Saturday, June 13, 2015

The family of Sherman Elwood Dodge

Here is a post I never expected to write...the family of Sherman Elwood Dodge. For years, I knew that Sherman had been married and divorced and that he had lost a child during his brief marriage. For years, this is all I had found and knew about Sherman's family...until now.

Let me start with their child. Sherman's wife, Mary May Brown, divorced him in the fall of 1903. Her divorce complaint stated that in May of 1902, she was pregnant with their child. Early on in my research, I had come across the following burial record from the Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

Dodge, S.E. - 22 June 1902 (interment date) - Stillborn - Child of

I made the presumption that this could possibly be Sherman's child because of the initials, and the presumption was confirmed with the divorce complaint and the newspaper articles I had found that chronicled the divorce trial. Yet, I still didn't have a birth record or an exact date of birth. Last week, I found a birth record for Sherman's child. Their child was stillborn on 30 May 1902. Below are the birth and records I received from the Colorado State Archives, in addition to the interment record.





Now, on to Sherman's wife; Mary May Brown. When I started, I knew that she and Sherman had married and divorced. I didn't know anything about her background, where she was born, where she grew up, her parents or what happened to her after the divorce. This last week has changed a lot of that.

I first found out that after the divorce, Mary stayed in Denver. She remarried; on March 17, 1907 she married a man named Judson C. Bayless. Below is the marriage record. On it, she lists her divorce date as October 1, 1903 as well as the reason for the divorce: desertion.


This last week, I came across the book The Wine Family in America, First Section © 1952. This book lists Mary May Brown as a daughter of Joseph White Brown and Elizabeth Wine. This book lists her date of birth as December 5, 1868 and her date of death as June 10, 1918. It also lists her marriage to Judson Bayless. However, this book doesn't list any places to accompany the dates, nor does it list the date and place of her marriage to Judson Bayless (not to mention it omits her marriage to Sherman Elwood Dodge). 

I searched for Mary and her family just last night, and I have found much of the information I was hoping to find. The book does list the marriage date for her parents (July 9, 1861). After searching on familysearch.org, I found that her parents had married at Lancaster, Keokuk, Iowa. I then decided to search the Census records in Iowa for Joseph White Brown. I found him in the 1850 & 1860 US Census and the 1856 Iowa Census. Joseph White Brown had previously been married to a Martha H. (last name unknown) and that they had several children together. I had also found Joseph W. Brown (spelled Browne) in the 1880 Census in Texas with Mary and her two sisters, Margaret Brown (b. 1865) & Louisa Brown (b. 1872). According to the 1880 Census, Mary was born in Missouri. 

The information for Joseph Brown in the 1880 Census matched what I had found in the other Census Records, but I still hadn't found the 1870 Census. I have found over the years that if you can't find the person you are looking for in the Census, try looking for their children and very likely you will find who you are looking for. This is what I did for the 1870 Census; I looked for some of his children in the 1870 Census, and I was able to find Joseph White Brown, his wife Elizabeth, and their children. However, most of their children are not listed with the correct last name. 

In the 1870 Census, in between Joseph and most of his children is a man by the name of Joseph W.B. Cook and two other individuals who are apparently part of this Cook family. After these three people are listed, the census record returns to enumerating Joseph Brown's children, but does not return to the correct last name. Upon a casual glance, these children appear to have the last name of Cook as well. However, when you compare the children with the children of Joseph White Brown in the 1860 Census, it is immediately clear that these children are those of Joseph White Brown, including Mary May Brown, who is a little girl of one year old. Below are the 1850, 1860, 1870 & 1880 US Census and the 1856 Iowa Census for Joseph White Brown and his family.

1850 US Census - Monroe, Johnson, Iowa

1856 Iowa Census - Jefferson, Johnson, Iowa

1860 Census - English Township, Keokuk, Iowa


1870 Census - Preston, Jasper, Missouri. Joseph White Brown's family begins at the bottom of the first page and continues onto the next page; his family is interrupted by a family with the last name of Cook; the 1860 Census verifies that these are indeed the children of Joseph White Brown. 

1880 Census - Tarrant County, Texas - Mary is listed with her father and two sisters

Sometime before 1900, Mary May Brown moved to Denver, Colorado. She is found in the 1900 Census working as a servant in Denver. In the 1900 Census, she is listed as May Brown and was born in Missouri in December of 1868.

1900 Census - Denver, Colorado

During their divorce, Sherman made the claim that Mary was a Spiritualist. There appears to be some truth to that claim. On November 5, 1899, Mary M. Brown took out an advertisement in The Daily News: Denver, Colorado that reads: 'Clairvoyant, gives advise on all affairs, can lead you into the light so you will understand; she gives with each reading the secret how to win others' esteem and control those around you; puts you on the road to health and happiness; why walk in darkness when assistance is so near you; reading by mail $1 and stamp; 1338 California St., Denver, Co. In August of 1906, Mary M. Dodge gave a series of spiritual lectures entitled: 'Passport to Heaven", "Spirit World", "Why Jesus was Crucified," and "Immaculate Conception of Jesus." 

The book that I mentioned earlier states that Mary died on June 10, 1918. However, this book doesn't list any places to accompany the dates. I haven't been able to verify the death date listed in the book (yet), nor have I found Mary in the 1910 Census. But what I have found so far has answered a number of questions regarding Mary May Brown.







Monday, May 25, 2015

Alfred Hampton Dodge (1877-??) - Some Thoughts

I was reviewing some of my research on Alfred Hampton Dodge over the past few days and I have been wondering why I haven't found any new information on him. I have been searching for 10 years on my family and Alfred is the only one I haven't found any solid information on, especially after 1900. Going in to this, I knew that he was born November 25, 1877 in Maine. Alfred and his family moved to Buena Vista, Colorado in early 1880. He was listed in the 1880 & 1900 US Census as well as the 1885 Colorado Census.

Ten years later, here's what I know (or don't know, depending on how you look at it).

Based on land records, local directories, and Sherman's prison record, Alfred was born in Gardiner, Maine, and not Pittston, Maine, as originally thought.

Alfred is listed in the 1900 US Census with his family in Buena Vista, Colorado. He is 22 years old and is working as a miner.

In August 1901, Alfred is referred to in Nathaniel’s final homestead application when Nathaniel is asked: “Of whom does your family consist?” Nathaniel responded: “Family consists of self, wife and ten children.”

In the book 'Genealogy of the Carney Family: Descendants of Mark Carney & Suzanne Gough 1751-1903' (published 1904), Nathaniel and Fannie are listed as having nine children. Even though their children are not listed, this is another indication that Alfred was still alive.

And now for what I don't know:

In the 1910 Census, Nathaniel and Fannie are asked how many living children they have. They respond with eight living children. Listed below are their eight children that are accounted for in the 1910 Census (the information below is how it appears in the 1910 Census).

French D. Dodge – 35 years old – McNeil Island, Washington
John Dodge – 26 years old – Buena Vista, Colorado
Carrie B. Morgan – 25 years old – Buena Vista, Colorado
Rachel Newitt – 33 years old – Buena Vista, Colorado
Francis Dodge – 21 years old – Longmont, Colorado
Dwight Dodge – 19 years old – Buena Vista, Colorado
James Dodge – 15 years old – Buena Vista, Colorado
Anna Dodge – 13 years old – Buena Vista, Colorado

In January 1910, shortly after Sherman (French) was incarcerated, he was asked to provide some general health information on his siblings. He stated that he did not know the state of health of one of his brothers, who was 32 years old. This was, or would have been, Alfred's age in 1910. Also, Sherman wrote home to his parents, sister Rachel & brother Dwight (also known as Pat), who were all in Buena Vista, while in prison. Since Sherman and Alfred were the two oldest children and grew up together, it is peculiar that Sherman and Alfred didn't stay in touch.

1910 is a key year: the Census was taken, recording vital family information on Alfred's parents and siblings. In addition, important information was provided by Sherman in his prison records. This information begs the question: had Alfred passed away by this time or had he simply lost contact with his family?

Based on the above information, it appears that Alfred may have passed away sometime before 1910, without his family being informed of his death...

...or not. There is one piece of evidence that suggests that Alfred may still have been alive after 1910. His mother, Fannie Harris Stevens, passed away on May 11, 1919 in Buena Vista. Her obituary was published on May 17, 1919. In her obituary, she is survived by nine of her children, including Alfred. According to her obituary, Alfred was living in California; however, a city is not identified.

Without any Census record to show where in California he may have been living, it is possible to think that his family may have lost touch with him and simply assumed he was in California.

I have not found any evidence of Alfred in the 1910 Census (or anyone that could resemble Alfred in the 1910 Census). I have not found Alfred in any subsequent Census (U.S. or Canada), military draft registration (WWI & WWII - he would have been older in both registrations but within the age range), immigration record, land record, social security application, directory, death or burial record.

Without a complete family record having been passed down, it seems that Alfred has become lost to history.

Friday, March 13, 2015

What happened to Sherman E. Dodge after 1903? - Part VI

            These newspaper articles are taken from The Evening Telegram. They chronicle Sherman (French) E. Dodge’s charges of ‘Assuming to be a U.S. Officer’ between his arrest in July 1909 and imprisonment in December 1909.

July 15, 1909

STEALS WIFE, THEN BANKRUPTS HUSBAND

Mail Carrier Is Victim of Two Kinds of Unkind Robbery

            Not content with stealing away a mail carrier’s wife and grafting from the victim $600 in one swoop, it is alleged F.E. Dodge mourns in the County Jail that he went to the well too often. Mrs. O.B. Connor, formerly of Shedds, Or., is also extended opportunity to lament her departure from proper paths, and will have to answer charges.
            Dodge is a wizard in the acquisitive art, or O.B. Connor is one of the disciples of E.Z. Mark, according to the statement of Federal officers. Connor is a mail carrier of the Shedd district, Lane County, where he toiled hard and long to secure his little home, and was peacefully rearing therein his family. Dodge appeared on the scene, doubtless while the honest mail carrier was on his long daily journeys. In due time the affections of the woman were evidently won, for she is charged with entering into a plot whereby she and her accomplice might secure from the husband a goodly sum of money. Connor says that he was first apprised of trouble by the announcement that his wife was getting into trouble over the taking of a timber claim in eastern Oregon. Next came to his home Dodge, representing himself as a Government Inspector. The trouble was ominous, and the alleged Government official said that the only escape would be payment to him $600, which he would use to square the matter with the powers. Connor said that he placed a mortgage on his home to secure the sum, and promptly paid it to Dodge. Soon thereafter his wife said she had to go to Canada, and that part of the household disappeared, leaving the little children.
            Connor says further that time passed, and with it came more requests for more money from Dodge, and then more. These became so frequent and persistent that Connor concluded he could not stand the strain, and sustain his little family of children, so he imparted his trouble to a friend, and the friend advised that he place the matter before the United States District Attorney, which was done. Assistant United States District Attorney Wyatt stated this morning that the inquiry inaugurated resulted in the discovery that Dodge was living near Gresham, with Mrs. Connor. Connor swore to the complaint which charged Dodge with personating a Government official, and Deputy Marshal Griffith found the accused with the wife of the victim.
            Dodge has been placed under $2,000 bonds, and will be given a hearing tomorrow before Commissioner Marsh. Mrs. Connor’s case goes before the state officials.


July 16, 1909

DODGE THINKS HE CAN EXPLAIN EVERYTHING

            F.E. Dodge, charged with stealing O.B. Connor’s wife and relieving him of several hundred dollars in the same transaction, went before Commissioner Marsh at 2 o’clock this afternoon for his preliminary hearing. He has maintained a defiant air since his arrest, and says that all will be explained away when the final hearing is had. It is asserted that Connor’s first intimation of the whereabouts of his wife, whom he supposed to be in Canada, was when he went to Gresham to see Dodge, and either pay him more money or dissuade him from repeated demands. When Connor arrived in the scene, he was amazed to find his wife with Dodge. It was then that the patient camel’s back was broken, and the case hastened into the courts. Dodge has a detective badge, such as are issued by some of the fraudulent Eastern agencies in company with a certificate. This, it is claimed, he used to deceive Connor when representing himself to be a Government inspector.

September 21, 1909

Form the article: GRAND JURY HANDS IN 8 INDICTMENTS

            F.E. Dodge and Cora R. Conner, indicted jointly for a statutory offense, complaining witness being O.B. Conner, husband of Mrs. Conner.

November 23, 1909

WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY, GIVEN TWO-YEAR TERM

            Cora E. Conner, who was charged with having run away to Gresham with F.E. Dodge, after the latter had obtained more than $500 from her husband by representing that he was a Government agent, was arraigned before Presiding Judge Bronaugh, of the Circuit Court, yesterday afternoon and pleaded guilty to the charge against her. She was given two years in the penitentiary and paroled on good behavior. The circumstances leading up to Mrs. Connor’s arrest began with her filing on Government land. Later Dodge called on Mr. Conner and claimed Mrs. Conner had perjured herself in filing for the land and by this means he induced Conner to pay his about $500. Dodge subsequently became very friendly with Mrs. Conner and the two left for Gresham, where it is said that Conner found them living together. He thereupon had his wife arrested. Dodge was also arrested on the charge of having falsely represented a Government officer for the purpose of obtaining money under false pretenses. He is now awaiting trial in the Federal Court. 

December 13, 1909

DODGE PASSED HIMSELF OFF AS AN OFFICER

            F.E. Dodge is being tried before Judge Wolverton, of the Federal District Court, today on the charge of personating a Federal officer, and in that guise of getting $700 in money from a rural mail carrier of the4 Shedds district, named Orville B. Conner. Dodge’s conduct, according to the evidence gathered by the officers, evinces great quantities of that element in human affairs known as nerve. He is accused of getting the money from a poor man, in cold-blooded deception, and then taking the man’s wife away, as a climax of the raid, the woman going willingly, however.
            Mrs. Conner had a timber location. Some difficulty had been experienced in perfecting the title. About this time Dodge, a man of smooth manners, appeared on the scene, and is said to have developed a strong influence over the woman. They are charged with concocting a scheme to have Dodge meet the husband as an Interior Department official, and getting a large sum of money to have the trouble over title to the timber claim squelched by the higher officials. Conner fell to the plot, dug up $600 or $700, in all, after several importunities, and then agreed to let his wife go on a visit to Canada. As more demands kept coming for money to get the case adjusted, he became suspicious and went to Gresham, whence Dodge was sending in his requests for more hush funds. To Conner’s surprise, he is said to have found his wife there, living with Dodge, instead of being on a visit to Canada. Then trouble broke loose. Dodge’s hearing today before a jury is the logical development.

December 14, 1909

FEDERAL JURY FINDS DODGE GUILTY QUICKLY

            F.E. Dodge was convicted promptly this morning before the Federal Court on three of the indictments returned against him for personating a Federal officer and obtaining money by fraudulent pretenses. Judge Wolverton will sentence him Thursday morning. Dodge is being prosecuted by O.B. Connor, of Shedds, Or., for obtaining about $600 of money, and also breaking up his home. The jurymen did not require much time to deliberate then the case was turned over to then by Deputy United States District Attorney Wyatt, for the Government, and Attorney Seneca Fouts, for the defense. They found that the accused had personated an officer in illegal manner and had obtained the money.

December 16, 1909

Dodge Goes to Prison


            F.E. Dodge was sentenced to 18 months in the penitentiary this morning for personating a Federal officer, and getting by fraud from O.B. Connor, of Shedds, Or., the sum of $600. Dodge had been living with Mrs. Connor, and to break the back of patience entirely, concocted the scheme of getting Connor to pay him and his errant wife a good sum of money. Reconciliation on the part of the family has been effected, while the traducer will go to McNeil Island, to labor under soldier guards, and to ponder the sin of trying to wreck a family.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

What happened to Sherman E. Dodge after 1903? - Part V

            These newspaper articles are taken from The Daily News. They chronicle Sherman (French) E. Dodge’s charges of ‘Assuming to be a U.S. Officer’ between his arrest in July 1909 and imprisonment in December 1909.

July 15, 1909

Front page headline: SAY SHE LOVED MAN WHO ROBBED HUSBAND

HUSBAND FOILED; MAN GETS WIFE AND $600.

            French E. Dodge, who is alleged to have blackmailed Orville Conner, a merchant doing business at Shedds, Linn County, out of $600, and also took away Conner’s wife and two daughters, was locked up in the county jail at 11 o’clock last night to await trial on serious charges. Mrs. Conner was placed in the women’s quarters of the jail, and will also have to face the court.
            According to the facts related by United States officials, Dodge is one of the worst scoundrels the government has had to deal with in many a day. Several days ago Mr. Conner appeared at the office of the United States district attorney and told Mr. Wyatt, the deputy, that he had a complaint to make. Mr. Wyatt, after hearing the details, on Wednesday called in Andy Nichols, the old government sleuth, and said, “Andy, I’ll turn this case over to you.”
            The story told by Mr. Conner to Mr. Wyatt and also to Andy Nichols was that on October 14, 1908, French E. Dodge appeared at his store at Shedds and informed him that he was a secret service agent of the United States government, which is untrue. Dodge said Mrs. Conner had taken up a timber claim in eastern Oregon, having been located by one Moise, a timberman, and that Moise perpetrated fraud and had been indicted by the United States grand jury, arrested and placed under $2,500 bonds.
Impersonates Officer
            Conner said Dodge told him that as he was a United States secret service officer he would shield Mrs. Conner if Conner would give him $600, and would get transportation for Mrs. Conner from the government and send her to Canada. She wouldn’t appear against Moise, who would go clear.
            As Mrs. Conner had located on the timber claim, and believing the lying story told by Dodge to be true, Mr. Conner paid the $600, and Mrs. Conner left home ostensibly to go to Canada, taking her two daughters with her.
            Conner let things run along, but finally became suspicious that something was wrong. He received no letters from his wife from Canada, and saw nothing in the newspapers about the case of Moise, so he decided to consult the authorities.
            Detective Nichols immediately began an investigation and at 5 o’clock Wednesday evening had located Dodge at Gresham. On Wednesday morning Mr. Conner signed a warrant for the arrest of Dodge and armed with this instrument Nichols went to Gresham at 6:30 o’clock, discovered Dodge standing in front of the store of Lewis Shattuck, and placed him under arrest.

Living Together
            Deputy United States Marshal William Griffith accompanied Detective Nichols to the scene. It was ascertained that Dodge and Mrs. Conner were living together as man and wife, and the two daughters, aged 17 and 6 years, respectively, were also in the house. On this state of facts warrants were sworn out in the office of the justice of the peace at Gresham against Dodge and Mrs. Conner, charging them with lewd cohabitation and adultery, and were served by Constable Gullixson of that place.
            They were unable to give bail. Dodge will have to appear in the United States on a charge of falsely impersonating an officer.
            Detective Nichols performed good work. He started out on the case yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock, and had the parties in the county jail at 11 o’clock at night, besides gathering much important evidence.

July 16, 1909

EXAMINE DODGE

            French E. Dodge, who bunkoed Orville Connor of Shedds, Linn County, out of $600 and took away Connor’s wife and two daughters, will have an examination before United States Commissioner Marsh late this afternoon.

July 17, 1909

Front page headline: DODGE AND MRS CONNOR; HER FIVE GIRLS

FATHERS!! HOW’D YOU LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU?

*     *     *     *     *     *
            Bigamist Johnson, who is now serving a sentence in a California prison, admitted that he married many women and had dallied with an almost endless number of others.
            Yet it is not on record that Johnson also purloined a whole family, or at least some of the children.
            In the Portland county jail is French E. Dodge, who not only ran away with Mrs. Orville Connor and secured $600 from her husband, but also took two of the children along.
            Orville Connor and wife have five girls. The youngest is six years, and oldest about 17. Dodge managed it so two of the children left their father.
            He threatened to send the oldest girl to a reform school if she did not accompany her mother and himself.
            As for the 6-year-old tot—well, that was easy. Six-year-olds generally follow mother if they can.
            A strange sight was witnessed in court yesterday when the little 6-year-old girl ran over to Dodge, threw her arms about him and called him “papa.”
            Connor was looking on at the time, but the little girl had forgotten him. His head dropped—no wonder.
            What did the father think? What were his feelings when he witnessed HIS little girl throw her arms about ANOTHER man and called him “PAPA”?
            What about the WOMAN in the case?

            *     *     *     *     *     *           
            It is not an infrequent occurrence for a man to run off with another man’s wife, but it is an uncommon thing for him to take some of the children along in the bargain.
            This, however, is what French E. Dodge, who is alleged to have blackmailed Orville Connor, a farmer at Shedds, did.
            Dodge told the eldest daughter, 17 years old, that he was going to place her in a home for bad girls at Salem if she did not accompany him and her mother.
            The youngest child, 6 years of age, was taken along by her mother. Dodge all of this time represented himself as a United States secret service officer of the United States government. This fact evidently influenced the elder girl to be led by his threats.
            At the hearing yesterday afternoon before United States Commissioner Marsh, the youngest child rushed across the room, and throwing her arms about the neck of the imposter, addressed him as “papa.” She has been thrown so much in the company of Dodge that she came to regard him as her father.
            Connor testified that his wife previously left him, remaining away for three years. He believed she was with Dodge all of this time. Mr. Connor said he went to Pendleton and brought her home, and soon afterwards Dodge appeared on the scene, and after stating that he was a United States secret service officer, told him Mrs. Connor had filed on a timber claim, taking an oath that she was a widow, and would be prosecuted for perjury.
            Connor borrowed $600 from Mr. Forks, giving a mortgage as security, to square things with Dodge. Mrs. Connor was to be taken to Canada until matters were fixed up, but she never went there.
            Mr. Connor stated that he received two letters from his wife, one mailed at a railroad station and the other at Portland. The grown daughter also testified.
            Dodge had nothing to say, and Mrs. Connor did not appear as a witness. Dodge was held to answer before the United States grand jury and was remanded to the custody of the sheriff, in default of bonds in the sum of $2,500.
            Mrs. Connor was interviewed at the county jail by a News reporter this morning.
            She is a medium-sized woman, dark hair and eyes, and has a pleasant but somewhat sad countenance. She spoke in a soft tone of voice, and evidently is a person of mild manners. A woman one would not think would leave her husband and children. Mrs. Connor stated that she is the mother of five children. They are all girls, ranging from 6 to 17 years.
            She declined to discuss her case, and after several questions walked away. Her only response was, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
            She was asked if she had been in Gresham all the time since leaving her home this last time, why she took the children along, and other things, but would not say. Mrs. Connor appears to realize her position keenly.
            Mr. Connor has returned to Shedds, taking the two children with him to rejoin the other three. Dodge must also face a state charge for cohabitating with Mrs. Connor.


November 24, 1909

WIFE MUST BE GOOD 2 YEARS
            Cora Conners, charged with unlawful cohabitation, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in the Oregon state penitentiary by Judge Bronaugh yesterday, but was paroled on good behavior, this parole coming at the request of her husband, O.E. Conners, a rural mail carrier, who appeared in court and offered to take her back and forgive her misdeeds.
            F.E. Dodge, arrested with Mrs. Conners, and charged also with representing himself as an officer of the United States, is on trial before Judge Bean in the federal court.
            Dodge went to a timber claim on which the Conners had filed, represented himself as a United States inspector of the interior department, declared that the Conners’ claim was invalid and then agreed to square the matter for $600, provided Mrs. Conners would disappear for a time.
            Mrs. Conners disappeared, and wrote frequently for money, the letters passing through Dodge’s hands. Finally Conners became suspicious and came to Portland, where he found his wife and Dodge living together.

December 14, 1909

DID HE REALLY SHOW HIS LOVE?
           
            F.O. Dodge, who fraudulently obtained $500 from Orville B. Conner, a mail carrier at Shedds, and also took away Conner’s wife and four daughters from their home, was tried in the federal court today. The case was submitted to the jury at noon.
            Mrs. Conner filed on a piece of government land in eastern Oregon. Dodge later approached Conner and represented himself to be a secret service agent of the United States. He told Conner that Mrs. Conner had been indicted for fraud for her actions in relation to the land. Dodge promised to get Mrs. Conner away to Canada, and later to have the case dropped by the government for $500, which Conner paid.
            Dodge on leaving with Mrs. Conner, influenced her to take the children along, which she did. The oldest daughter is 17 years of age.
            Dodge did not go to Canada, but instead with Mrs. Conner and her daughters, took up his residence at Gresham. Conner, becoming suspicious as time rolled along that he had been made a fool of and buncoed, laid the case before United States Attorney McCourt. Dodge was arrested for falsely impersonating an officer, and he and Mrs. Conner were also charged with unlawful cohabitation.
            The children were sent home to their father. Mrs. Conner was recently released from the county jail upon her promise to return to her husband and children and behave in the future.
            Dodge is a man of good appearance and is about 35 years old. His defense was that he did not impersonate an officer and used the money obtained from Conner to provide for Mrs. Conner and the children. He said he loved the woman. The opinion expressed is that a verdict of guilty will be returned.

December 15, 1909

Stole Man’s Wife and Money; Is Convicted

            F.O. Dodge, who stole $500 from Orville B. Conner, and also took away Conner’s wife and four children, was found guilty yesterday afternoon in the United States district court. Dodge was convicted on three counts of falsely impersonating a secret service officer. The penalty is imprisonment of not more than three years and a fine of $1,000.
            Mrs. Conner testified how she met Dodge at Pendleton, and was induced to take up land fraudulently, for which she expected to receive $500. Her husband, she said, came to Pendleton and induced her and the children to return to their home in Shedds, Linn County. Dodge, she said, later came to Shedds and told her husband she had been guilty of land fraud. Dodge said he was an officer, and induced Conner to give him $500. Mrs. Conner and the children then left the home at Shedds, accompanied by Dodge, and they went to Gresham.
            The evidence of Conner and his wife was corroborated by their 14-year-old daughter. One of the bad features of the case is that Conner had to mortgage his farm to procure the $500 he gave to Dodge.

December 16, 1909

18 MONTHS FOR DODGE

            A sentence of 18 months in the federal prison at McNeill’s island was imposed this morning by Judge Wolverton on F.O. Dodge.
            Dodge defrauded Orville B. Conner out of $500 and also persuaded Mrs. Conner to leave her husband and live with him as his wife. Dodge, Mrs. Conner and four daughters of the Conner family were found by the officers together at Gresham at the time the arrest was made.
            Dodge and Mrs. Conner previously associated at Pendleton. Mrs. Conner testified against Dodge at the trial and her evidence had much to do with his conviction.