On This Day: April 4, 1910

Lake of the Isles Boulevard, ca. 1910 (Minnesota Historical Society)

From the Minneapolis Tribune:

DETECTIVES GET DUCKING IN RECOVERING AN AUTO

One of the quickest recoveries by the police of a stolen automobile was effected by the Detectives Martinson, Wirtensohn and Duffy, early Sunday morning, when it took them but 35 minutes to locate and return C. F. Rawitzer’s car, which was reported stolen at 12:05.

In their zeal to nab the thieves as well as recover the machine, two of the detectives received a ducking in Lake of the Isles, while the third narrowly escaped the same fate.

The officers started out on the quest in the police touring car and made directly for the Lake of the Isles boulevard, where their instinct told them they would meet the joy riders. They stopped two machines before they finally espied their quarry, when a lively race ensued.

There were two young men in the stolen auto and they seemed to scent danger, for they threw on the speed clutch and sped out the boulevard at a reckless rate, closely followed by the policemen. When they saw they were being overtaken, they ran their machine into an embankment near Twenty-eighth street and jumped for the lake shore. There was a splash and everything was quiet.

BOTH DASH INTO THE LAKE — B-RR!

‘Stop ‘em, stop ‘em!’ yelled Martinson, who was at the wheel, stopping the car. Duffy and Wirtensohn dashed after the fugitives with such ardor that both ran into the lake. Martinson was right in their wake, but saved himself from the cold bath by running into a tree.

With many lurid remarks, the two officers fished themselves out of the ‘drink,’ but in the meantime the joyous duo had disappeared in the darkness.

‘I hope they drown,’ growled Wirtensohn as he shook himself like a poodle, with which pious remark he crawled into the stolen machine and piloted it back to the garage at 2647 Girard avenue south. It was then 12:40 o’clock.

Another machine, belonging to George E. Worthingham, 3109 James avenue south, was stolen from his garage last night. The same detectives were sent out on the trail but were unsuccessful up to an early hour this morning. Mr. Worthingham believes he knows the two men who ‘borrowed’ his car.

Cedar Phillips

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