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History of the
Watertown Police Department
Serving the
community since 1853
1842-1899 SECTION ON
HISTORY OF
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1842
HARRIS GILMAN AND ELI H. BOUTON, Town Constables
Up to 1842 Watertown
operated under a county system of government and in April of that year
Watertown held its first election for town constables. Harris Gilman and Eli H. Bouton were
chosen.
1849
JOSEPH GILES, Village Marshal
On March 7, 1849, Watertown
was incorporated as a village and a charter was adopted. The village marshal was Joseph Giles.
Joseph Giles was one of
the early day police officers in Watertown.
He was sheriff of Jefferson County many years ago, deputy sheriff,
constable, in fact held office most all his life in Watertown. Joe was always able to manage the tough boys
who came to town . . .
1853
POLICE DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHED
In 1853 Watertown was incorporated as a city, and from then on operated
the law and order department, with justices of the peace, city marshals and
constables. There were justices of the
peace in Watertown and sometimes two or three constables in a ward. Occasionally in an old city directory one or
two would be identified as policemen.
CITY CHARTER / AN
ACT /
To Incorporate the City of Watertown
03 03 . . .
Section 7. The mayor shall be the chief executive officer and head of the police of
the city. It shall be his duty to
recommend in writing to the city council such measures as he may deem
expedient. He shall keep the seal of
said city, sign all commissions, licenses and permits which may be granted by
the city council; he shall endeavor to maintain peace and good order, and see
that the laws of the state and ordinances of the city are observed and
executed; he shall have the power to administer oaths or affirmations, and to
take and certify acknowledgement of deeds and other instruments in
writing. As a judicial officer, he shall
have power, and by giving the bonds required by law, may exercise the
jurisdiction of justice of the peace, and to prevent or suppress riot or other
public disturbance, by may appoint as many special constables as he may deem
proper.
In witness whereof I have
hereunto set my hand a affixed the great seal of said state, at the capitol in
Madison, this third day of March, A.D. 1853.
Charles D Robinson,
Secretary of State. Watertown Chronicle, 03 16 1853
-- -- LUCIUS BRUEGGER
became the first city marshal in 1853 when Watertown was incorporated as a
city.
1854-1857
1855
Night Watchman taken up town, filled
with beer, while two sawed Maes’ shanty fence and threw it into the river
1858
-- -- Harris Gilman, City Marshal
August Tanck elected City
Marshal
1859
01 27 Accounts presented and referred . . . W. Bieber & Co., for rent of lock-up to March, 1859, $18.00 WD
02 10 Confer with Messrs. Bieber & Co. and
ascertain the amount of rent for lock up for the ensuring year WD
03 03 John Staub, candidate for office of City Marshal
03 10 Subject of Police
Jurisdiction
06 02 Special Police or
Night Watch proposed WD
1859-1860
-- -- August Tanck, City Marshal
1860
01 26 August Tank for three months services as
City Marshall, Oct. 1st, 1859, to Dec 31, 1859, $25, allowed and charged to
city general fund WD
1861
-- -- John Haines, City Marshal
05 23 Office of police justice to be abolished,
remarks by Mayor Williams WD
1862
-- -- Frederick
Herman, City Marshal
1863
-- -- J. STAUB, City Marshal
06 25 NIGHT WATCH
Common Council Proceedings: Resolved, that his Honor the Mayor be
authorized to appoint a night watch if, in his opinion, it is necessary. WD
10 15 A THIEF CAUGHT
On the night of the 8th
the warehouse of George Peeples was entered by means of cutting a hole through
the floor and a considerable quantity of wool and a number of sheep pelts
stolen. Sheriff Giles immediately went
in pursuit of the thief, overtook him at Madison, brought him and the property
back, and after examination before Justice Ducassee, was committed to jail for
trial. The name of the burglar is Otto
Esche. He will probably have a permanent
location at Waupun before long. WD
1864
-- -- John
Haines, City Marshal
01 28 KEEPING COUNTY CRIMINALS IN THE CITY LOCKUP
Ald. Dennis moved that the
Mayor is hereby requested to make out the account against the county for
keeping criminals in the city lockup, and that the [Jefferson County] Deputy
Sheriff, Joseph Giles, should be asked to certify on the account that he used
the lockup for the county prisoners, and that such account be presented for
allowance at the next meeting of the county board. Motion carried.
The Clerk read the
report of the election held on the 15th day of January and on motion of Ald.
Dennis the Committee of Judiciary was instructed to report at the next meeting
of the Council a bill to be presented to the Assembly for the passage of an act
to legalize all actions had in regard to raising a tax to pay bounties to
volunteers. WD
04 21 SALARY OF THE MARSHAL
Resolved, That the
salary of the Marshal of this city for the ensuing year shall be two hundred
dollars and that the sum so paid shall include and be in full for all services
that the said Marshal is performing under the direction of the Common
Council. Adopted by unanimous vote. WD
1865
10
05 JOHN HAINS, CITY MARSHAL
Common Council Proceedings:
Against General Fund, John Hains, $50, three months salary as
Marshal. WD
1866-1872
-- -- ERNST OFF, CITY MARSHAL
1869 SPECIAL
POLICE
1. The common council,
for the purpose of guarding against the calamities of fire, shall have power to
prescribe the limits within which wooden building or buildings of other
materials that shall not be considered fire proof, shall not be erected or repaired
and to direct that all and any buildings within . . .
7. The common council
shall have power to organize a sack [fire] company, which shall be known as
sack company number one, to consist of not more than twenty members. Such
company shall constitute a part of the fire department, and at fires shall be
subject to the control of the chief engineer. The members of said company,
either collectively or individually, are hereby authorized and empowered to act
as a special police in and for the city of Watertown, and are hereby vested
with all the power and authority which now is or may hereafter be vested in any
police officer of said city and shall be entitled to all the rights and
immunities of the fire department; at fires they shall take charge of all property
which may be exposed or endangered, and shall, so far as it may be in their
power, preserve the same from injury and destruction . . . Riedl, Ken, Watertown Fire Department: 1858-2007,
2007, pg 48
1870
Gas supplied to Engine house and Lockup on
S. First St.
1873
-- -- John “Putt” Reichert [Reichardt], City Marshal
1874
-- -- P.
Dougherty, City Marshal
1875
-- -- J. F.
Barber, City Marshal
1876
-- -- WATERTOWN SPECIAL POLICE [Fire Police]
A general desire seems
to prevail among many of our citizens, and the matter will soon be submitted to
the consideration of the Board of Street Commissioners as to the exigency of
organizing a Sack Company, to
act as a reinforcement to our present police force in cases of great
necessity.
Although the city charter
expressly provides for an organization of this description [see 1869], still
no force of this kind has yet been formed, and without it the efficiency of
our Fire Department seems necessarily incomplete. The organization, as provided by the charter,
is to comprise not more than twenty men, to constitute a part of the Fire
Department and to be subjected to the full control of the chief engineer.
It is understood that
each member belonging to the company is virtually constituted a police officer,
empowered with the same rights, privileges and authority that are vested in any
emissary connected with our city police.
Watertown Democrat, 06 22 1876 / Riedl, Ken, Watertown Fire Department: 1858-2007, 2007, pg 84
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Sack Company No. 1 was
incorporated in 1876 for the purpose of attending fires in the capacity of a special fire police force—few now
know that they even existed, much less what their role was at the time. Special Police or Fire Police were Volunteer
Fire Company members with sworn police powers.
They received special police training and were responsible for traffic
control, crowd control, fire and incident scene security, apparatus security securing
property and, in some instances, station security during calls for service.
They hustled when the alarm of fire was heard, many times reaching the scene
before the firemen themselves. During
times of large-scale or particularly serious small emergencies, the response
system could become overwhelmed. To that
end, having a trained, equipped group of responders who could supplement fire
personnel was an invaluable tool to incident commanders. Riedl, Ken, Watertown
Fire Department: 1858-2007, 2007, pgs 84-86
1877-1878
-- -- D.
Kehr, City Marshal
1879
-- -- GEORGE HENZE, City Marshal
A city marshal
reported, and complained, to the city council in 1879 that he had arrested four
persons as vagrants and brought them to the Justice of the Peace, who dismissed
them all with the injunction "go and sin no more." Later 17 others were arrested as vagrants,
one was put in jail, 16 were dismissed to "go and sin no more." WDT article 03 20 1982
c.1880s
-- -- F. P. [Peter]
Brook, owner of a confectionary and fruit store on the Main St bridge,
served as deputy city marshal, date uncertain
WG
1883
07 13 FARMER FILLED WITH CORN JUICE DEALT WITH TOO
LENIENTLY
An Editorial: A prominent farmer of Emmet made quite a
disgraceful exhibition of himself on Main Street yesterday afternoon on account
of being well filled with corn juice. He
became quite noisy and when remonstrated with by an officer, endeavored to
convince the arm of the law that he could act just as he pleased on our
streets. Our deputy marshal made an
effort to quiet him, found kind words of no avail, and was compelled to use his
cane on the fellow’s head, cutting him slightly. At this juncture in the proceedings our rural
friend’s wife took a hand in [the incident] and the officer was persuaded to
let the fellow alone. Such fellows as
the subject of this item have been dealt too lenient with by our officers and
they imagine that they can do just as they please without being interfered
with. If this fellow’s head is sore for
some time to come, our verdict is that he deserves not only a sore head, but
should be fined for raising a disturbance.
WG
1885
August Charles Kerr,
appointed night patrolman, becomes city marshal and first police chief; served
1885-1912.
09 04 Officer Stylow;
chance to show the public just how adept he was at handling six desperate
tramps
1886
05 26 CUSTODIAN OF THE PUBLIC'S PEACE UNABLE TO CONTROL
HIMSELF
A city officer, who is supposed to be a
custodian of the public's peace, could be seen Sunday last highly intoxicated,
unable to control himself, let alone other people, and at the same time dashing
through the streets in a buggy and putting the whip to the horse in a manner
that made said officer liable to be arrested for cruelty to animals. Should our city tolerate this state of things
much longer? WG
07 16 TRAMPS ARRESTED AFTER STRUGGLE
Sheriff Illing and
Marshall Zautner had quite an exciting time arresting seven tramps who were
quartered near the C. & N.W. Ry. depot.
The tramps made a strong resistance, and the sheriff found it necessary to draw his revolver and for the marshal to use his billy in arresting
them. They were finally captured and
placed in the lockup overnight. Next day
Commissioner Feld examined them. Four
were bound over for trial to the circuit court for being tramps, and two for
resisting an officer. The last of the
gang was sentenced to the county jail for 15 days for using profane language.
1889
-- -- CHARLES ZAUTNER, City Marshal
Night police officer sleeping while on duty,
Zautner prepared formal complaint regarding.
1890
02 07 STOLEN CLOTHES CAN BE CLAIMED
Marshal Zautner has a number of articles of
wearing apparel that he found in possession of a tramp this week. They were evidently stolen from a clothes
line. The owner can have them by calling
on the marshal. WG
05 14 JESSE JAMES GANG MEMBER CAPTURED
IN DOWNTOWN WATERTOWN
A young man named T. W. Berry, supposed to be a pal of
one J. M. Officer who is wanted at Ava, Mo., having escaped from the sheriff at
that place, was arrested on Watertown’s Main Street this morning by Deputy
Sheriff Graewe.
The desperate character of the man is shown in his drawing a revolver on
Graewe before being taken. He was placed in the lockup. J. M. Officer is thought to be somewhere in
the city. The Watertown News, 05 14 1890
05 21 JESSE JAMES GANG MEMBER CAPTURED
In our last issue we recorded the capture here of one T.
W. Berry, supposed to be connected with two notorious characters in southern
Missouri, named J. M. Officer and Geo. Scott, all three having escaped from the
hands of Joseph M. Lyon, sheriff of Douglas county, Missouri, while in his
custody to answer to the charge of the robbery of Samuel Turner’s store, at
Arno, Missouri.
Deputies Graewe and Arndt,
returning from Jefferson afternoon, after leaving Berry in jail, spotted
Officer and Scott, who had got on board at Janesville. The pair left the train here and started up
town, followed by our officers and Sheriff Hibbard. Officer and Scott went into the Watertown
post office and enquiring for the same mail that Berry had gave assurance to
the officers that they were on the right track.
One was arrested in front of Stallmann’s
and the other at the corner of Second Street. The prisoners attempted to draw revolvers,
both being well armed, but Deputy Graewe and his
assistants were too quick for the fellows.
The Missourians were taken down to Jefferson by the 4 o’clock freight
and lodged in jail.
Monday Sheriff Lyon, accompanied by Mr. Turner,
identified the prisoners and a requisition having been obtained from Gov.
Hoard, they started back with their prisoners yesterday morning. A reward of $75 was offered for the arrest of
these men by Sheriff Lyon and Deputy Sheriff Graewe
has received his money. About $200 was
stolen from Turner’s store, but the prisoners are also wanted by the sheriff of
Wright county, Missouri, for breaking into the county treasurer’s office and
taking $7,000.
They are a hard and desperate gang and there is no
doubt they belonged to the Jesse James desperadoes. After committing the burglary at Arno the
fellows were tracked to Memphis,Tenn. about March 31; from there Sheriff Lyon dispatched to
Deputy Graeve that these men would be in Watertown
about a certain time, which happened to correspond to very nearly the exact day
when they did put in their appearance here.
Many are asking themselves why it happens that
Watertown was chosen as their projective point, and what was their inducement
for coming here. There is no doubt that
the prompt arrest of these desperate characters saved us from some fine work,
that most likely would have taken place on the night of the day the capture was
made. The Watertown News, 05 21
1890
12
12 FIRE-BUGS
CONFESS TO LEWIS FIRE
In our issue of last week we referred briefly to the arrest of John Schlueter
charged with setting fire to G. B. Lewis & Co.’s bee hive factory in
February. As stated, Mr. Parks, the
junior member of the company, visited the reform school at Waukesha for the
purpose of getting a confession out of Eddy Weigel, a boy 11 years of age sent
from here to that institution last October, with the suspicion hanging over him
that he knew all about the various fires that were kindled here the present
year, involving the loss of over $25,000 worth of property in the destruction
of the G. B. Lewis Co.’s bee hive factory,
the Watertown woolen mill, Geo. W. Evans’ livery barn and the Herzog and Lange
barns.
When Mr. Parks first
began interviewing young Weigel, he was reluctant to telling all he knew about
these fires, but he finally made a clean breast of it. He stated that he fired Evans’ and Lange’s
barns merely for the sake of seeing a fire, and Herzog's barn because some of
the Herzog family were mad at his folks, and called
him names because they did not buy beer at Herzog's saloon, and he fired the
barn to get even with them.
With regard to the Lewis fire, he
stated that he and Schlueter planned this fire because they had applied for
work at the Lewis factory and were refused.
Early in the evening they passed some time in a barn back of the William
Pell house in the 5th ward, and then strolled down towards Weber’s lumber yard,
thence down to the river bank, and waited around the mills and factory until
the electric lights went out. Weigel
gave a minute description of the interior of the factory at the place therein
where they started the fire on the night in question, so that there can be no
doubt of his story being correct.
As soon as the electric
lights were turned off, both entered the basement door on the south of the
factory leading from the alley way between there and the woolen mill, Schlueter
applied the match whilst Weigel stood guard outside watching so that they could
not be surprised in their nefarious work.
When everything was ready, Weigel went outside to watch, but returned again to inform Schlueter that a man was passing by
and they had better wait awhile longer.
They did so, and both returned to their respective posts.
Schlueter applied the
match to a pile of shavings in the fore part of the basement and then skipped
outside, calling to his partner to run.
Both started on the run, got separated in Weber's lumber yard, but came
together again near Jesse Stone's residence, and then proceeded to Hughes' barn
nearby, where they passed the night.
On arriving home from
Waukesha, Mr. Parks had Schlueter arrested.
He was closely questioned as to his connection with the Lewis fire, and
told substantially the same story as above. . . .
. . . . It is a relief
to know that older persons were not engaged in this work. Both boys will probably spend the best years
of their lives in the reform school, if not in the state prison, and it is
hoped that with this as an example before them, other boys here may be
prevented from ever engaging in such despicable work.
The reform school and
state prison, to our mind, is altogether too mild a punishment for such
acts. It now remains to discover who
fired the old Lindon House barn, and let us hope that the guilty one may also
be found out. WG
1890c
-- -- Police
Dept located in City Hall, adjacent to Fire Dept
1892-1895
-- -- CHARLES KERR, City Marshal
1894
01 23 1894 CRIME REPORT
During the
year 1894 there were 226 arrests made by officers in this city. The
statistics as compiled by the chief-of-police show the nature of complaint and
number of arrests as follows: Assault, 29; abusive
language,27; drunk and disorderly, 17; petit larceny, 11;
carrying concealed weapons, 4; obtaining money by false
pretenses, 3; malicious mischief, 3; indecent
exposure,2; threats, 2; resisting officer, 2; bastardy,
1; grave larceny, 1; assault with intent to rob,
1; non-support, 1; jumping board bill, 1. In addition there were papers served on 121
tramp cases, making the total 226 arrests. Besides, 1,000 persons
were accorded free lodging at the jail.
WR
06 29 Julius Schoechert
appointed special policeman WG
x Charles
H. Pieritz appointed to force
1895
01 30 ANOTHER NIGHT POLICE OFFICER NEEDED
West siders are crying for another night
police officer in their section. It is
claimed that one man cannot possibly render service to the business portion of
that part of the city and at the same time keep a watchful eye on the horde of
tramps and tough characters who infest the railroad tracks from the Junction to
the Northwestern coal sheds. It is not
deemed safe for a citizen to travel over that route after nightfall. An extra officer is urgently demanded. WR
11 13 TRAMP DEMANDS SWEET CAPORAIS
A rude tramp had lodgings Saturday
night at the police station. He somewhat
amused the officers by demanding that they provide him with cigarettes,
specifying Sweet CaporaIs as the only brand that he smoked . Such luxuries, however, are not furnished at
the station. WR
1896-1916
HERMAN C. BLOCK:
Member of police dept:
1893-1916 / Police Chief:
1896-1916
Watertown's first Chief of Police in the modern
sense of that term was the late Herman C. Block. He was first named in 1896 and served by
appointment of the City Council from 1903 to 1910, when he was appointed to the
same position by the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, serving until 1916
when he resigned and was succeeded by Charles Pieritz.
Mr. Block became a
Milwaukee Road detective after leaving his position here. His home for many years was at South Fourth
and Market Streets, the site now [1954] occupied by the office building of Dr.
A. C. Hahn, Dr. A. C. Nickels and Dr. Vernon P. Smebak.
1899
01 11 POLICE POORLY PAID
The police force of
this city is probably the poorest paid of any like body of men in the
state. People must remember that these
men are on duty when they are snugly ensconced in a good warm bed, and that
they are obliged to face the extremes of all kinds of weather. They have to support their families, and
dress as becomes the dignity of their positions. How are they going to do it on $35 per month? Other cities pay about twice that sum. Besides, it is a very hazardous
occupation. Their work is amongst the
criminal classes, and the liability of bodily injury and the destruction of
hard-earned uniforms continually stares them in the face. Others might be found to take their places at
the same miserable stipend, but an increase in their monthly allowance would
not only be an act of justice but tend to greater zealousness. These men have long been in the employ of the
city, and their faithfulness deserves to be rewarded. WR
01 11 TRAMPS LODGED IN LOCK-UP
(same date) Chief of
Police Block reports that during the year 1898 1,648 persons mostly tramps were
given lodging in the city lock-up. The
total number of arrests made on warrants was 171. WR
01 29 PAY INCREASE FOR POLICEMEN
Times, Weltbuerger and Gazette are in hardy accord with the Republican in the movement to increase
the pay of our policemen. The Welbuerger's suggestion of $45 per month
is not a dollar too much. And even that
rate is $15 less per month than Fond du Lac and Madison, and $30 less than
Janesville. WG
09 12 MAN SHOT DEAD BY WATERTOWN OFFICER
At about 2 o'clock
Sunday morning Officer Lucius Bruegger shot and killed Gustave Dumpke near the
corner of West Main and North Warren streets.
Apparently the deed was committed in self-defense.
It is said that Dumpke,
together with two companions, Edward Gruel and Henry Saum, had been drinking
and carousing downtown Saturday night and the police warned them to desist and
retire to their homes. They had proceeded
a portion of the way when Officer Krueger, on his return from the Junction,
came across them at the place above mentioned.
The men were still boisterous and noisy and Bruegger threatened them
with arrest unless the disturbance ceased.
Thereupon the three attacked the officer, knocking him down, taking away
his billy and unmercifully pounding him.
Bruegger fought bravely, but was badly used up, the injuries about his
head being terrible and resulting in much loss of blood. While lying on the ground and only as a last
resort, he claims, he pulled his revolver and fired, the bullet hitting Dumpke
in the right neck, passing upward and lodging in the left temple.
As best he could,
Officer Bruegger notified Janitor Krueger of the occurrence. The latter gave the alarm and Officers Kerr
and Pieritz were soon at work on the case, Bruegger meanwhile going to a
physician to have his wounds dressed. WR
12 20 WATERTOWN
GAZETTE CONDEMNS TRAMP
Last week Thursday a tramp with his arm in a sling was
going around the city begging for money.
He claimed that he scalded his arm while working at Janesville and was
endeavoring to reach his home in Green Bay.
Marshal Zautner took him before Dr. Werner,
who examined his arm and agreed with the marshal’s opinion that the scar
thereon was not induced by scalding, but was
self-inflicted for the purpose of playing on the sympathy of the public, and
thereby extracting money from people who might sympathize with him. He was then placed in the lockup, where he
made a confession to the marshal, saying that he produced the scar by placing
some acid upon his arm for the purpose above stated. He was taken before Justice Stacy and given
ten days solitary confinement in the county jail, during which time he will
have a chance to reflect on the heinousness of his crime.
Any person who will mutilate his body as this fellow
did, and for the purpose, does not deserve to live. Watertown
Gazette, 12 20 1889
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