History of New Rockford: Sept. 6, 2021

The District Court convened in New Rockford on May 23, 1904, and concluded on May 31. Judge S.L. Glaspell presided; the court reporter was [A.C.?] Olsen; the clerk was [C.J.?] Stickney. The jury list was composed of F.F. Allmaras, Henning Anderson, T.H. Backe, Gust Bekke, E.R. Davidson, James Davidson, George Fahrer, F.F. Fisher, Thomas Hanson, B.W. Hersey, Eugene Lamounte, Peter Larson, Jacob Laterna, George Lovell, L.G. Lundin, Hans Lyness, Erick T. Moe, H.J. Miller, William Murry, Harry Mutchler, Dennis O’Connor, Herman Olson, L.J. Olson, O.H. Olson, J.P. Pisel, J.A. Portz, Ed Randolph, Helga K. Rud, John Schaefer, O.J. Schutt, J.P. Seaby, I.W. Sheldon, L.J. Sylling, E.B. Thomson, John Wassenberg, and L.S. Webster. Dan R. Ducke attended court.

The cases included:

Osbon vs. Sheldon; Seeley and Mason of Aberdeen, S.D., for the plaintiff; Maddux and Rinker for the defendant; case taken under advisement; forty days allowed for filing briefs.

Peter Dodds vs. George Dodds; Maddux and Rinker for plaintiff; James A. Manly for defendant; verdict for plaintiff; motion to set aside verdict denied.

Prouty vs. Charles Hutchinson; Maddux and Rinker for plaintiff; James A. Manly for defendant; verdict for defendant.

George Adams and E. Whinnery vs. McDowell; Maddux and Rinker for plaintiff; McCue and Leslie of Carrington for defendant; “tried to jury and disagreement.”

S. McDowell vs. Flater; Maddux and Rinker for plaintiff; James A. Manly for defendant; verdict for defendant.

Fox vs. Stefanish; Maddux and Rinker for plaintiff; White and Craven of Carrington and F. Baldwin of Jamestown for defendant; case taken under advisement; ten days allowed for filing briefs.

S. McDowell vs. David C. Geiger, Edith Geiger and Thomas Hecker; Maddux and Rinker for plaintiff; James A. Manly for defendant; submitted by stipulation and taken under advisement by the court.

George W. Getts vs. D.H. Keyton, et al.; Townsend and Denoyer of Devils Lake for plaintiff; F. Baldwin for defense; verdict for defendant.

J.F. Rodgers vs. John Duck; James A. Manly for plaintiff; Maddux and Rinker for defendant; judgement for plaintiff.

Paterson vs. Brown and E.D. Smith; Maddux and Rinker for plaintiff; F. Baldwin and R.P. Allison for defendant; verdict for plaintiff.

L.B. Garnaas vs. Ole J. Myhre; Maddux and Rinker for plaintiff; Mattson for defense; verdict by stipulation for plaintiff.

First National Bank vs. Charles Pottner, et al.; Maddux and Rinker for plaintiff; James A. Manly for defendant; judgment for plaintiff for part of mortgaged property; judgment for any deficiency against Charles Pottner and Frank Pottner.

Halverson vs. Garnaas, et al.; Mattson for plaintiff; Maddux and Rinker for defendant; motion to make complaint more specific or to strike it out granted; plaintiff given 30 days to serve and file amended complaint.

Other visiting attorneys were Ellsworth and Conklin of Jamestown and Lowden of McHenry.

On May 23, Maurice Oliver made a business trip to Fargo. Nathan Flater returned from a visit to Carrington. That evening, the Epworth League hosted an English Tea at the parsonage; there was a program of “music, speech and song.” Admission was fifteen cents. There was “a large and jovial crowd.”

From May 23 to 26, Mrs. Frances Wilson visited her sons William and Edgar in Jamestown.

On May 24, F.C. Davies had the building used as a sample room for many years moved to his lots on Stimson Avenue East, where it would be remodeled into a “comfortable dwelling.” So many businessmen gathered to give Davies advice on the move, that he put them to work. Unfortunately, Hans Jensen failed to get out from under a brick falling from the chimney and suffered a dislocated shoulder.

On May 24 and 25, Mr. and Mrs. J.G. Schmidt represented the Barlow congregation at the Congregational Conference in New Rockford.

On the morning of May 25, an operation was performed in St. Paul on Eddie Monahan and revealed that when he had a carriage accident a mile south of town [night of Sept. 27, 1902], the buggy pole struck his abdomen and ripped the diaphragm. Over the years, the abdominal mesentery had worked its way through the tear and had “pulled” the stomach and the transverse portion of the large intestine into the chest cavity, where they had become lodged.

Attempts to return them to their original locations failed. The eighth rib was then removed and sterile gauze was packed into the chest to keep everything in place. The repair of the diaphragm was postponed. None of the surgeons had ever seen a similar case, either in the operating room or in the literature. Monahan’s condition was called “desperate.”

On the morning of May 25, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. John Wenz. Rev. Saunders, editor of the “Oberon Reporter,” came down for the Congregational Conference. Creameryman Hugh Carr, and real estate agents O.G. Cooling and G.W. Streeter, were at the Judicial Convention in Carrington.

On May 26, Mrs. Peter Michel was in shopping. Erick T. Moe was in from Freeborn as part of the District Court jury pool. McHenry bank cashier W.H. Niemeyer was over on court matters. Sheyenne barber H.G. Miller was down on business and to visit. That evening, Mrs. P.J. Butler and Ella Evans were given the introductory degrees at a Royal Neighbors meeting; after the ceremony, the members were entertained by Mrs. Frances Wilson, and Carolyn and Elizabeth Trainor.

On the afternoon of May 26, the District Court re-convened.

The May 27, 1904, “Transcript” commented that the “holler” put up by the “Eddy County Provost” about the outcome of the Judicial Convention in Sheyenne on May 14 showed that the folks at that newspaper were poor losers. That edition also lamented the defeat of Judge S.L. Glaspell for re-nomination at the Judicial Convention in Carrington.

A letter from a “Sheyennite” appeared, also attacking the “Provost,” saying he didn’t see the sights, such as the “gagging” of delegates, the “Provost” claimed took place. He especially didn’t like the way “Pete” [Peter Mattson] and his gang treated chairman J.V.N. Sundberg and Dr. Charles MacLachlan.

That issue said that recently, Freeman Shoemaker from southeast of town, was out fishing for pickerel. He loved the taste so much that he devised an “apparatus” [net?] for pulling the fish out of the water in bunches. Suddenly, he saw a man walking towards him with a hat which had a shiny object on it like a game warden’s badge. Shoemaker grabbed his gear, mounted his horse, and took off across the prairie at a gallop. The “warden” was actually one of the men from New Rockford with a drayman’s plate on his hat, who was pulling off a practical joke.