Jerome Hostetter

Description

07-02-1901 – Jerome Hostetter – 1st documented date of employment

as police officer with the Marion City Police Dept.

Assigned as Extra Officer.

· D. O. B. – 06-01-1867 (Death Certificate) or 06-01-1866

(Headstone & Marriage license)

· Born in Wood County, West Virginia according to

marriage license, Belleville, West Virginia on death

certificate

· Father – Isaac Hostetter

· Mother – Frances Gram or Grant

· Married twice, first wife unknown had one child in this

marriage, a son named Writner.

· Second marriage was to Iva Jane Benson of Marion,

Ohio, with whom he had three children: Gladys, Beatrice

& Donald.

· 07-02-1901 – Marion Star

Jerome Hostetter was appointed as an extra policeman

to fill the positions of those taking vacations.

· 07-04-1905 – Jerome was assigned as a special officer on

this date.

· 1905-06 Directory lists Jerome as being an “interlocker”

and living at 913 Wood St.

· 03-05-1906 – Assigned as Special Officer on this date

· 04-23-1906 – Marion Star – Page #3

WORTHINGTON NEW CAPTAIN

Captain of Police A. K. Patterson turned his

paraphernalia over Chief Cornwell Sunday. Patterson’s

resignation was accepted at a special meeting of the safety

board held this afternoon. The name of Arthur T.

Worthington, the only officer who had taken the

examination for the captaincy, was submitted to Mayor

Scherff, who made the appointment of Worthington as

captain. Jerome Hostetter was appointed as patrolman to

fill the vacancy caused by the promotion of Worthington.

· 05-10-1906 – Marion Star – Page #8

W. M. Perkins of Forest, who until Wednesday had been

employed at the Marion Steam Shovel Shops, terrorized

several persons on the Boulevard, Wednesday evening, by

displaying a revolver and threatening to shoot everybody

with whom he came into contact.

Perkins after drawing his pay Wednesday morning,

became intoxicated, and going to his boarding house

conducted by Mrs. Charles Harruff on West Columbia

Street, drove Mr. Harruff from the house. About 7

o’clock in the evening, Perkins returned to the home of

Mrs. Harruff and demanded admittance. Owing to his

drunken condition, Mrs. Harruff refused to admit him.

At this time Mrs. F. M. Dies, who resides on the

Boulevard, started for the home of T. J. Bishop, who

resides nearby. While passing the Harruff home, Perkins

mistook her for Mrs. Harruff and, gun in hand, started

after her. She ran screaming to the door of the Bishop

home and on being admitted was too scared and

exhausted to relate her experience. Perkins followed her

up on the porch and demanded to see Mrs. Harruff.

When Mr. Bishop went to order the man away, he was

confronted with a revolver in the hand of Perkins. Mrs.

Bishop in the meantime was telephoning the police and

Perkins overhearing the conversation, made a hurried

departure.

Officer Hostetter, being at the station when the call for an

officer came in, made a hasty trip to the scene of the

trouble. He encountered the man, flourishing a gun, on

West Columbia Street, and as he approached him,

Perkins shoved the gun in the officer’s face. Before the

man had time to pull the trigger, Hostetter struck him on

the head with his club, knocking him to the ground and

rendering him unconscious. The patrol wagon removed

him to the city prison and Dr. J. B. Taylor was called to

dress the wound inflicted on his head.

When searched, Perkins was found in possession of a pair

of brass knuckles, a gun, two watches and about $20 in

cash. He was locked up on a charge of drunkenness,

disorderly conduct and carrying concealed weapons.

· 09-18-1906 – Marion Star – Page #8

Officer Jerome Hostetter has returned to day duty in the

West End after a week’s vacation. Officer Bond, who has

been working for Hostetter, has resumed his night work.

· 10-01-1906 – Assigned to district #5, for the month of

October

· 03-01-1907 – Assigned to the West End with Frame for

the month of March (There were no changes made in the

assigned districts in February)

· 08-01-1907 – Assigned to general patrol noon to

Midnight for the month of August

· 1907-08 Directory lists Jerome’s address as 907 Wood St.

· 07-28-1908 – Marion Star – Page #5

OFFICER IN NEGLIGEE HAS EXCITING CHASE

A policeman in negligee chasing a supposed thief through

streets and alleys in the West End furnished a spectacle,

shortly before noon today, that brought blushes to the

cheek of housewife and maiden and chagrin to the “cop,”

whose efforts at capture were futile.

A stranger called at the home of Jerome Hostetter, a

night policeman, who lives on Wood Street. He carried a

handsome pair of woman’s shoes, which he was anxious

to sell very cheap. Suspecting that the stranger had stolen

the shoes, Mrs. Hostetter invited him on the porch and

told him to sit down until she could call her husband.

Hostetter, aroused suddenly from his slumber, heard his

wife say something about “thief,” and leaped into his

trousers without removing his “nightie.”

“I am a policeman,” he told the man on the porch, “and I

guess I’ll just take you up and investigate where you got

those shoes.”

“Well, I guess you won’t,” retorted the purveyor of one

pair of shoes. Before the sleepy-eyed policeman could nab

him the fellow was gone. Hostetter did not hesitate to

think. He started in hot pursuit, sans hat, coat, shirt and

shoes. The suspenders to his trousers dangled along the

sides of his “nightie” played the tail to a human comet

flitting through streets and alleys. Unmindful of personal

appearance the policeman kept up the chase until the

fugitive climbed on a passing Hocking Valley freight

train and escaped. His feet covered with bruises,

Hostetter returned to his home. Small boys jeered him

along the way, but what cared the big guardian of the

peace for that, when he had bravely tried to do his duty.

He was filled with mortification, but a clear conscience

was his and he returned to home and peaceful slumber.

· 09-01-1908 – Assigned to the west end – days, for the

month of September

· 10-23-1908 – Marion Star – Page #5

OFFICER HOSTETTER RESIGNS POSITION

Jerome Hostetter, who has been a patrolman on the local

force for almost two years, tendered his resignation to

Mayor Scherff, Thursday, and it was accepted. There

was a charge against Officer Hostetter. Learning of this

and having another position in view, he tendered his

resignation. There are now three qualified men who are

not steadily employed on the force and the vacancy will

be filled by one of these.

· 02-11-1909 – Marion Star – Page #5

Jerome Hostetter, formerly on the Marion police force,

has been appointed lieutenant of the Erie police

succeeding E. C. Curry. Hostetter, who was named for

the place by Captain Roush, of Meadville, began his

duties this morning. He will have charge of the territory

between Ashland and Dayton. His headquarters will be

in Marion.

· Jerome stayed with the Erie until about August of 1909

when he took a position as a private detective.

· 01-13-1910 Jerome wanted at Glouster for giving away

intoxicating liquors in violation of the Rose Law

· 01-14-1910 Jerome is arrested by officers from Glouster

and released on a bond

· 03-17-1910 – Marion Star – Page #5

Jerome Hostetter, who passed the examination for

patrolman, filled a vacancy on the force, Wednesday

night, doing duty in the West End.

· 08-18-1910 – Officer Jerome Hostetter Fatally Shot. One

38 cal. round removed from Hostetter’s right side just

above the hip, during surgery 8-19-1910.

· Officer Hostetter and his partner Officer Harry D.

Fisher were checking the old Erie yard for two men who

had held up a citizen on Silver St. near Kenton Ave.

when Hostetter discovered a man sitting in a rail coach

& ordered him out. At this point the mans companion

fired from behind him through the coach window hitting

the officer.

· Officer Harry D. Fisher never fired a return shot.

· 08-19-1910 at 6:30 p. m. Officer Hostetter dies in the City

Hospital on Blaine Ave. of wounds received from the

shot. He was 43 years of age.

· Prosecuting Attorney Justice detailed Detective Edward

J. Masterson to work on the case an hour after the

shooting, Thursday night. Masterson, who has been

employed by the Pennsylvania railroad for years is

regarded as a keen sleuth, and has a wide knowledge of

crooks and their haunts.

· Officer Hostetter leaves behind a wife, Iva Hostetter

(formerly Benson) and four children, Ritner aged twelve

a son from his first marriage, Gladys aged seven, and

Beatrice aged three and a son two months old. The

Hostetter home was at 903 North Main St..

· Jerome Hostetter was buried in the Marion Cemetery

Lot #50, #83 Fields Section.

· According to reports from The Marion Star on 8-20-1910

Mayor Seiter had apparently taken over the investigation

into this shooting.

· While there were several arrests made initially none

proved to be the suspects. It wasn’t until J. A.

McLaughlin of Toledo a detective with the Pennsylvania

Railroad Company, who just happened to be on vacation

here at the time, got involved (there had been a reward of

$1,000 posted for the capture of the killer by the county

commissioners) that progress in the case was made and

two suspects were arrested. George Bohner aged

nineteen arrested in Chicago and Harry Houck aged

twenty-four arrested in Sidney.

· 09-14-1910 George Bohner is released having proved he

was not in town at the time of the shooting.

· 09-15-1910 Harry Houck is charged with murder of

Officer Hostetter.

· 10-22-1910 Harry Houck is indicted by the grand jury

for murder in the first degree in the death of Officer

Hostetter.

· 12-19-1910 Harry Houck’s trial began today.

· 12-23-1910 Jury charged as trial ends this date.

· 12-24-1910 Hung-Jury

· 01-30-1911 Indictment against Harry Houck for murder

is quashed at the request of the Prosecuting Attorney.

Houck’s immediate release is order by Judge William E.

Scofield.