Jail Romance Is Over

Helen Toews, Cleared, Leaves With Husband and Admirer Stays.

Helen Toews walked out of the county jail yesterday on the arm of Paul Wittcke, her first husband whom she declared she loved more than any other man, after the grand jury had returned a not true bill as a result of its investigation of the charge of polygamy, on which she was held in county jail.

John Keefe, her county jail admirer, whom she had never seen, was left behind, fretting away his time in solitary confinement, because he had contrived a scheme to pass love notes to the fair Helen in the women’s quarters and had plotted with her to escape.

Mrs. Toews, or Mrs. Wittcke, declared that her first act would be to file suit to annul her second marriage, which she declares was contracted when she believed Wittcke had procured a divorce from her.

The girl would say nothing about the secret jail courtship with John Keefe.

“You have to do something to pass away the time here or you’ll go crazy,” she told Wittcke.

Source: Portland Oregonian, February 28, 1915.

Couple In Jail Woo And Plan Escape

Helen Toews on Eighth Floor and John Keefe on Seventh Defy Walls and Bars.

LOVE NOTES INTERCEPTED

Woman Held as Having Too Many Husband and Alleged Land-Frander [sic] Plight Troth at Courthouse, by Use of String.

Love laughs at steel bars and concrete and rigid jail regulations as well as at locksmiths.

To this extent George H. Hurlburt, superintendent of the County Jail, is a wiser man. And yet he laughed unfeelingly yesterday as he told of shattering a romance within the jail.

Separated by a scant 10 feet of steel and concrete, hindered by strict rules and regulations and able only on rare occasions to hear each other’s voice, John Keefe and Helen Toews carried on a courtship, contracted an engagement and planned their future happiness. They also planned to escape from the jail and for this their romance suffered a sudden jolt.

Girl Released As Witnesses Fail to Show

Eleanor Walling, 19 years of age, who with Raymond Delano was arrested several weeks ago in connection with the burglary of the Violin Exchange on Regent street, March 27, was released on her own recognizance today and the case continued indefinitely by City Judge Noel S. Pratt, when witnesses for the state failed to appear to testify against here.  Delano, who pleaded guilty to burglary and grand larceny in this case, was recently sentenced to serve and indeterminate term in the state prison.

When the Walling girl’s case was called this morning, Ray S. McCarty, assistant county attorney, found that not a single state witness was in court to help prosecute the case and, upon his motion, the accused was given her liberty.  Before action on McCarty’s motion for a dismissal, Judge Pratt made an effort to get in touch with the state witnesses by telephone.  After waiting for half an hour, Judge Pratt ordered a dismissal entered in the case. 

Source: Salt Lake Telegram, April 23, 1923.

Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Violins

Raymond Delano pleaded guilty to second degree burglary and grand larceny in City Judge Noel S. Pratt’s court Friday and was bound over to the district court for trial.  Delano was arrested with Eleanor Walling after both were alleged to have broken into the Violin Exchange on Regent street and carried three violins and three violin cases to the total value of $530.  The burglary is alleged to have been committed March 23.  The Walling woman was not in court when her case was called.  She is named jointly in the complaint.

Source: Salt Lake Telegram, April 7, 1923. 

Arrested by Sheriff

Earl Goodrich, aged 22 years, was arrested this morning by Sheriff William Beasley on a charge of concealed weapons. Mr. Goodrich’s home is on Comstock avenue.

Source: Adrian Daily Telegram, March 27, 1923.

Hit By A Stone

Someone hit John Rochelle on the head with a stone at Third and Black streets Saturday afternoon about 4 o’clock and although the police investigated no clue to the stone thrower could be found.

Source: Hamilton Evening Democrat, October 25, 1903.

Granted Divorce From Convicted Husband

Joyce Ann Hawks was granted a divorce from John E. Hawks, Jr. by Judge Robert S. Hunter Friday morning in circuit court. She charged her husband was a convicted felon.

Mrs. Hawks testified that on Oct. 13, 1959, Hawks pleaded guilty to a charge of larceny in Clay county circuit court at Liberty, Mo., and was sentenced to two years at the Missouri state farm in Algoa. She was given permission to resume her maiden name, Joyce Ann Rorick.

Source: Quincy Herald Whig, August 12, 1960.

Two Are Caught About To Enter Filling Station

Are Surprised by Neighbor Who Holds Them For Police.

Surprising two youthful bandits as they were about to enter the Richardson filling station at Fourth and Spring streets. Elmer E. Wagner, second-hand dealer, held them prisoners at the point of a gun while his mother ran to police headquarters for aid, Sunday evening.

And on Monday morning he saw the pair—Roy Howard and Leo Rorick—arraigned in police court, and bound over to the circuit court.

Police believe that the capture of the pair may solve a number of petty robberies in the north end of town. Howard and Rorick, however, have admitted none of the jobs of which they are suspected.

Woman Sent to Workhouse.

Mrs. Carry Perry-Rorick had the police court to herself yesterday morning. She was arraigned on a charge of intoxication and was fined $5 and costs. She was unable to pay the fine and was sent down to the workhouse for 10 ½ days. The Rorick woman, who was only recently married, is addicted to the booze habit and was arrested on the levee Thursday morning by Officer Tom Ryan. It was thought best to send her down to the workhouse and give her a chance to sober up.

Source: Quincy Daily Whig, October 7, 1911.

They Copped the Copper

William Hayden and Charles Rorick were charged jointly in a warrant with having been guilty of destroying private property but when the case was called Attorney Coon announced that he had been retained to defend Rorick and therefore wished the defendants to be tried separately. The trial of Hayden was then proceeded with and when it was concluded and the defendant had been fined $5 and costs, $7.25 in all, Attorney Coon took a change of venue in the case and it was taken to the court of Judge Mays for adjudication Hayden admitted that he was in the company of Rorick when the latter went into the unoccupied saloon building, 218 North Front street, yesterday morning at about 9 o’clock, and testified that he and Rorick tore off the copper facing of the wash board behind the bars and tore out of the lining of the bottle box. This sheet copper they placed in a sack and were about to take it down to Rupp’s when Officer Tom Ryan, passing through Commercial alley, in the rear of the scene of depredation, saw the two men bearing a sack and dodging quickly out of view in the building. He entered and questioned them and found that Hayden’s left hand had been painfully cut. Both denied that anything was wrong but when the officer came upon the twisted copper they admitted that they had torn it from its fastenings. Rorick has a barber shop and restaurant at 216 North Front street, adjoining the vacant saloon building – formerly occupied by the late John Grave – has had access to the vacant room. The witnesses for the prosecution were Officer Ryan and William Binkert, of Binkert Bros., real estate agents. The officer testified to the facts of the arrest and Mr. Binkert testified to being agent for the building looted and that he had given no person permission to take away anything from the place or to destroy anything that was there.

When the attorneys and accused arrived at the office of Judge Mays the city asked for a change of venue and the case against Rorick was finally taken for trial to the court of Judge Bonney. There was a fine of $5 and costs was imposed on the defendant.

Source: Quincy Daily Herald, October 11, 1910.