Back by popular demand! The following entries, as always, have the names changed to protect the guilty. Otherwise the entries by the police officers are verbatim. Some officer’s handwriting is great, some not so great … so much so that I have to skip items that look like good stuff but too difficult to read.

The following are random pieces from February and March of 1941 … skipping the usual exact time and date.

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Grabbed by prowler

“Call for police at 1 Dorsey Terrace. Investigated by Officers Art Ryan and Pete Higgins. Helen Casey, age 22, who lives there claims she went from 1 Dorsey Terrace to the little bungalow next door to see how the coal fire was. Said she had been in the bungalow about 20 minutes before and locked the door. As she went to go in the second time she saw the door ajar and thought the girls who live there had come home. They are Elsie Ebare and Blanche Glavin who work at the Post Office Pharmacy, occupy the bungalow. As Helen Casey started in the bungalow, which was dark, a man inside grabbed her by the head and shoulders and threw her on the floor. She screamed and the man ran out the door. Claims he was a young man, medium sized, no hat, dark hair and wearing a dark leather jacket. [Good description considering the room was dark.] We followed his tracks up through the woods and they came out at Mike Eagan’s barn on Olive Street. [At one time Mike Eagan had been the World Handball Champion.] Lost the tracks there. Looked like a good-sized hunting boot and also must have been a young man from the size jumps he took down through the woods. Looked around town for a man fitting that description – unable to spot anybody. From the looks inside the bungalow nothing had been disturbed except the man and Helen Casey had scuffled in the kitchen. Casey said that as soon as the girls who live there come home she would find out if anything is missing and notify the police.”

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‘Sounds like he’s nuts’

“Emilo Barcardi of 16 Academy Street came to the police station and says that everywhere he eats someone puts something in his food that makes him sick. Says he ate at the diner on Bloomingdale Avenue to-nite and the same thing happened there. He says he thinks Dr. Leetch is back of it, he says Dr. Leetch did not like it because he changed doctors. This man acts and talks as if he was going nuts. Says he will come back and see the Chief. Talked with Dr. Leetch about the above and he said he would come down in the morning and see Dr. Trembley and maybe see Barcardi together.”

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Accidental shooting

“Call from 34 McIntyre St., saying a boy had been shot. Investigated by Chief and Sgt. Duprey, found that Tom Smith, age 16 of 17 Olive Street shot himself with a 22 rifle, when attempting to blow snow from the end of a branch. Gun discharged and the bullet went in his upper lip and out the back of his head, killing him instantly. Called Dr. Gedroiz who examined the boy. Coroner Cargill gave a verdict of accidental shooting. He had been shooting targets with Dean Lynch, Joe Quigley and Wilfred Perras. Inquest was held at the police station at 7 p.m.”

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Man working under his car

“Call from a woman saying there was a man under a car on St. Bernard Street. Investigated and found Frank Fitzsimmons dead drunk. Locked him up for P.I. Had to carry him into the police station.”

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Only had a couple of drinks

“While prowling in the police car noticed a car at the intersection of Bloomingdale Avenue and Margaret Street in the middle of the intersection. Investigated and found that it had hit a telephone pole at the corner. No one was injured, no property damage except to the car. The car was driven by Halleck P. Stephenson, age 21 years of 27 Washington Street, Malone, N.Y. Had a couple of drinks but wasn’t drunk, also admitted having four in the front seat. Arrested him for reckless driving. Arraigned before Judge Sheldon. Plead guilty and fined $10.”

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Caught with the goods

“Call from Eddie Norman that 2 boys had broken a plate glass window in Mike Russell’s Store at 150 Broadway. Investigated by Duprey and Higgins. Found 3 boys running away from the store. Picked up Gordon Jones, age 9, Wilbur Jones, age 8, of21 Virginia Street and Robert Smith, age 8 of 14 Prospect Avenue. These boys admitted throwing a piece of iron pipe thru the window and stealing 2 jars of jelly and 1 can of codfish cakes and 2 bags of popcorn. Wilbur Jones says he was not there when the other boys broke the window and that he was at the top of Prospect when the boys came running up the hill and told him what they had done. They gave him some popcorn which they had taken. They had the jelly and codfish on them when picked up by the police. Notified Mike Russell who didn’t want to press charges because the window was insured. He came down and boarded up the window. Notified the parents of these children who came down to the police station after them.