Three times I’ve started writing a blob about the famous crime fighter in our family, Big Joe Kozlovsky. He was my husband Gene’s great uncle, but he was also the town Marshall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa from 1898 – 1906, and the crooks didn’t stand a chance!
Every time I start trying to write about Joe, I get side-tracked with all the fascinating news articles about his crime-busting activities —and the way they were reported.
Take this case for example. This is a two column story in the Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette on June 28, 1898. I’m going to present it just as it appeared in print, so you’ll know I’m not making this up. (Sorry about the resolution. You may have to enlarge it).
Just so you understand the horrendous nature of the crime, it involved the theft of the pocketbook of an elderly woman by two alleged pickpockets. Contained in the purse was an envelope containing some pins, a small brush, two hankies, and “a considerable amount of money” – a twenty dollar bill. But fear not. The ever-vigilant Marshall fought for justice and nabbed the two culprits!
You’ll note that at the time of publication, the judge dismissed the case due to its circumstantial evidence, and so the Cedar Rapids jury never got to hear Marshall Kozlovsky’s “evidence” of the villains’ dastardly deeds in other towns. Those crooks must have had winning personalities because this wasn’t the first, or the last time, they were able to convince a judge or an “imbecile” jury of their innocence. That seems to be why the Gazette found it necessary to step in and re-try the case in their trusty newspaper.
The pickpockets might have been declared innocent, but apparently, Big Joe held them in jail long enough to turn them over to the Minneapolis Police Inspector who then hauled them away. If the Minneapolis cop kept his word, the Marshall may have got the $100 reward that was out for William Smith for horse theft.
But what happened to the two pickpockets next reads like a comic book, or a law-and-order Hollywood movie script. Unbelievable but true.
To be continued next week so I have time to recover from reporting all this thrilling drama.
I liked this story! By the way ,as I try to ‘click like’ the software format won’t recognize me. Anyway I was struck by the drawing of Big Joe Kozlv. Your grandson Bryce really looks like the Marshall. The events that hooked the 2 criminals reminded me of the famous phrase – “history is stranger than fiction”. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the story. The story reminded me that when we recently visited you ,Chris did not get time to tell you a Very interesting story about a person back in the late 1800s trying to do ‘criminal harm ‘to a family of your Gorman ancestors. It happened near Vinton Iowa. Cue up the music from Law & Order .
Good story. In researching our Kozlovsky’s I found the birth for his father WJ and marriage for his grandmother . Those things can be found on family search. I wonder if octowoman has anything on WJ’s father Joseph he is part of our family.