William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
August 1898

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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AUGUST 1898

8-1-1898
Cloudy, cool, NE wind. Heavy rain last night. Dead dog, 1209-25th St. Got checks at 1:45 PM. 2 ct J. R. stamp on each one. Dead dog, 1085-26th.

8-2-1898
Rain. Warm. Northerly wind. New bldgs: 25th & Hadley, 24 1/2 bet. Center & Hadley. Rain PM, commencing at 4 o'c. Rain all eve. 4th quarterly conf. Kingsley tonight.

8-3-1898
Cloudy. Cool. NE wind. Rained all night. Check from Soldiers Relief for Mrs. Chas. E. Jeske, 1242-21st St. Bro. J.L. & wife & son came this morn. Went to Pt. on 1:50 train.

8-4-1898
Fair and Cool. Northerly wind. Warmer toward noon.

8-5-1898
Fair, warmer. NW wind. Shot horse at 25th & Locust. Reptd it per tel. New bldg, 26th near Hopkins.

8-6-1898
Fair. Warm. Southerly wind. Epworth League Excursion to Racine. W.C. Equitz has no Pool Table.

8-7-1898
Sunday:- Fair & Very warm. SW wind. Showers last night. Minnie and the children went to Racine yesterday PM. Got home 9:45 PM.

8-8-1898
Fair. Cool. NE wind. Warm during day.

8-9-1898
Fair. Cool NE wind. 4 yrs. since Arthur died. Went to YMCA last night on bus. for Kingsley Church Hugh Halows and Frank Pace came & took dinner with us to-day & then went to Waukesha.

8-10-1898
Fair, warm, southerly wind, clouding in PM. Geo. W. McHenry was picked up on the street helplessly drunk last night & taken to the West Side Sta. I sent word to Paul Weil to help him out. 2 dead dogs, 3010 Cawker Pl. Went to sta. at 1 :45. Got dis. warr. for Frank Biekowsky, 2427 Bismark. Arrested Biekowsky at 6:30 PM. Complaintant, Annie Mintzlaff, 900-24th.

8-11-1898
Fair, warm westerly wind. Fred Weidner, insane, ran away from his home, 652-31st this morn. Haase & Srolzenfeld was looking for him. Went to court with Frank Biekowsky. Sentence suspended on pay't of costs, $5.57. Emil Brandt, 1119-22nd found s leather pocketbook containing bills from Dr. Mc Kee, Veternerary surgeon. Owner can have same by calling at above No.

8-12-1898
Fair, Cool Early. Warming up toward noon. North wind. Minnie & I attended lawn social at Boch's house last nighjt. New bldg, 28th bet. Chambers and Burleigh. New bldg, 29th bet. Chambers and Burleigh.

8-13-1898
Fair. Cool. Northerly wind. Tickets for the War Concert. Each man got 25.

8-14-1898
Sunday:- Fair - cool - SE wind.

8-15-1898
Partly cloudy, cool SW wind. Heavy thunderstorm last night. Was up and closed windows. PM warm. High SW wind.

8-16-1898
Fari, cool, SW wind. Sprowls and Ben went to Cedar Lake. Started at 5:40 AM. I accompanied them as far as Painters on Fond du Lac Rd. Orders to be at Expo at 7 PM.

8-17-1898
Fair. Cool. NE wind. Stationed at Expo until 10:30 last night. Ordered to attend the Rep. State Convention at the Expo this morn at 8:45. Bock, Arnold Stolzenfeld, Dettman and myself. 1 PM. Arrested J.P. Williams, a delegate, for refusing to pay Hack drivere $1.00 for ride from Plankington to the Expo (which was perfectly legal).. Took him to Central and booked him for two D'd. Williams was drunk and offered driver 25 cts. Driver refused it & demanded $1.00 which Williams he would not pay. Later W. was discharged by Capt. J.L.

8-18-1898
Fair, cool northerly wind. Convention kept open till midnight. Scofield was nominated. Convention closed shortly after 6 PM.

6-19-1898
Fair, cool northerly wind. Got orders to take in Dopke's Beat for a day. D. doctoring for tape worm.

8-20-1898
Partly cloudy, southerly wind, warmer. Hot towards Eve. Dopke came back this morn. J.L. & wife & Sister Clara & cousin Lorinda came to dinner today. Lorinda goes home at 6:45 PM.

8-21-1898
Sunday:- Far & Hot. SW wind. Bro. J.L. preaches tonight.

8-22-1898
Fair, Hot. Southerly wind. Arrested Emil Brandt, 1119-22nd at 9:30 AM at 22nd & Wright on suspicion of having stolen a bicycle. Took to West side sta. & locked him up.
Dead cat, 958-23rd.

8-23-1898
Fair, Hot SW wind PM. Wind changed to NE, cool with showers. Edw. Stimm, No. Milwaukee claims the wheel stolen by Emil Brandt, 1119-22nd. Brandt has a partner by the name of Albert Kelley. Will try and find him. Brandt turned over to the Marshall of No. Mil. Dead cat, 958-23rd. New bldg., 22nd bet. Hadley & Locust. Heavy rain at 4:45. Everything flooded. Cellars are full. Storm lasted till 6:30 PM.

8-24-1898
Cloudy and samp. Everybody cleaning xellars and pumping water. Northerly wind threatens more rain. Heaviest storm of the seaon yesterday PM. Neighborhood quarrel: Dreyzehner, 1167-21;Prey, 1181-21st; Hartel, 1181-21st.

8-25-1898
Fair, cool, westerly wind. Fred Schmidt arrested Hune 30th at 697 Holton St. on charge of burlary will plead guilty in Municipal Court this morn. I got orders to take charge of the case as Spangler is on vacation. Went to Judge Wallberws court in the case of the State vs. Fred Schmidt. Pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year House of Correction. Got back to beat at 11:05 AM.
At 12:35 PM Arnold Mantai come to the Engine House on Center St. (No.22) with a large cut on his left hand. I took him to the Box & telephoned for wagon to take him to Emergency Hospital. There I found a large piece of lead pipe sticking out of his pocket. Then I went back to the Engine House & traced the blood spots to Hadley. Thence west to 2606 Hadley, thence along the west side of the house to the cellar window which was open. On the cellar floor there was a number of small pools of blood. Went to the Station at 1:45 and thence to the Dist. Atty's office, swore out a warrant for burlary & went to Central Sta. Found Mantai had his hand dressed at Emergency Hospital and was locked up at Central St. Returned the warr. & went to Werst Side Sta. Took piece of lead pipe & went to the house & found it fitted in the sink there both as to form and color of paint to lead pipe. Back to W. side sta. I got back to beat at 445. Mantai cut his hand trying to cut off the pipe in the basement. The house b elongs to J.F. LaBoule. Mr. LaB. being out of town, I swore out the warr.

8-26-1898
Partly cloudy and cool. Warming toward noon. Southerly Wind. Went to court with Mantai. Jos, Woppert & Harry Appel as witnesses. Bound over in the sum of $500.00 bond. Took lead pipe to Central Sta. Gave it to Bivens.

8-27-1898
Fair, cool. SE wind. Cool all day,. Met Sergt Schneider at 9 0'c..

8-28-1898
Sunday:- Fair, cool southerly wind. Quiet day.

8-29-1898
Fair, warmer, northerly wind. Met Sergt at 9:55. At 1:45 got orders to rep[ort at Schlitz Park to Sergt. Schneider at once. Picnic from Chicago. Relieved by night officer at 7 PM.

8-30-1898
Fair, warm southerly wind. Chas. Winkelman, Wd. Foreman, while intoxicated placed a plank against the door of the Box at 21st & Center. When I remonstrated with him, said he would pile stones all around the box. Witnesses, Taulley Wasne, 808-10th; Stanchikewsi, 896-11th Ave. W.C. Equitz Transfered from 1101-22nd to 1098-24th.

8-31-1898
Fair, warm, westerly wind. Clara came last night and went away this morn. Hot. Got checks at 2:45 PM.

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Key to names and places in this diary