Douglas County Past: Philbrook manslaughter case goes to trial

Oct. 28—Oct. 27, 1893

City news notes

Frank A. Mannen, T.V. Badgeley, Dave Smead and Frank Ruger returned from a duck shoot at Devil's Lake this morning. The party brought home their guns. That's all.

T.M. Kennedy has been reinstated foreman in the Terminal yards by Supt. F.B. Eldred.

The board of education will meet tomorrow night to dispose of the coal contracts.

Oct. 27, 1933

Superior news in brief

NRA Broadcast — Robert Feidler, Cooper junior high, and Betty Curtis, Pattison junior high, will broadcast their winning NRA essays Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Over radio station WEBC.

Douglas County farm group discusses ways, means at Hawthorne

The Douglas County Farm Holiday association was meeting Friday afternoon in the town hall at Hawthorne to plan methods of procedure in taking part in the state and national farm strike in which the county unit has decided to join.

The strike is scheduled to get underway officially Saturday at midnight. The Douglas county association voted Wednesday afternoon to participate in the strike, but set the time for striking to late Saturday in order that ample notice might be given all farmers in the county.

Arthur E. Mattson, Wentworth, president of the association, has said that the strike will continue until notice of its termination is received from Arnold Gilbert, state president.

Few, if any, farmers are yet withholding milk or other farm commodities, D.H. Kellogg, manager of the Twin Ports Cooperative dairy at South Superior, reports, "we haven't felt any strike effects as yet." The South End diary daily receives milk from approximately 800 producers.

Coal victim unconscious

Charles Hendricks, 52, 615 Broadway, was still unconscious and in a critical condition at St. Mary's hospital Friday after being buried under several tons of coal Thursday at the Philadelphia and Reading coal dock.

Attaches at the hospital said his condition is quite serious, that he has head and back injuries and that one side of his body is completely paralyzed.

Hendricks was engaged with other workmen in loading coal into boxcars. The chute failed to function properly according to a report. Fellow workers investigated and found Hendricks under a large pile of coal with only one leg protruding.

Dock officials were unable to explain how it happened.

Philbrook case to jury; three possibilities

After listening for four days to sensational testimony a circuit court jury Friday afternoon was given the Walter Philbrook manslaughter case with the instructions of Judge W.R. Foley to return one of three verdicts, guilty of manslaughter in first degree, in fourth degree, or acquittal.

The state throughout has attempted to prove that Andrew Morman, a trustee prisoner at the workfarm June 25, died of hemorrhages of the brain caused by blows dealt by Philbrook, then superintendent. The state has tried to show that Philbrook first beat Morman in the cell block, where other prisoners viewed the beating, and then went into the solitary confinement cell several times, each time inflicting further punishment upon the prisoner.

The defense has contended throughout that Morman died of injuries either suffered the afternoon of June 25, when he was drunk and attempting to escape, or when he fell off his bunk in the solitary cell to the floor. The defense has attempted to show that during the afternoon trouble, Morman fell 10 steps into the work house basement and landed on his head and shoulders on the cement floor. The defense of Philbrook is based principally upon this fall of which the only witness was a workfarm guard.

Morman was discovered dead on the floor of the solitary cell the morning of June 26.

Oct. 28, 1893

The lighthouse by the sea

Capt. R.W. Sanborn, the keeper of Superior light on the end of the pier on Wisconsin Point, is more happily situated than most light house keepers.

He is within easy distance from the city, he has scores of visitors almost every day, and the government furnishes him and his assistant one of the best and most substantial dwelling houses at the head of the lake. Capt. Sanborn's home, unlike those of most men in his occupation, is no hermitage. His dwelling is a conspicuous object on Wisconsin Point.

The government light house board has become more liberal in recent years in making appropriations for the comfort of their light house keepers and they are no longer expected to live in the base of the tower or a hut nearby.

Capt. Sanborn's dwelling is a double house; is of brick finished in hardwood and together with barn and other outhouses cost $10,000. The new light house is simply the old one in a new place. The light house tower which stood on the opposite pier has been transferred and placed upon a skeleton base formed of heavy timbers. The tower rests upon a stone crib which is as solid as anything can be.

Unfortunately the old records of the Superior light house are in a bad state of preservation. In fact there are no records at all of the earlier years of its existence. Capt. Wilson was the name of the first light keeper, and he held the position for a long time. Following him came Henry Saxon, who also trimmed the lantern for many years. He is now a resident of Duluth and is a very old man.

P.J. McCann was the lightkeeper in the 70s and the records show his signature, "P.J. McCann, ex-alderman from Marquette." C.H. Grover and H.H. Malone followed in their order as keepers of the light. Capt. Sanborn, the present incumbent, assumed the responsibilities attached to the office in 1887.

Doing a good work

The reading room and restaurant conducted at the corner of Tower avenue and Third street under the auspices of the King's Daughters is filling a very worthy mission. The reading room is free and the lunch room serves food at a cost which it is figured will maintain the institution. The lunch room will serve a wholesome meal at 10 or 15 cents. Beans with bread and butter and coffee costs 11 cents.

Oct. 28, 1933

Superior news in brief

To give play at church — The young people of Hammond Avenue Presbyterian church will present the play, "The Church That Was Killed," at the meeting of the Woman's assembly next Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at the church. Mrs. Hugh W. Brace will lead the devotions. Cast in the play are Thomas Patterson, Lyle Van Cleve, Mabell Cleveland, Albert Drakenberg, ilene Hagen, Richard Carlson, Anna Salin, Joy McLennan and Merlin Fisher.

Oct. 30, 1933

Boy dies of paralysis

Infantile paralysis claimed its third victim in Superior Sunday in two months.

Donald James Routh, 8, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry L. Routh, 1924 Banks avenue, died Sunday at the home of his parents following a four-day illness of the disease.

The two other victims of infantile paralysis were a Superior girl and a Town of Superior boy.

Born in Broken Bow, Neb., June 21, 1925, the Routh boy came here with his parents four years ago. He was a third grade student at the Howe school.

Articles and pictures courtesy of retired librarian Judy Aunet with Superior Public Library.