St. Louis.

Professors J.W. Houstin & B.F. McKinney of Irondale were in Potosi Saturday.

Mrs. W.T. Scott & sister Ethel Simmons of Latty were in Potosi Monday last.

Don't fail to hear Permelia & the band concert at the Opera House Thursday eve.

The Potosi High School will graduate a class of nine at the close of the present school term.

Piedmont now has a daily paper, the Banner, issuing such an edition as well as its weekly.

John Compton of Latty was a caller at this office on Wednesday last to settle with the printer.

Miss Ethel Bunyard of Piedmont, Mo. is the guest of Misses Margaret & Lizzie Belle Richeson.

Robert Recar of Cruise was in Potosi Tuesday & made the Journal office to visit to renew his paper.

Mr. Jesse Horton of Belgrade was a caller at the office Thursday last to order his name enrolled on our subscription list.

The Journal issues a supplement this week containing the county clerk's annual report of the financial condition of Washington County.

T.F. Blount has sold Walter Northcutt two lots, 100 by 105 feet, in block 5 of the Townsend addition, adjoining Mr. Northcutt's home in that part of town.

The 300th anniversary of the English Bible will be observed at the Presbyterian church next Sabbath morning. The entire service will be appropriate to the occasion.

The office of maintenance & ways of this division of the Iron Mountain, that was moved to Poplar Bluff some thime ago, has been moved back to DeSoto.

The recent session of the Missouri legislature removed the restriction upon county treasurers which limited them to one term of office, four years. Under the new law they may now become candidates to succeed themselves.

Reynolds county elected a woman as its county's superintendent of schools, Miss Lulu Barton. She defeated two male opponents for the place getting a majority of 187 over their combined vote. They say she is a lulu as a politician.

All the churches here were well attended at the easter services last Sunday. The day was an ideal one for the occasion & those who had new clothes aired these adornments, those who had none, well - they aired their old ones.

Squire S.S. Paul of Cadet was in town Monday last & stated that his home was right in the path of the cyclone last Thursday, but just as it had approached within 150 yards of his house the storm veered & left him unharmed.

The Bismarck Gazette says the people of Caledonia will subscribe $15,000 or $20,000 toward the new railroad project in that part of the county & that Belgrade would come to the front with a similar sum. They've got the money all right over there.

Mrs. Sarah Johnson came down from St. Louis last Sunday on her way to Belgrade, where she expects to spend the summer. She was accompanied by her daughter, Mrs. N.J. Townsend, who will spend several days with relatives at Belgrade.

The Potosi High School ball team went over to Flat River last Saturday where they engaged Flat River High in a bout on the diamond. The game resulted in a score of 16 to 4 in favor of Flat River. The local team plays Bismarck here next Saturday.

Earl Plank writes us to change his paper from Bonne Terre to St. Louis. He had taken a postion as time keeper for the Terminal Railroad Association at the shops at Brooklyn, Ill., at a better salary than he was getting in the railroad offices at Bonne Terre.

G. W. Scoggin of Glover, Wayne county, has brought suit against the Iron Mountain Railroad for $51,500 damages for failure to install a switch. Some day some Potosian will bring suit against the Iron Mountain for damages to his eyes for maintaining the eyesore it calls a depot here.

By a recent arrangement the star route mail from Aptus to Potosi was discontinued. The carrier on rural route No. 1 has had his route extended to Aptus to which point he takes a sack six times a week. From Aptus the mail is carried to Troutt three times a week, instead of six under the old arrangement.

A team hitched to a buggy, driven by George Johnson, one of our liverymen, ran away at the depot last Monday afternoon. In pulling on the lines to restrain the fightened horses the lines broke & Johnson jumped out of the vehicle to save himself. He was thrown with considerable force, however, & suffered a sprained ankle & wrenched arm.

The city board of aldermen met last Wednesday evening & re-organized. The business of the preceding year was wound up without any outstanding indebtedness & over $200 in the city treasure. It is claimed that more work was done on the city's streets in the past year than was ever accomplished in the same time by any previous administration. Now that a fresh start is being taken it might be well for the board to publish a statement of the various receipts & expenditures just to show the people how & where the city revenues are being expended. There is no ordinace requiring this, but all other cities are doing it regularly, either annually or semi-annually. In Potosi it has not been done for a number of years, yet we are entitled to it.

Rev. Joseph A. Russell, one of the oldest Methodist preachers of his section of the state, died at his home in Lutesville on April 8th, at the age of 73 years. He was an old Confederate soldier & lost an arm in the war. Many years ago Mr. Russell had a ministerial charge in this county for several years & will be remembered by some of our older citizens.

Rev. Geo. L. Chapman of St. Louis, missionary of the Churches of God passed through Potosi Monday last & left the following announcements: He began a protracted meeting at Palmer Monday night, April 17th, which will continue over the fifth Sunday. On the fourth Sunday he will go to Sugar Grove to fill his regular appointment. There will be a corner stone laying service at 11:00 a.m. on that day at the new Bethel near Adam with baptizing in the afternoon. On Monday after the fifth Sunday he will go to Belgrade to begin a revival service.

Deptuy Constable James Richeson of Flat River, formerly of Latty, this county, had a shotgun battle with three yeggmen in "Hungarian town" at Flat River last Monday morning & captured one of the gang & wounded another. The wounded man escaped with the third member of the gang. Sheriff London & a posse are now searching the country between Flat River & Bismarck. The two fugitives are heavily armed. The captured man gave the name of Charles Allen Shountz, Burlington, Iowa. When captured he wore three suits of clothes & a suit of overalls. A grip dropped by the yeggmen containted skeleton keys, steel saws, dynamite caps & fuse. When caught, the robbers were in the act of disposing of a large quantity of stolen goods to the Hungarians.

The circuit court got through with the Yarbrough brothers, Albert & Walter, last Thursday morning by handing them two years each in the penitentiary on the charge of felonious assault. They were taken to Jeff. City by Sheriff Casey the latter part of last week, Harvey Huitt going along as Deputy Sheriff. There are three of the Yarbrough boys in the pen now, Chris having been sent there from Howell county some time ago on a 15 year sentence for horse-stealing & jail-breaking. Walter got four years altogether in the circuit court here last week, & Albert has the best part of a paroled sentence of five years to serve out now in addition to the two years he has just received. The Yarbrough boys have been a heavey burden to the taxpayers of this county for a number years because of their criminal tendencies piling up court costs.

A double header replevin suit was scheduled for hearing in Esq. Thurmond's court Monday. It was over a saddle which Joe Bealke had left at Woodruff's stable & was afterwards claimed by J.E. Crow & John Scott, both replivend for it, Crow from Woodruff & Scott from Crow. Attorneys Frank Farris & James Booth were here, each representing a side of the controversy. It did not come to a hearing, being settled in some way so that judgement in default was rendered in favor of Crow. The saddle was worth about thirty dollars. Costs & attorney's fees probably amount to forty or fifty, & besides Frank Johnson, acting in Crow's interest, got a badly blackened eye.