Celebrating History: New county, farm aid and crime

By Emily Mayer

The creation of a new county to be called Liberty was progressing, according to the Sept. 6, 1919, edition of The Havre Plaindealer.

Attempts to lessen opposition to the split were being made and implemented, but those organizing the meetings were very hush-hush about whether or not they had even met, and attempted to deflect blame onto the International Workers of the World, a.k.a. the “Wobblies.” Which didn’t work much, considering there were few Wobblies in the area and news reports of their activities were either so insignificant they were not reported in the papers or simply not existent at all. Nice try.

The county commissioners sent out 5,000 questionnaires to find out which farmers needed financial aid and how widespread the need really was. The votes were not yet fully tallied from the special election held to determine if taxpayers would approve the commissioners issuing bonds to help destitute farmers, but the commissioners were preparing for the need should the issue pass. Only three or four hundred surveys had been returned so far, many stating they didn’t need financial aid now but may in the future. A few needed the aid immediately. One, in an act of martyrdom, stated he “didn’t need financial assistance” throughout the survey, but pointedly wrote on his form the amount of debt he owed, even though the question wasn’t asked. He got the aid he was seeking, with the commissioners noting he should be “given all the aid possible.” Oh, Lord, it’s hard to be humble …

It wouldn’t get better for farmers and ranchers in the future, either. U. S. Weather Bureau observer C. W. Ling released the August weather report, stating precipitation was 4½ inches below normal since the first of the year.

Crime was the big news in the Plaindealer 100 years ago. Cases were mostly those pertaining to Prohibition, with Edward “Daddy” Marshall, Chris Wehr, Henry Schmidt, Charles Carroll, Harry and Julia Pelchie, Edwin Day, Harry Morgan, “John Doe, Chinaman,” Tip and Inez Lafferty, Charlie Sing, Joe Lucier, Pet Yeon, Amelia Koble, Mable and Mike Lewis all being charged with “disposing of intoxicating liquor” or “certain beer.” Charges of gambling were also brought forth on Harry Morgan, Edwin Day, Floe and Julia Pelchie, Ernest Zerdethe, Henry Roe, Tom DeWitt, Lewis Barnes, K. Muras, T. Sakota, S. Matsura, William Auld, George Coulter, Mrs. Ray Stewart, among others. Ova Brower found herself in court again, this time for first degree burglary. Readers will recall her role in the Border Saloon raid the previous year. Most of these people were good friends or associates of C. W. “Shorty” Young, who no doubt had his hand in much of what was going on.

But, in the love department, Shorty had bad news. The Sept. 6, 1919 Plaindealer reported:

Mrs. C. W. Young was granted a divorce in the district court Thursday. The complaint in the case alleged cruelty. No record appears as to the property settlement but it is understood that she received something over $10,000 in cash and it is assumed that she received some real property besides but whether this included the handsome house on Furth avenue could not be learned.

This would be the Young house at 419 Fourth Avenue.

These were not the only instances of crime in the area:

AMATEUR HIGHWAYMEN APPARENTLY LOSE NERVE

Mrs. Kearful and Daughter Have Exciting Experience

According to a communication received by the Plaindealer, Mrs. Jerry Kearful and daughter Marion had a thrilling experience Wednesday evening, Sept. 3, on their way home from Havre. They encountered two masked men apparently tinkering with their car, with a small black box presumably explosives, at one side of the road about right to catch a team turning out to pass the car. Only masterly horsemanship saved the ladies from a hold-up or a bad spill is the opinion of those familiar with the circumstances for that it was a cowardly and insane attempt at a hold-up seems the only probably explanation of the case. Neither of the amateur bandits dared to close in on the spirited team but apparently overcome with fear or excitement abandoned their attempt to stop the team and seizing their black box, hurried away. Mrs. Kearful and her daughter drove on to the Robert Anderson place and spent the night.

‘Attempting to make the road safe for women and children, I will pay $200 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of these parties for attempted highway robbery, which is 200 percent more than they are worth.’

For hunters, this would be a great year for duck hunting. The Montana game warden stated ducks would be aplenty this year, and just in time for duck hunting season, the Havre Commercial Company was offering a prize of a leather gun case worth $12 for the hunter who brought in the largest duck shot on or before Oct. 1.