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Police blotter from 1939

We used to brag about going swimming in May, the earlier in the month, the better the bragging.

Well, I’ll tell you, it must have been pretty darn warm in May of 1939 because one of the first entries in the police blotter was this:

Swimming in the nude

5-5-39, 5 p.m.: While checking the parks and other places around town I came across a bunch of high school boys in swimming at the end of Lake Street in the nude. There were twelve of them and all over 16 years of age. They were all members of the high school baseball team. Put the run to them and warned them if it happened again they would be brought before the judge and charged with D. C. [disorderly conduct.]

[Now I guess being threatened on being charged with D. C. did not impress the boys very much because this entry in the blotter appeared the very next day but a bit earlier 4:40 p.m. You see school classes did not end until 4 p.m. back then because the TB patients rested between 2 & 4 in the afternoon so the late release hour kept us noisy kids off the street. Classes did not start until 9 a.m. and we out from 12 noon until 1:30 for lunch break.

5-6-39, 4:40 p.m. : Complaint on the street about boys swimming at the foot of Lake Street in the nude. Said they were trying to drive women and children away. Warned them to leave and they did.

Not my dog

5-8-39, 5:45 p.m.: Doris Homer, 18 Main Street reports a dog belonging to Richard Kelley came to the door of her ice cream shop and started a fight with her dog that was tied to the radiator in there. Put a gash on her dog’s face about 3 inches long. Kelley told her the dog did not belong to him. We could not locate Mr. Kelley so we went to his home on Prospect Avenue. Mrs. Kelley said her dog was with Richard. Said she would see Doris Homer and take care of her dog. Warned her to put muzzle on her dog.

[I guess the police didn’t believe Mr. Kelley that it was not his dog. Remember the Peter Seller’s movie showing Seller’s standing on the street visiting with someone. A dog was running around near him and a passer-by asked Seller’s “does your dog bite?” Sellers said no my dog doesn’t bite. The guy went to pet the dog and the dog bite him on the hand. So he yells at Sellers, “I thought you said your dog didn’t bite?” Seller’s answers, “Not my dog.”

A visiting doctor in accident

5-12-39, 10 p.m.: Douglas Willette reported having an accident at the corner of Shepherd Avenue and River Street. Other car didn’t stop. Followed him up to Mrs. Mack’s, 18 Shepherd. Driver of the car gave Doug his license, name and address and said he would take care of the damage. Police went up there and saw this man, Dr. Robert E. Bedore of Oklahoma. He is attending the Trudeau School up here for the next 10 weeks. Told police he would take care of Willette’s truck. Willette said he was satisfied with him paying the damages.

Drinks rubbing alcohol

5-15-39, 11:45 p.m.: Complaint on the street from Mr. Holder of 48 Helen Street. Said he just came down Main Street by the Railroad tracks and saw a man lying down near the river. Investigated by Chief and Tyler and found Leonard Gardiner drunk as hell. He had been drinking rubbing alcohol. Brought him down and locked him up.

5-18-39, 1:30 a.m.: Henry Roberts of Clayburg, N.Y., stopped a policeman on the street, wanted to know the direction to the hospital. He had a girl with him who had been in an accident near Tom Ryan’s [the location later of the Pleasant View Restaurant at the beginning of the Fletcher Farm Road]. The driver of the car came to the hospital about 15 minutes later and asked if we could call the State police for him. State Police asked if we could take the information about the accident and they would stop in the morning to get it. Car had slewed on wet pavement and gone into the ditch on the left side of the highway. [How badly was the girl injured?]

Beat his wife. No charges filed.

5-22-39, 1 a.m.: Call from Kendall’s Drug Store from Mrs. Felix Jones who wanted Police right away. Investigated. Felix had accused his wife of running around with John Doe and claims he caught him kissing her at the Standard Oil Station on Broadway. He struck his wife in the face several times. She didn’t want him arrested because he was drinking a little and didn’t know what he was doing. [How about arresting him for assault?] She just wanted the police to talk to him. Went to 75 Margaret Street and warned both about any further disturbance. Mrs. Jones is going to stay at Arthur Garwood’s to-nite.

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