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POLICE OFFICER F.A. EDMONDS : 1924 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY OF A POLICE OFFICER WHOSE DUTIES RANGE FROM KILLING WILD DOGS TO PLAYING PRACTICAL JOKES ON THE TOWNSPEOPLE OF OBERLIN OHIO

16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. On offer is an original 1924 manuscript diary handwritten by Police Officer F.A. Edmonds, who was a police officer in Oberlin Ohio. Officer Edmonds noted details of daily police work which was quite varied: killing and disposing of wild dogs; night watch duties; arrests and the hundreds of small matters a policeman might do in a small town. Historians and collectors of the area will find that Officer Edmonds had a dry terse sense of humor - here are some snippets: Jan 1 At 2:00 or 3:10 the Cleveland Elyria and Toledo Bus No LT 1245649 driven by M.G. Clark drove through passengers getting off the car from the East and a Mister G Showm, Toledo 2923 ___ St went West with it and held it here 10 minutes until the driver gave me his name, then I let him go. Jan 4 A Ford Sedan or Coupe left on West Call all night and at 4:oo pm I had it taken to the Buick garage. S No 909053. Jan 5 Found Haylors Book Store front door unlocked Called them. Jan 7 Found the back door at Watson's Store unlocked. Locked it. Jan 14 Found M D Spry's keys in his store door. Gave them to him today. Jan 17. Found the back door at Haylors Book store unlocked. Locked it and told Jules Durand about it. Jan 19 at 12:10 am was called to the Churchill House west Call and found someone had been in and left by the basement door. Feb 7 Truant Officer Swartz called and said that Orville Stevens of Groveland St 15 years old and had been missing from High school since Monday 4 from school. Feb 11 Found Apollo side door unlocked. Pulled safe over by the door and locked it. Feb 19 Found Ford garage Filling Station open Frank Howell locked it. Feb 22 Found J Wartons Filling Station unlocked Put card on it. April 10 Last night at 10:20 pm got a tip that Noram had been seen around Rob Tomas's on S Pleasant St and looking in the windows. I saw him go North Main St. Caught him at Union St Put him in lockup. Herman Tyler and Robert Tomas saw him. He denied being there at first, and then said he was. Mr Plank came over and took his fingerprints and some at Ernest Yokum on Woodland . Not the same he is still in Café. April 11 Found D Hobbs Restaurant front door unlocked. Went in took some candy. Locked up and ate the candy. May 2 Found the front door at Gibsons Store unlocked. Locked it and turned the candy canes around. [There were a number of entries listing things that he took from stores while he was relocking doors, but on May 25 he added the following entry: Found R and Parsons back door unlocked. S.S. Hobbs with me. Took Orange and apples and charged myself 1 package of sea shells noodles.] May 10 Jimmy Browdell had a fit and wants to die. So he turned on the gas and lay down to die. But they would not let him. Found him in the chicken house. May 15. The district nurse said that Nance of Railroad Street was in the family way. 5 or 6 months. May 18 Mrs Lock of Dascoum Cottage W Call St. said that a colored man was naked in view of the girls at her house. They caught Fred Quim. July 31 Found two wheels (bicycles) standing so as to obstruct the walk at the Martin Inn. I put one in lockup and someone took the other when they gave me a fake call on the phone. Aug 4 Birt Prosser came in at 1:30 and told me someone was around O House Oil Station. He took me up there and I found a Dodge touring car in Prospect street no lights and no one in it. S No 56-474 and as I went over to the station on the south side by the window was a man and he started to run. I said halt and as he didn't stop I fired at his leg. He fell over the side of the new work and just then another man came and helped him. I fired at them as they went around the corner and then ran around to the west side and fired two shots at them in the road. Then I got Mr Rickard to drive the car in for me. In the car was sledgehammer, large wrench , 1 suitcase, one traveling bag, cigars, cigarettes, and clothing, two blankets 1 coat 1 battery 1 can oil, one box chocolate bars It had a set of Penn. Plates No 52178424. Sept 13 Last night someone pried the back window at Van Kills Drg Store and pried open the cash drawer in the desk (Home Talent). They got $1.61 in pennies. Took nothing else." While the book is unsigned Officer Edmonds is identified from a number of ephemeral pieces that cam along with the diary. In the back of the diary he kept records of summons, court cases at which he testified, and orders that he received from the courts for seizure of property, warrants etc. In total there are 60 pages of entries in this notepad and all pages are securely attached. Overall G+.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good+

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