USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Political history of Chicago (covering the period from 1837 to 1887) Local politics from the city's birth; Chicago's mayors, aldermen and other officials; county and federal officers; the fire and police departments; the Haymarket horror; miscellaneous > Part 14
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183
THIE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
349 Center ave .; Assistant Engineer, George B. Hargan, 315 W. Taylor ; Drivers, Dennis Layden, 14 Wright, George Frinier, 459 W. Twelfth.
Engine Company No. 35 (478 W. North ave) .- Captain, August L. Schubert, 787 Washtenaw ave .; Lieutenant, Alfred W. Pendleton, Engine House ; Pipemen, Willian C. Fisher, 30 Evergreen ave., Henry Kaulbach, 667 Mil- waukee ave .; Engineer, William H. Kline, 468 W. North ave. : Assistant Engineer, Wilder B. Card, 560 W. North ave .; Drivers, Henry A. Michels, 28 Martine ct., Joseph O'Malley, 1118 N. Oakley ave.
Engine Company No. 37 (River Fire Boat, Allen's Slip, May and Twenty-second) .- Captain, William A. Cowan, 2863 Deering; Pipemen, Aaron Jansen, 256 Blackhawk, Frederick Goetz, 140 Canalport ave .; Pilot, Michael J. Driscoll, 14 Menominee ; Fireman, John F. Weine, 303 W. Twenty-second; Engineer, Robert Nicholson, 3058 Main, Assistant Engineer, Daniel F. Rice, 9 Carl ; Assistant. Pilot and Pipeman, James E. Nolan, 303 W. Twenty- second.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 (84 Pacific ave) .- Captain, Peter Trainor, 126 Sebor ; Lieutenant, Patrick Donahue, 148 W. Jackson; Truckmen, Henry Schroeder, 274 W. Twelfth, Thomas P. Breen, 336 S. Morgan, Otto H. Miller, 323 Twenty-third, William Langdon, 464 S. Desplaines, George Bauman, 78 Twenty-fifth, Frederick Heilmann, 315 S. State, Patrick O. Neil, 29 Chatham ct .; Truckman, Edgar K. Hand, 1605 Wabash ave .; Driver, George W. Cooke, 282 Honore.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 2 (195 S. Jefferson) .- Captain, William C. Van Osdel, 320 W. Harrison ; Lieu- tenant, James Pumphrey, 188 Brown ; Truckmen, Jacob Klein, 442 S. Clark, James Papineau, 386 Maxwell, James McGraw, 320 W. Harrison, John Long, 37 Ruble, Michael J. Reiser, 320 W. Harrison, Thomas Hanson, 276 W. Tay-
184
THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
lor, Timothy Smith, 179 N. Ashland ave., Thomas O'Day, 494 W. Fourteenth ; Driver, James Drew. 493 S. Morgan.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 3 (179 E. Erie) .- Captain, Frederick I. Ries, 76 Howe ; Lieutenant, Francis Conway ; 318 Webster ave., Truckmen, Thomas L. Conway, 179 Erie, August Seeger, 179 Erie, Joseph M. Cone, 179 Erie, Thomas L. Conway, 77 Cherry, John S. Hanson 124 W. Indiana, James Sweeney, 332 N. Franklin, Luke L. Agnew, 223 Elm ; Drivers, Helmer Hermanson, 188 Sedg- wick, Martin Lacy, 158 LaSalle ave.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 4 (322 E. Twenty-sec- ond) .- Captain, David W. Evans, 3037 Lyman; Lieutenant, Michael McNamara, 98 McGregor ; Truckmen, Patrick Carroll, 164 W. Twenty-first, John Cahill, 1241 Wabash ave., James Horan, 1916 Butterfield, Walter Stephens, 3133 Wahl, John L. Haslitt, 3025 Shields ave., William J. Burroughs, 322 E. Twenty-second, John Wagner, 2100 S. Clark, Thomas Barry, 322 Twenty-fourth; Driver, Matthew Hartigan, 2119 Wentworth ave.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 5 (440 W. Twelfth) .- Captain, Paul F. A. Pundt, 826 W. Twelfth ; Truckmen, John Sullivan, 482 Center ave., John Schott, 342 Blue Island ave., Dennis McSweeney, 243 S. Halsted, John Gormly, 858 S. Ashland ave., James J. Masterson, 319 W. Twelfth ; C. Truckman, John Harmon, 66 W. Nineteenth; Driver, Henry Lincoln, 219 Blue Island ave.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 6 (218 S. Franklin) .- Captain, Patrick O. Malley, 245 Mohawk; Lieutenant, Patrick Doyle, 107 Sholto ; Truckmen, Thomas Hannon, 71 Sholto, John Cramer, 416 North ave., Thomas Flavin, 193 Blackhawk, Benjamin O. Connor, 172 E. Indiana, James Redmond, 48 Boston ave., Stephen Gleason, 58 Finnell, Edward O'Brien, 44 Gurley, Owen White, 3707 Prairie ave .; Drivers, Michael Ahern, 109 W. Madison, John Quinn, 118 Brown.
185
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 7 (440 N. Lincoln) .- Captain, John Cook, 654 Carroll ave .; Lieutenant, Jacob Grauer, 432 W. Huron ; Truckmen, Patrick O'Connor, 573 Carroll ave., James McCabe, 976 W. Lake, William Burns, 592 Austin ave., Thomas Bidwell, 478 Austin ave., Herman Reich, 23 Bauman, John McCarthy, 375 W. Polk ; Driver, Thomas Haley, 520 W. Indiana.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 8 (102 Deering) .- Captain, Isadore P. Smith, 2854 Archer ave .; Lieutenant, Jolin W. Powers, 2952 Main ; Truckmen, Anthony Lagger, 3233 Wallace, August W. Wachholz, 2827 Bonfield, Tim- othy Murphy, 2811 Hickory, James Burke, 2102 Fifth ave., George T. Marks, 2859 Deering, George W. Tebbins, 2621 Mary ; Driver, Elmer E. Hartranft, 2913 Lyman.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 9 (Michigan ave. and Monroe, north end Exposition Building) .- Captain, John Nichol, 1323 Michigan ave .; Lieutenant, Charles Seyfer- lich, 489 Fifth ave .; Truckmen, William Bomhake, 288 Rush, Peter Curres, 241 Chestnut, Michael Moran, 1938 Archer ave., Thomas Gallagher, 182 Sherman, Joseph J. Feely, 1621 Wabash ave., Jeremiah J. Lorden, 468 W. Twelfth, Thomas O'Malley, 151 W. Jackson ; Drivers, Thomas Findley, 13 Newberry ave., Stephen Keegan, 351 Twenty-sixth.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 10 (524 N. Halsted) .- Captain, David O'Connell, 127 Larrabee ; Lieutenant, Thomas J. Carney, 248 E. Chicago ave .; Truckmen, John Tangney, 237 Mohawk, Robert G. Linberg, 524 N. Hal- sted, Nicholas Powers, 24 Grace, Jolin Riley, 26 Grace, Henry Becker, 29 Eugenie, George Woelfing, 580 N. Mar- ket ; Driver, John F. Kelley, 23 Judson; Driver, John Trent, 742 N. Halsted.
Chemical Engine Company No. 1 (49 W. Washing- ton) .- Lieutenant, William D. Quirk, 18 Belknap; Pipe- men, Charles Foreman, 144 N. Morgan, John Carmody,
186
THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
468 W. Twelfth ; Driver, John Kelly, Ashland and Archer avs.
Chemical Engine Company No. 2 (86 W. Erie) .- Lieutenant, William T. M. Figg, 260 W. Chicago ave .; Pipemen, John V. Shay, 126 S. Desplaines, John C. Thome, 2109 S. Clark ; Driver, Thomas Fitzgerald, 106 Marble pl.
THE POMPIER CORPS.
This service is an invaluable adjunct of the fire depart- ment. Originating in St. Louis, it has gradually found its way into the majority of metropolitan places, and has proven of incalculable good in the saving of lives at fires. The apparatus which is attached to the several Hook and Ladder companies of Chicago is a scaling ladder about six- teen feet long. At its upper end is a wrought iron hook with a serated inner edge, reaching about three feet, and clutching securely any window sill. The rungs or foot places for the man or men who use the ladder protrude about six inches on either side of the pole. The pompier men wear a broad belt around the waist. It is of canvas and leather about six inches wide and can sustain several persons. To this belt a strong strap attaches a wrought iron snap hook, whereby the man can preserve his balance by using both hands. By taking a few turns of a rope around the hook the men can not only lower themselves by means of the rope, but even take a couple with them. The rope is 100 feet long, half an inch thick, of the best quality of hemp, and weighs only four pounds. There are a ground ladder and time drill, evolutions on ladders, des- cent, straddling sills, ascending in oblique directions, and rope exercises. Placing the ladder on the ground the men raise the ladder to the breast, and then place the ladder horizontal above the head :
At a fire No. 1 places his ladder against the building
187
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
and raises it so that the neck of the ladder touches the building :
Then the look is turned into the building over the sill. Then No. 1 starts up to the second story on the lad- der. Reaching the hook, and with both feet close to the pole, he fastens lis snap hook to the neck of the ladder, and by leaning back so steadies himself as to raise the next ladder. No. 2 hands him this which he raises to the third story. No. 2 climbs to the second story, and then raises the ladder of No. 3, and thus the chain is made.
Four men on Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, have frequently scaled a ninety-five foot tower in less than two minutes. When rooms have high ceilings by the aid of the pompier ladder a man can reach' six feet higher, standing on the sill, than by working from an ordinary ladder. Eiglit men at the same time can cover four different parts of the buildings or front of a row of buildings.
One man with the apparatus can mount to the top of a building. Reaching the top of the ladder the man straddles the window sill and lifts the ladder to the window of the next story.
When two men operate the ladder, No. 1 enters the window by straddling the sill, No. 2 follows and is held in position by No. 1, who catches No. 2 by his snap hook. The rope is the most arduous part of the drill. The life line is used only in case there is one person to be saved or the pompier is cut off. The upper end of the rope is fastened to the neck of the highest ladder, then the pompier stands on the sill and the person to be saved or the other pompier thrusts his head through the out-stretched limbs of the first, holding the handles of the latter's belt. The turns around the snap-hook act as a block and the descent can be made slowly or rapidly by one or both hands of the first.
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THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
While many lives have been saved by this service, the life of the pompier corps is yet a very perilous one.
THE FIRE ALARM SERVICE.
Up to the introduction of the electrical fire alarm sys- tem, in case of fire the signal from the alarm bell was, in every instance preceding the district number, eight strokes of the bell, and then as follows : First district, 1 stroke ; second, 2 strokes ; third, 3 strokes ; fourth, 4 strokes ; fifth, 5 strokes ; sixth, 6 strokes. For a general alarm the signal was the continual ringing of the bell.
On June 2, 1865, the system was inaugurated with 120 miles of wire ; 106 signal boxes ; fourteen engine house gongs ; six bell strikers ; six dial instruments for police purposes and central office apparatus, costing $70,000. The first engine responding to a call the "Economy" half a mile distant made it in thirteen minutes; the "Northern Star Hose," two and a half miles in nineteen minutes. E. B. Chandler was the first Superintendent and his assistant was John P. Barrett, the present Superinten- dent. The service has advanced beyond this: 3,478 tele- graph poles, 565 miles wire in air, 28 miles wire in cables, 511 fire-alarm boxes, 174 keyless doors, 40 jokers and at- tachments, 13 bells and strikers, 52 engine-house gongs, 332 telephones, 3,100 battery jars, 1 four-dial repeater.
VOLUNTEER SERVICE.
The following were the chiefs of the volunteer fire de- partment: Hiram Hugunin, 1835, six months; George W. Snow, 1836, one year; John M. Turner, 1837, one year; Luther Nichols, 1840, one year; A. S. Sherman, 1841-2, two years; Stephen F. Gale, 1843-6, three years; C. E. Peck, 1847-8, two years; Ashley Gilbert, 1849, one year; C. P. Bradley, 1850-1, two years; U. P. Harris, 1852-3, two years; James M. Donnelly, 1854, one year; Silas;
1
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
McBride, 1855-6, two years; Denis J. Swenie, 1858-9, two years ..
The first volunteer engine company was organized Dec. 12, 1835, and was called the Fire King. Its offi- cers were S. G. Trowbridge, Foreman; Alvin Calhoun, Assistant-Foreman ; A. D. Hamilton, Secretary ; H. G. Loomis, Treasurer; and Ira Kimberly, Steward. On Dec. 11, 1837, the second engine was organized. It was called the Tradesman's, afterward the Metamora. Follow- ing is a list of the companies with their forenian and date of organization up to the birth of the paid fire depart- ment:
Name.
Organized.
Niagara.
Nov., 1844.
Red Jacket.
Nov., 1846.
Excelsior Nov., 1846.
Garden City
.Aug., 1849.
Lawrence. .Sept., 1850 ..
Waubansia. .Dec., 1851.
New England. .Feb., 1854.
W. B. Bateham.
John Schanks.
Wideawake .Jan., 1856.
Neptune.
.Feb., 1856.
H. Beebe.
T. E. Courtney.
John M. Lambin.
Conrad Foltz.
HOSE COMPANIES.
Philadelphia. Jan., 1845.
Hope. .Oct., 1850.
Lone Star .Dec., 1851.
L. Meyer.
Lafayette .Sept., 1855.
M. W. Powell.
Liberty.
Dec., 1856.
John B. Dickey.
Lady Washington
Jan., 1857.
John R. Clark.
HOOK AND LADDER COMPANIES.
Pioneer
Oct., 1835.
Rescue.
Nov., 1855.
L. Warwick.
Empire.
March, 1857.
Foreman.
George F. Foster.
F. T. Sherman.
A. S Sherman.
Charles Morton.
Mathew Conley.
Frank Hathaway.
Washington Jan., 1855.
George Ross.
Red Rover
.Jan., 1857.
Torrent
March, 1857.
Northern Liberty.
Dec., 1858.
J. B. Johnson.
S. O. Eames.
A. Reary.
189
190
THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
THE PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Under the paid system in 1860 the first roster was as follows: Chief of the Department, U. P. Harris; First Assistant, Darius Knight; Seeond Assistant, J. J. Lang- don; Fire Commissioners, South Division, Ira Coleman; North Division, D. H. Howard; West Division, C. A. Warner. Volunteer Companies: Niagara Engine Com- pany, No. 3; Ameriea, No. 9; Neptune, No. 11; Torrent, No. 13; Northern Liberty, No. 15; Union, No. 8. Paid
Department: Steam Engine "Long John," No. 1; "En- terprise," No. 2; "Atlantie," No. 3; "Island Queen," No. 4; U. P. Harris, No. 5; Little Giant, No. 6. Fire districts same as in 1858.
The following have been the chiefs of the paid depart- ment: D. J. Swenie, 1859; U. P. Harris, 1859-68; R. A. Williams, 1868-73; sueceeded by Mr. Benner and the pres- ent ineumbent, D. J. Swenie.
The alarm for the great fire was sounded from box 342,
191
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
at 9:20 P.M., October 8, 1871. The "Little Giant " No. 6, was the first arrival. The fire started in a cow stable owned by Mr. Thomas O'Leary, in the rear of 137 DeKoven street. A fierce southwest wind prevailed, and all combustible matter was very dry. The firemen were very much fatigued by their labors at a very large fire the night preceding. They worked with a will, but unavail- ingly. In one hour and fifteen minutes the flames had swept away thirty-two blocks of buildings, covering eighty acres, and involving a loss of about $1,475,000. The con- flagration having spread to the south division the depart- ment hurried thither. No earthly power, however, could stay the flames. Within the space of twenty-eight hours 25,000 buildings, covering 2,000 acres, had been destroyed.
R. A. Williams was fire marshal at the time ; John Schanck, First Assistant; Lorenz Walters, Second Assistant; Matthias Benner, Third Assistant.
The following companies were engaged in the uneven contest with the flames. They had nine members each, commanded by the men named :
Long John, A. McMonagle ; Waubansia, M. Sullivan ; Wm. James, J. McLean ; Jacob Rehm, G. Charlson ; Chi- cago, C. Schimmels ; Little Giant, James Enright ; Econ- omy, N. Dubach ; Frank Sherman, J. A. Kinney ; J. B. Rice, J. J. Walsh ; A. C. Coventry, L. J. Walsh ; T. B. Brown, F. W. Tapling ; A. D. Titsworth, M. W. Shay ; Frederick Gund, D. J. Swenie ; Illinois, William Mullin ; Winnebago, John Dreher ; R. A. Williams, C. T. Brown. The following were the Hook and Ladder, Companies : No. 2, M. Schull ; 3, J. H. Green : 4, George Ernst.
No. 7 Engine Company was a relief engine, and was located at 80 West Lake street, and Benjamin Rice was engineer.
Two hose elevators and the following supply hose carts were in service :
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THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
No. 1, Leo Meyers; 2, John Dorsey ; 3, Matthew Schuh ; 4, J. C. Schmidt ; 5, J. J. Grant ; 6, Thomas Barry .
Three fire engines were destroyed, the "William James," the "Liberty," which were in the repair shop, and the " Fred Gund," which was lost at the corner of Canal and VanBuren streets. Fire Marshal Swenie was foreman of the company at the time.
The following firemen have lost their lives in the service: Charles Albert, August 31, 1883; Nicholas Barth, May 3, 1867; George Berg, March 5, 1869 ; Erastus S. Bowen, October 19, 1883 ; Charles Bird, May 3, 1885 ; John Culling, January 10, 1870 ; John Carroll, January 1, 1876 ; James F. Conway, January 22, 1881; Henry T. Coyle, July 14, 1879 ; Edward Cudmore, December 9, 1885 ; John Farrell, March 12, 1874 ; George E. Fuller, January 7, 1875 ; Ignatuis Geis, June 7, 1865 ; John Geis, May 3, 1867; Daniel Heartt, January 7, 1866; Jacob Heldt, May 3, 1867; Daniel Hartnett, July 12, 1877; John Hanlon, January 5, 1881 ; George A. Kelly, Novem- ber 7, 1882 ; David B. Kenyon, October 25, 1884; Peter Marayette, March 5, 1869 ; Martin Mulvey, May 3, 1885 ; Andrew J. McEvoy, May 22, 1883; Patrick Murphy, October 19, 1883 ; Charles Noble, September 23, 1866 ; Thomas O'Brien, March 5, 1869 ; John O'Rourke, Novem- ber 14, 1877; Thomas O'Shaughnessey, October 14, 1880 ; William H. Perry, June 4, 1881 ; George H. Rau, August 8, 1879 ; John H. Straining, November 14, 1877 ; Richard J. Sweeney, January 10, 1877 ; Edward Smith, June 20, 1880 ; Michael Sullivan, June 23, 1883; William Toner, May 9, 1863 ; Charles Wiltz, March 5. 1869.
3
4
E
BENNER'S FIRE ESCAPE.
193
13
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
FREDERICK EBERSOLD.
The Chief of Police was born March 30, 1841, in the town of Ixheim, county of Zweibrucken, Rhine province of Bavaria. His father and mother dying in one night on February 6, 1856, he left home and came to America, find- ing friends in New York. In February, 1857, he came to Chicago and apprenticed himself with J. J. West, 197 Lake street, to the varnishing trade. In 1859 he bought grain, etc., in Mendota, Ill., and was so engaged when the war broke out. He enlisted April 19, 1861, in Company B, Twelfth Illinois Infantry, and was shortly made a corporal in the three months service. Mustered out at Cairo, Ill., in August, 1861, he came home sick, but again enlisted September 15 or thereabouts in Company I, of the 58th Illinois Infanty formed at Camp Douglas, as a sergeant, and served until August 25, 1865. The regiment was attached to the First Brigade, Second Division, Fifteenth Army corps (Sherman's old corps), and fought at Shiloh, Russell House, Corinth, Arkansas Post, Vicksburg, Jack- son, Mission Ridge, Atlanta, and was present at the final sur- render of General Johnson at Raleigh, N. C. He retired with the rank of captain. He lost all he saved in the army in the commission business. On July, 9, 1867, he was appointed patrolman on the Chicago police force. He was made a sergeant in the Twenty-second street district and a lieutenant in 1875. He was promoted to a captaincy by Carter Harrison, of the first precinct, was transferred to the second precinct, thence to the third, to the Central
194
195
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
station in command of the central detail, and on April 22, 1884, back again in command of the first precinct. On August 15, 1885, he was promoted to the inspectorship to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the lamented Colonel Welter, and on October 15 he was made general superintendent of police.
JOHN BONFIELD.
Police Inspector Bonfield was born in the city of Bath- urst, New Brunswick, in April, 1836. From 1858 to 1868 he was a locomotive engineer on the Chicago & Alton road. Positions in Hoff's packing house, in Wahl's glue factory, experience in the grocery business, and a term in the Custom House followed. He and his brother purchased a fertilizing establishment, but it proved a failure. January 1878 he joined the police force and he was detailed as a detective at Twenty-second street station. Chief Mc- Garigle subsequently put him on the detective force at the central. He afterward served successively as Lieutenant of the Twenty-second street station, Lieutenant of the West Twelfth street station, Lieutenant of the Madison street station, and chief of detectives at the Central. Cap- tain Bonfield did much to advance the police patrol service, working out the details of the system that have made it so thoroughly effective.
WILLIAM BUCKLEY.
Capt. William Buckley, the Commander of the First Precinct, has been on the Chicago Police Department over twenty years. The active part he had taken in running down criminals and preserving the peace during his entire career on the force aroused the enmity of several criminals; and he narrowly escaped assassination at the hands of the supposed murderers of Mckeever, who was killed in the race between "Butler " and "Cooley" on the turf. Among other experiences the Captain received a severe beat-
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THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
ing by a gang of roughs while returning from St. John's church with his wife, March 10, 1871, and was dragged under a private carriage by a contumacious driver, barely escaping from being trampled to death under the horses' feet.
The Captain was born in Ballyhone, parish of Afhane, county of Waterford, Ireland, June 9, 1832. At the age of sixteen he came to America and located in New York. His first employment was on the farm of Col. George D. Coles, at Glencoe, Queens county. In 1856 he came to Chicago, after having worked on a farm in Warren county, Ohio. Col. R. J. Hamilton placed him in charge of his coal business here, and he subsequently entered the em- ploy of Law & Strother, coal dealers. He joined the police force in 1865, and after eight years active duty had climbed the steps from patrolman to captain. He received his commission as captain July 14, 1873, when Capt. Hickey resigned. Mr. Buckley is thoroughly acquainted with his district, and has taken a great interest in the wel- fare of the south side.
SIMON O'DONNELL.
The bluff and tireless Commander of the West Twelfth street district was born in 1834 in Clare County, Ireland, and came to America in 1853. He at once located in Chicago and went farming; lie steamboated subsequently. On April 7, 1862, he was appointed on the police force by Chief Bradley, and did duty from the old Armory, corner of Franklin and Adams streeet. For six years lie did duty on the crossing at Lake and Clark streets. His popularity in this section led, in a great measure, to his promotion. Created a sergeant, he was detailed to Twelfth street. and soon rose to the rank of captain. He spent four years at Harrison street station. The deputy superintendency of police and then the general superintendency followed under
197
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Carter Harrison. In December, 1881, he resigned and came back to his present position as Captain at West Twelfth street. The first patrol wagon left his station, and he has done much in the development of the patrol service.
WILLIAM WARD.
Captain William Ward of the Third precinct succeeds Captain Bonfield, is about thirty-five years old, has lived in Chicago all his life, and has been a policeman for over ten years, during which time he has served almost con- tinuously in the district of which he is now in control. He is energetic and is well able to fill the position to which he is assigned. He ordered the crowd to disperse at the Haymarket.
AMOS W. HATHAWAY.
The Captain of the Fourth precinct has been connected with the Chicago police force for over twenty years, becom- ing a patrolman at old North Market Hall, associations of which, in the memory of old-time Northsiders, are spoken of in the same breath with his name today. He was stationed here for three years. In 1868 he was sergeant of the Huron street station, and under Washburn he was made a lieutenant. On August 1, 1879, he was made a captain at East Chicago avenue. On April 22, 1884, he was transferred to West Chicago avenue station. The Captain was married in 1862 to Miss Rosalia Russell, and is the father of nine children.
Captain Hathaway is a son of Providence (R. I.), and was born in that city May 29, 1839. His mother dying when he was only five months old, his grandmother took him to a farm near Oswego, New York. She subsequently removed to Jefferson County, where Hathaway worked until he was eleven years of age. He now went to Oswego on what he had saved working in a huckle-berry swamp.
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THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
He at once was employed by Smith & Kind, machinists, where he worked for three years. He subsequently ran a stationary for W. H. Whalen. He then boarded the E. W. Cross, plying between Oswego and Chicago, and fol- lowed the lakes up to 1855. In 1857 and 1858, impelled by the western fever, he visited Lawrence, Kansas, and in the company of such men as Col. James Lane, was a wit- ness to the exciting episodes in that day and place. In 1860, after some service on a farm in Palatine, he located permanently in Chicago. He first obtained a position as foreman in the Mechanical Bakery, corner of Clinton and Lake streets, which, under the proprietorship of Henry C. Childs, supplied the Union army with so much hard tack. At one time the institution used as many as 100 barrels of flour every twenty-four hours. He took to sailing once again for a short time and then joined the police force.
MICHAEL SCHAACK.
The Captain of the Fifth precinct is one of the ablest and most modest men on the Chicago police force. For a long time "his light was hid under a bushel," through the force of circumstances; but the monstrous crime of Mulkowski, ยท sentenced to death for the killing of Mrs. Alice Kledzick, revealed a detective skill in Captain Schaack, which, in that particular line of service, challenges comparison any- where. The evidence submitted to the Criminal Court, than which no circumstantial testimony was more conclus- ive, was introduced by Captain Schaack. The proceedings disclosed that the Captain was a magnificent reader of human nature, and the press and the public were not slow in recognizing the fact.
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