Month: June 2008

UNUSUAL NEWS: DRUNK BEATS WIFE

Jeff Elliott Leave a comment

This is the first report of local domestic violence that I’ve yet encountered in any 1904 or 1905 Santa Rosa newspaper.

J. THOMPSON AND HIS THEORY
Had a Legal and Moral Right to Beat Mrs. J. Thompson When He Pleased

John Thompson holds that he has a right, legal and moral, to whip his wife. This is a pet theory of John Thompson’s, especially when he is drunk, and as that is quite often, it may be said to be a ruling passion jointly with his passion for whisky. His latest outbreak along the lines occurred today, when Officer Herman Hankel was called down to the Johnson home, west of the California Northwestern railroad yard to rescue Mrs. Thompson from becoming a victim of her husband’s theoretical faith and incidentally to quell Mr. Thompson.

The officer succeeded in doing both in a prompt and effective manner, though he had to apply some of Thompson’s theory to that person. The wife-beater was busily beating the woman when checked by the stalwart man of peace. Thompson told Hankel he had a lawful right to whip her. He was then transferred to the city prison and a charge of battery lodged against the name he gave, but is probably incorrect.

Last night he visited the ante-room of the Eagles and with a “hard luck” story, worked on the feelings of a number of the brotherhood, getting a donation of $7.50. This he evidently used to theorize with on the person of his abused wife.

– Santa Rosa Republican, April 26, 1905

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IT’S A NOVELTY THAT THE PIANO’S FIXED

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Westerns always have a slightly out of tune piano tinkling away in the background of saloon scenes, no matter how rough or remote the locale. But one of those old barroom pye-annas would have been a big improvement over the sad instrument at Santa Rosa’s main vaudeville theater, where fully 36 of the 88 keys didn’t work. This must have sounded beyond-belief terrible. Especially pity the poor singers who had to make do with random notes missing from their accompaniment.

The reference to “jack straps” here is an error; the writer confused the jack portion of the mechanism with the “bridle straps,” which are braided fabric ribbons connecting each key to the hammer. If a strap is missing, the key won’t return to position after being played, or will return so slowly as to make the note unplayable in all but the most mournfully slow music; even then, the pianist must sometimes need to lift up the key before playing it again.

NOVELTY THEATRE PIANO AT OLD PITCH

The piano in the Novelty theatre is back at its old pitch and is strictly in tune. For some time the piano, prior to last week, did not yield up as much music as it was warranted to produce. It had been acting “kind of strange” [as a] music producer for several weeks. Last week “Dr.” S. L. Parks was called in and he performed an operation on the theatre piano. He removed certain portions of the musical “anatomy” and anatomy that was not musical [sic].

The trouble, the autopsy showed was caused by mice having nibbled through thirty-six “jack straps” that have something to do with the mechanism of the key board. A more critical examination of the interior of the the piano revealed a nest of mice and in all seven were killed. The repairs made have increased the volume and quality of the music from the piano at the Novelty. Morris Zoberbier supplied the straps needed to replace those the mice had eaten.

– Press Democrat, April 13, 1905

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THE CHEEKY BICYCLE THIEF

Jeff Elliott Leave a comment

This sounds more like a bike kidnapping than outright theft, but then again, maybe there was a bicycle chop-shop in 1905 Santa Rosa, stealing “wheels” and busting them down for parts. The “Carrie” referred to in the note is, of course, Carrie Nation, the hatchet-wielding prohibitionist, who was much in the national news at the time.

Here PD editor Ernest Finley took on his “stern schoolmarm” persona to warn that judges and cops were itching to make an example of wayward youths, much as he did in reporting the city’s orange peel menace.

THIS THIEF LEFT A VERY CHEEKY NOTE
STOLE WHEEL AND THREATENED, IF OWNER “HOLLERS,” TO BREAK IT WITH AN AXE
Young Lady’s Bicycle Taken From the Porch of a College Avenue Residence – Police Are Investigating

“I will leave your wheel at P. O. at about 3 p. m. and if you holler I will smash it with an axe — Carrie.”

This is the note written on a piece of a cardboard box that Professor Van der Linden found left at his residence on College avenue in the place where he had left his bicycle on Monday, and the thief had failed to return the property even to the “P. O.” mentioned in the note. The owner has reported his loss to the police and Chief of Police Severson has the cardboard writing in his possession.

Last Saturday night some one wandered to the rear of the Porter residence on College avenue and when they or she, as the case may be, departed, they took Miss Bess Porter’s bicycle, which she had left on the porch away. The wheel is also among the list of “missing” at the police station. The officers are endeavoring to recover the property. A few days ago a bicycle thief was given three years in the State’s prison by Judge Burnett, and the practice goes on.

– Press Democrat, February 22, 1905

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