William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
July 1896

Milwaukee County Police Department

These diaries are a mixture of work and family affairs of William Bramwell Sizer. William was on the Milwaukee Police Department and a member of the Sherman Street Methodist Episcopal Church, later transferring their membership to Kingsley Methodist Episcopal Church and died in 1916. The diaries give a pretty good view of life in the years involved. The diaries were given to me for presentation on this site by family members see contributors page.

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JULY 1896

7-1-1896
Went to court this morning with (Butch) Otto Boldt. Found guilty. Fined $5.00 and costs. First report 10:40, 27th and Fond du Lac. Dead horse, 1903 Wright St. Reported per tel. 1:15 PM. Men that built catch basin at 24th and Wright on 10th and 20th ward sides left the gutters obstructed with ground. Dead Hare, SW cor. 23rd and Clark

7-2-1896
Circus today. Went to 12th and Vliet at 9:15 till the procession passed. Then went to 12th and Chestnut. Got through there at 11:30. Went home to dinner. Got back to my beat at 12:45 PM. Circus at 7 PM. Got orders per. tel. at 12:45 PM. At 2:45 PM went to the Station, on the way back stopped at Rhode's store and talked with him about my note that Foster is making such a fuss about.

7-3-1896
Picnic at Zinger's Park. Sarnow School. I went there twice.

7-4-1896
Dead cat, 1330 Wright St. W.A. Bennett, 1610-17th St. will be out of twon for a week. Would like the night man to look around.

7-5-1896
A dark chestnut horse, 850 lbs and large gray, 1100 lbs. can be claimed at 742-34th St. Otto Steuber, 3028 Elm. Mr. Bell, 1716 Center, reports someone shot a revolver bullet though his window at about 4:30 PM July 4th.. Wm. Ihlenfeld applies for a saloon license at 1163-23rd St. from July 1, 1896
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7-6-1896
Fire broke out in a cottage, 1086-12th at 7:10 AM. Cause-oil stove exploded in basement. Damage $150.00. No insurance on household goods. House owned by Voss, living on Lisbon Road. Occupied by Geo. Fisher. Went to City Atty's Office this morning and got a complaint against Otto Protzman for letting his horses run at large. Got back to my beat at 9:30. Missed 8:45 report on account of going to City Atty's Office to get complaint for Protzman.

7-7-1896
Went to court this morning in the case of Leonard Beck, as a witness for Reuter. Beck is an apple peddler, was arrested by Reuter on 17th of Sept. '95 for shouting his wares on the street. Atty. Lando defended him and had the case continued from time to time to get a decision from the Supreme Court. Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and Judge Neelen dismissed the case against Beck. Got a letter from Berlin Germany to Mayor Rauschenberg inquiring for Frederick Wolfgran. Turned it over to Beck. Stolzenfeld arrested Protmeier and subpeoned Rusch. I subpeoned Stuerburn.

7-8-1896
Went to court with Protzman. He was found guilty of letting his horses run at large and fined $1.0 and costs which he could not pay. Took him to Central Station. Got back to my beat at 9:45 AM. Mrs. Lutz, 993-24 1/2 St. complains of her husband, Fred Lutz, does not support her. Advised her to go to Freeson. Wm. Hopp, 1173-17th 57 yrs. old, widower, 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Young man grown up and youngest 9 yrs. old. Insane from domestic and business troubles.

7-9-1896
New building on 26th between Hadley and Center. New building on 27th between Center and Hadley. Wm. Hopp, 1173-17th St., 57 yrs. old, widower, 4 children, ages 23-19-13-9 yrs. Went insane on Friday July 3rd.'96 over money and family problems. Was taken to West Side Station by patrol wagon this morning. Arrested Oscar Schotz, 1245 Fond du Lac. Intend to return him to the Industrial School at Waukesha. He left home July 1st after threatening to smash all the windows in the house. Has been loafing around the fields since staying at Adolph's house on 30th and Wright. His mother, Johanna, Scholz goes as complaintent.

7-10-1896
Went to the Clerk's Office and swore out a vagarancy warrant for Oscar Scholz at 8:30 AM. The case of Wm. Hopp adjournes till next Monday to give the DRs. time to examine him. Oscar Scholtz, charged with vagarancy, sent to House of Correction.

7-11-1896
Got two applications for saloon license. One for Albert Stern, 1511 Teutonia. No such number. The people in the neighborhood don't know anything about such person.

7-12-1896
Wm. H. Beuthier, 1143 Hopkins St. applied for a saloon license. Reported 7/12/96.

7-13-1896
I forgot to go to court this morning in the Wm. Hopp's case.

7-14-1896
New building at 21st and Concordia. Saw Dora Hopp at 5 PM. Said she had seen her father and that he was in the Asylum. Aug. Prager, 1165-24th St. wanted to see3 me about his dog being locked in Luderus barn. When I gor there the dog was home. No harm done. Dead cat, 17th and Locust. New building on 23rd between Center and Hadley. Arrested Carl Henn at 7:30 PM. Charge A&B. Complaint by Tonie Henn, his daughter-in-law. Witnesses, Mary and Albert Lunck and Mrs. Tezlaff.

7-15-1896
Went to court this morning with the Henn case. On motion of Atty. Dalberg for the defense, case was continued till Friday morning at 9 AM. Returned Henn's bail to the West Side Station and gave it to the station keeper, Braun at 9:45 AM. Thompson and Vetter have quit the saloon business at 1201 Teutonia Ave. A.F. Scholl says they quit on July 1st.
Herman Horn, 2442 Center St. is accused of committing incest on his 14 yr. old daughter, Anna. Horn's wife died May 4th '96 leaving 8 chilsren, oldest a boy 17 yrs. old, youngest will be 2 yrs. old in October. Went to the station for advice. Lieut. J.K. was out. I talked with Det. P.P. Kelley. He went with me and talked to the girl at her Aunt's house on 24 1/2 St. and then went to Horn's house and placed him under arrest. Sent him down in the wagon from 27th and Fond du Lac at 5:45 PM.
Got a warrant for Eugene Schweitzer, 1427 21st St. Charged him with disorderly conduct towards Anna Mueller, 2430 North Ave. Took him to the station in the car, then subpoenaed witnesses.
Missed my 4:45 report on account of the Horn case. Missed my 6:45 report on account of subpeoning witnesses. Got home at 7:30 pm.

7-16-1896
Went to court this morning with Eugene Schweitzer. Case continued until
Friday July 17th '96. Arrested John Connelly at 1108-23rd St. at 6:10 PM. Took him to 22nd and Locust.

7-17-1896
Went to court with Connelly. Charged with D&D, fined $10 and costs or 30 days. Henn case was called up and tried. The case was discharged without cost to either party by Judge Neelen after giving them a warning.
Schweitzer fined $1 and costs. Total $10.32.
Herm. Horn taken to court on charge of incest. Placed under $3000 bail.

7-18-1896
New building, 16th and Hadley.

7-19-1896
Chas. Kirchhahn had a picnic at Zingers Park. Went home at 5:40 and went to Epps at 7:30. Got home 11:45.

7-20-1896
H.F.Scholl, 1201 Teutonia applies for a saloon license, OK'd per tel. at 1:45 so it would go before the Council today.

7-21-1896
New building, 34th and Auer Ave.

7-22-1896
Got list of unpaid saloon liceses. Notified the following:- Gust. Lambracht at 8:15 AM; John Lindermayer at 8:40 AM 1001 22nd; Benj. Leutcke, 1133 Teutonia, 9;10 am; Mrs. H. Vogt, 929 Teutonia, 9:55 AM; Herm. Canitz quit July 6th; Sebastian Mahringen, 1702 Center, 3 PM; Thos. Poetzel, 1435 Hopkins notified but says he is going out July 27th '96; Wm. H. Beuthien, 1134 Hopkins, 5 PM; T.T. Thompson and J.J. Vetter, 1201 Teutonia have quit the saloon business.

7-23-1896
Dead dog, 1231 Center. Reported 9:00 AM. Clerk's Office complaint, Helena Schower vs. Buchholt's children, 948-16th St. complaint served.

7-24-1896
New building on 19th between Clark and Center,=. Dead dog, 1074-23rd St. Picked up Geo. Rinks mother-in-law at 24th and Center. Brought her as far as Stiehl's and W. Nolf took her home. Dead dog, 1089 Teutonia.

7-25-1896
Wm. Kemp, North Milwaukee, reports his light red and white speckled cow with white face got out of pasture yesterday evening. Was seen on Hopkins Road last night. Notify Freund Hay Market. Stop at Fibrantz.
Aug. Prager, 1165-24th St. complains of Luderua children troubling his family. Met P. Luderus at 10th and Walnut and told him to take care of his boys.
Went to the Station at 2:45. Got a letter from the Mayor's Office for Emil Sabinski, 1910 Center containing pool table license.

7-26-1896
Lightning struck a two story frame house, 990-21st St. Knocked a few bricks off the chimney and a few shingles off the roof at 4:45 PM. Addition to building, 1133-17th St.

7-27-1896
Hole in street at 24th and Center. Caused by the ground settling where the water pipe was laid. Ward Sup't. notified at 8:30 AM. Shortly after 1 PM while walking east on Wright St. I heard a woman scream at 1717 Wright and found Chas. Bemmer lying on the floorr in the basement, carried him upstairs. Put him on the bed and went to Schultz's Drug Store and telephoned Dr. Jermain who went over at once. Pronounced it heart failure.

7-28-1896
4 years to the day since I went on day duty. Very quiet day. Nothing came to my notice to record.

7-29-1896
OK'd F. Leinbach's application for transfer of his saloon license from 1083 Teutonia to 1435 Hopkins St. John Lindermayer, 1101-22nd has paid his saloon license 7/29/96. Fred Theile, 1083 Teutonia occupation- pattern maker, has lived in city 3 1/2 yrs, July 1st '96.

7-30-1896
Wm. Horn, son of Herman Horn, works for Milkman Dreyfal on the Lisbon Plank Road. Stops at Meisenheimer's saloon on 13th between Fond du Lac and Walnut Sts.

7-31-1896
New building on 16th between Wright and Clark. Fred Thiele, 1083 Tetonia Ave. applies for saloon license 7/29/96. Theo. Peotzel, 1213-22nd St. applies for saloon license. 7/30/96.

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