William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
March 1901

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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MARCH 1903

3-1-1901
30 deg. SW wind. Partly cloudy. Raw wind. Change day. Linden gets N. Dist. Arnold asked me to change with him going to see the prize fight tonight. He goes in my place tonight. Checks at 1:45 PM. Light rain this Eve. Quite warm. Fixed front door this eve. Mrs. Dugan called to see Minnie, I entertained her for a few minutes.

3-2-1901
28 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Cilly. Looks like snow. Met Sergt. Linden at 21st & Center, 8:45 AM. 2PM- Arrested Gustav Reinholz at 18th & Clark St. Had been all around the neighborhood begging. At the station (Iwalked him down) he had $1.75 in nickles & 52 pennies, Claims to live on Clinton St. He is a lodging house bum. Shaved off my Mustache tonight. Letter for Emil Bercher, 1121-22nd.

3-3-1901
36 deg. SE wind. Partly cloudy. Thawing. Boerner says it rained at 2 AM. PM- Wind changed to west & commenced blowing hard. Clearing. At 4:20. a snow squall came up from the west & snow came down lively for a few minutes. Met Sergt. Linden at 4:15, 21st * Center.

3-4-1901
30 deg. W wind. Partly cloudy. Cooler. PM very cold. Went to court with Reinholz (chg-dis) Found guilty. Fined $ 15 0r 30 days. He "went out". Back to beat at 9:40. Walter went to Beck's this morn & started work. I went up there from Sta- with per. of Sergt. L. & had a talk with Beck. McKinleys 2nd Inauguration today. Nathan Heller Bro't my Ins. Policy from Herzbergs office this Eve. I pd. him $ 29.02 & got policy & receipt. Verena & her husband came this noon. Will stay till Wed.

3-5-1901
Zero deg. High NW wind. Partly cloudy. Very cold. Sharp cutting wind all day. Met Linden at 20th & Center, 9:15
am. Letter for Ald. Dettmann at 1;45 pm.

3-6-1901
Zero deg. NW wind. Partly cloudy. Cold. Fire at 933-32nd St. at 6:40 AM. Went there from Sta. with stolzenfeld. Back to beat at 8:40. Met Linden at Eng. 22 at 8:50. No drill this week.

3-7-1901
20 deg. SW wind, Fair. Much warmer. Moths passed the cigars in honor of his promotion to Detective. 10 new members sworn in today. E.J. Betts, one of the no.

3-8-1901
32 deg. Southerly wind. Cloudy. Looks like raind. Sleet commenced falling at 10 AM PM- Foggy. Tax bills this morn. Wagon work changed to day and night shifts. Day men- Winkelman, Spemgler & Koller. Night- Will, Reuter & Becker. Marquardt takes Reuters beat.
Collected 10 tax bills.

3-9-1901
28 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Raw wind. Thawed & water ran in streams. Met Linden at Eng. 22 at 10:55 AM.

3-10-1901
26 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Rain & Sleet. Terrible storm. No cars running. Walked to Sta. Got there just as the men marched out. No cars on Fond du Lac till 9 AM. Private tel. lines down. Ours worked all right. yet at 9:30 AM. Snow commenced at 4 PM. Snowed all eve. I went directly home from beat. J. Cappon took my place at the Mission.

3-11-1901
22 deg. NW wind. Clearing at 9 AM. Fair. Snow flurries this morn. About 4 inches of snow & sleet this AM. Thawing very fast all PM.

3-12-1901
32 deg. Easterly wind. Cloudy. Rising temp. Looks like rain. 1:45 Commenced to snow followed by rain sleet. Continued for an hour.

3-13-1901
34 deg. E Wind. Cloudy. Rain. Rubber boots this morn. Cleaned my revolver this morn. Rain & snow by turns all day. Linden supposed to be sick.

3-14-1901
26 deg. Northerly wind. Cloudy. Snowflurries all day. Dopke came out this morn.

3-15-1901
22 deg. Northerly wind. Partly cloudy. Colder. Snow during night. Change day- Schneider gets the North Dist. Went to West Side Turn Hall in Arnolds place. Got home at 11:15.

3-16-1901
22 deg. Variable wind. Fair. Rising temp. Very pleasant. Farmers stilll coming to town with Sleighs. Plenty of snow in the country. PM- Didn't thaw much, clouded over at 9 AM.

3-17-1901
32 deg. SW wind. Fair. Rising temp. Bids fair to a fine day. "St. Patricks Day in the Morning"

3-18-1901
34 deg. SW wind. Partly cloudy. Very plesant & spring like. Rapidly rising temp. PM- 1:45 Wind changed to NE. Turned suddenly cold. Stopped thawing & then went down to 32.

3-19-1901
26 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Rain & sleet. Trees covered with ice. Slightly warmer in PM. Rained hard all day. Milton Blum 2502 Hadley St. was knocked down at 6:15 PM near his home by Geo. Schwane. Trouble caused by gossip in Pinters saloon.

3-20-1901
32 deg. HIgh SW wind. Cloudy. Cold & disagreeable. Growing colder. Snow flurries all day. 5:00 PM.- Mrs. Wilhelmina Brock, a blind woman, 2513 Center St. was working around the kitchen stove when her clothing caught fire. She was alone & groped her way down stairs calling for help. Passers by went to her rescue & called Eng. 22. Her clothing was burned off her body & her b ody frightfully burned. I called Dr. Brockhorst who with the Assistance of Capt. Moschgau bandaged her & waited till the ambulance came & removed her to Emergency Hospital. 30 min. late at 6:45 Report.

3-21-1901
20 deg. NW wind. Partly cloudy. Cold. One inch of snow. Drill day. Back to beat at 4:40. Got mail on the way up. Mrs. Brock has died at the Emergency Hospital at 2 AM. Snow flurries all day.

3-22-1901
20 deg. NW wind. Fair. Rising temp. Very pleasant. Had shoes soled at Lippolds- $1 dollar. Met Sergt. Schneider at 27th & Fond du Lac at 3:40 PM.

3-23-1901
32 deg. W wind. Fair. Rapdily rising temp. Gave order for Black helmet. Rohlfring Music Store burned at 10 PM yesterday. Rain at 7 PM.

3-24-1901
45 deg. SE wind. Cloudy. Rain. Foggy. Rain all day. Signed payroll this morn.

3-25-1901
36 deg. Southerly wind. Cloudy. Foggy & dark. Hair cut this morn. Sunshine & showers at noon. PM- Showery.

3-26-1901
36 deg. Variable wind. Cloudy. Gloomy & dark. Snow at 3 PM & all eve. Wind NE. Met Sergt Schneider at 8:40, Center & 21st. 9:45 Rept'd hole in St. at 1165-24th Told operator to tell Muller to notify Wd. Supt. Rep. caucus in 22nd Wd. this PM.

3-27-1901
26 deg. NW wind. Cloudy. 1/2 inch snow. Colder. PM- went to Central. Settled up my taxes, Got them all with exception of one or two which had moved to other addresses. The whole amt. colected was $41.44, Went to court house & collected witness fees due me for Riedl case. $1.16. Missed 2:45 report on account of above absence from beat. Met Sergt. Schneider, 27th & Fond du Lac at 5:55 PM. Worked at home all eve. putting down boards under radiators.

3-28-1901
22 deg. Northerly wind. Partly cloudy. Cold. Froze hard. Drill day:- Got back to beat at 4:30.

3-29-1901
20 deg. E wind. Partly cloudy. Cold white frost. Chilly. Met Sergt Schneider at 21st & Center at 8:45. Met Mr, Lindow at 27th & Fond du Lac at 5:45 PM. Talked about lot on 37th St. Fixed window shades all eve.

3-30-1901
28 deg. Easterly wind. cloudy. Snow at 8 AM. with strong E wind. Snow all day.
Walter & I went to look at Lots this morn on 37th St. Checks at 2:45.

3-31-1901
26 deg. Northerly wind. Fair. Palm Sunday. Rising temp. Pleasant. Fair all day. Average temp. taken at 7.A.M 20 deg.

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