Flaming Cat Causes Loss
Cathay, N.D., May 22.—A cat dressed in doll's clothes and converted into a flaming and madly dashing firebrand by children who set fire to the clothes caused the fire which last December destroyed the farmhouse and barn of Andrew Roth near here, is the finding of the state fire marshal's office after a complete investigation. The fire marshal holds the loss a legitimate one and has ordered the insurance company to settle the bill. The investigation resulted after Mr. Roth repudiated a settlement for $2,500, which a representative of the company persuaded him to make. Mr. Roth places a total loss at about $5,500. Whether the insurance company will contest further payment or not has not been announced.
The Bismarck Tribune, 5-22-1922
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WHITE SLAVERS FACE PRISON ON WIFE'S EVIDENCE
C. H. and Joseph Burtts Alleged to Have Brought Women Here for Prostitution
Bound over on the evidence of a wife and a sister-in-law to the effect that they were induced to come here by Joseph Burtts aand his brother C. H. Burtts, to enter a life of prostitution, the two Burtts are held in the Burleigh county jail awaiting trial in district court on a charge of accepting the proceeds from prostitution.
The hearing in Justice Bleckreid's court yesterday followed a raid made Tuesday evening by State's Attorney McCurdy and Chief of Police Martitette, two makes and two females, and Julia Adams, employed as a domestic in the Burtts domicile on 17th street.
Women Testify
Yesterday afternoon the Mesdames Burtts, former residents of Bismarck, told how they were induced to come here from Minnesota to take up a life on the streets; alleged that their earnings were regularly turned over to Joseph and Hughie Burtts, and that the latter had partly completed the shack in which the precious family was living in the east part of town, and to which the finishing touches were being added from the earnings of the women. Negotiations leading up to the present enterprise, the Burtts women testified, had been under way for two years.
When the state's attorney and chief of police first appeared at the Burtts home, only Julia Adams was there. She did not recognize the visitors as officers of the law, and accosted them after a fashion of the trade. A moment later she was [in] the city bastille. The officers then returned to the {illegible} enjoying an unsought joyride to returned to the Burtts home, which was in darkness, and through some good sleuthing captured the other offenders.
Bismarck Tribune, 8-2-1917
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J.F. Spender, of
Wolsey, was arrested Saturday morning by Sheriff Kerr and brought to Huron for hearing. He appeared before Justice Geddis on the charge of selling meat unfit for use. The case was set for trial at two o'clock Wednesday afternoon. Spender operates a butcher shop at Wolsey.
The Daily Huronite, 5/7/1904
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E. W. Johnson Killed By Binder Monday
News was received here the first of the week of the death of Ernest W. Johnson of DeSart, who was killed Monday morning in a runaway accident. The bull wheel of a binder passed over him, crushing his head. His legs were also badly cut by the binder. Just how the accident occurred is not known here, but it is thought that he was in front of the machine making some repairs when the horses started to run and was unable to get out of the way.
Slope County News, 8/16/1917
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Says Bickert Feigns Insanity to Escape Charge of Burglary
Bottineau, N.D., Aug 29—(AP)—Belief that Rudolph Bickert, 60, with a long criminal record feigned insanity to escape prosecution on a burglary charge so that he could be committed to the state hospital at Jamestown, has prompted Sheriff J.C. Miller of Bottineau to recommend that Bickert be returned to be charged as a habitual criminal.
Bickert was arrested by Sheriff Miller in June on a charge of burglarizing a house near Omemee.
A few days after being put in jail Bickert began to act peculiarly. He attempted to gouge holes in the jail wall, explaining that he was seeking a gang of counterfeiters concealed therein. Other unusual actions and remarks by Bickert led to the sheriff signing an insanity complaint against him and the county insanity board ordered his committment to the state hospital.
Fingerprints of Bickert were sent by Sheriff Miller to the United States bureau of identification at Washington and from there it was reported that the inmate had served prison sentences in Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Indiana and also has been in three different insane asylums.
Bickert's past record has caused Sheriff Miller to doubt that he is insane and he is urging prosecution under the habitual criminal law of the state.
The Bismarck Tribune, 8/29/1930
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Recover Stolen Gold Pieces
Two $20 gold pieces, stolen from the clothes of P.D. Norton of Mandan when he was playing golf at the Bismarck Country club have been recovered by the Chief of Police Martineson and will be returned to Mr. Norton. The money was taken from Mr. Norton's street clothes which were hanging in the club house. The money was recovered from a small boy, whose name is withheld.
The Bismarck Tribune, 5-18-1922
Note: the $20 double-eagle gold coins of the time had just under 1 ounce of gold in them. At today's gold value, the coins would be worth over $3,000 just in precious metals.
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