Published March 15, 2024
By Beth Lane
Pat & Jerry Drew the New Paddy Wagon
In 1891 the Quincy horse-drawn paddy wagon was so dilapidated that the city fathers were forced to replace it. The police wagon was also the city ambulance, so they included an order for a new stretcher.
They discussed a new style wagon that was enclosed to protect the driver and secure the passengers behind grilled windows with curtains to protect privacy. Inquisitive public eyes could not tell if the person on the stretcher was headed to hospital or jail. But cost being a factor, the old-style open wagon was deemed sufficient and a contract for $330 was awarded to Koenig and Luhrs.
Police Chief Ahern instituted a policy for the new wagon. “In case of a plain drunk it will go at a moderate pace; but if the assistance of the police is wanted in case of a disturbance or on important business, then the horses will be allowed to go in a run.”
By October of 1891, the new wagon was in service. Pulled by a team named Pat and Jerry, the wagon answered 387 calls plus 18 ambulance runs. By October of 1892 the city needed new horses. The Daily Whig said, “The horses now in use are so old that one of them is bald-headed and the other turning grey.” This team had been retired from the fire department as unfit before being pressed into service for a more grueling duty on the police wagon. The patrol wagon answered 832 calls and took 32 people to hospital in 1892; nonetheless, the appropriation for a new team was voted down.
In 1895, Blessing Hospital took delivery on its own ambulance, a covered vehicle with cot, medical supplies and staffed by a nurse. By the early 1900s police departments were beginning to use auto patrols. By 1904 Quincy, population of approximately 37,000, was still using an open horse-drawn wagon, as the law mandated enclosed wagons only for cities of more than 50,000.
In 1908, a contract was awarded for an enclosed wagon. Designed by the police chief, it featured ball bearings, heavy wire screen sides, and rubber tires. The city also acquired a new team of black horses at a bargain price, due to their unfortunate habit of running away. Chief of Police Robbins purchased them anyway, saying running would be a part of their business.
The new wagon’s first passenger was Albert Butler, an intoxicated man from Clayton. It was suggested that the half-gallon jug of whiskey he was carrying be broken over one wheel to christen the vehicle “The Butler,” but since the tires were rubber, the idea was dismissed.
The wagon had problems: its empty weight of 2,740 pounds was unevenly distributed, making it very difficult to pull; the brake did not work properly; and the ambulance cot did not fit inside the wagon bed. It was so heavy it got stuck in mud or snow. The Police Commissioners postponed acceptance of the vehicle for so long that manufacturer hired attorney Lancaster and threatened suit.
The wagon was used for a year, until an unexpected $10,000 came to the city. In 1912 the Bell Telephone Company paid a fee to be allowed to consolidate with the Home Telephone Company. The council considered ways to spend that money, including on a police automobile. There was also talk in January of 1913 of creating an identification bureau for the police. Quincy police were working without any system at all for keeping records of criminals.
In July the auto bids were considered. Specifications said that the body of the vehicle was to be built in Quincy and mounted on a chassis from the lowest bidder who would supply a fifty-horsepower engine with large pneumatic tires. The body was to be painted blue with “Police Department” in gold leaf on both sides and carry a 16” rotary gong. In back would be bench seats and room for an ambulance cot. The Hudson Motor Car Company won the right to supply the chassis with the E. M. Miller Carriage Company building the body.
The flashy new patrol car created another change. The fine for drunkenness was raised from $2 to $3 to help fund the auto. About five hundred drunks who were rounded up each year would help finance the $2,600 vehicle. Chief Koch was trained by a Hudson representative to operate the auto. He would be responsible for teaching the other officers.
The city council hired chauffeur Frank D’Arcy away from Dr. Otis Johnston, for whom he had been driving. D’Arcy was put in charge of the machine, named daytime driver, and given the same powers as any other police officer.
It was custom to call a police vehicle by the name of the first woman passenger. According to the Daily Journal, it had to wait until November 24, 1913, to be christened “Black Ethel, the name under which the big machine will now be spoken of by members of the police department and the press.” Ethel Jackson was a washerwoman charged with stealing $1.75 from an intoxicated man. The paper said, “The woman made a strenuous effort to prove herself not guilty, but she failed and a fine of $10 and costs was imposed by Judge Reardon. “
“Black Ethel” would carry many criminals, be the scene of desperate fights, see a childbirth, and be in a serious wreck in 1918 that resulted in a broken hip for the gentlemen in the ambulance already suffering from a choking fit. The auto flipped and the damage to the vehicle exceeded $1,500 and required more than four months of repair work.
After six years of patrol and the rollover wreck, “Ethel” was almost beyond repair. In the spring of 1919, the city council approved $1,200 for two new Ford cars for the police department. One can’t help but wonder what they were called.
Sources
“Aldermen Order many Improvements.” Quincy Daily Journal. August 6, 1912.
“Auto Patrol is Christened “Black Ethel.” Quincy Daily Journal. November 24, 1913.
“Auto Patrol Makes Initial Appearance.” Quincy Daily Journal. November 10, 1913.
“Contract to be Awarded.” Quincy Daily Journal. July 14, 1913.
“Dan and Daisy Bowing to the Trend of Time.” Quincy Whig. October 19, 1913.
“Firemen and Police to Get a $5 Increase.” Quincy Daily Journal. May 19, 1919.
“First Ride in New Wagon.” Quincy Daily Journal. October 9, 1908.
“New Police Patrol is ready for Use.” Quincy Whig. November 9, 1913.
“News in a Nutshell.” Quincy Daily Journal. June 13, 1908.
“No Action on Patrol Wagon.” Quincy Daily Whig. December 4, 1908.
Patrol Wagon a Disappointment.” Quincy Daily Whig. November 12, 1908.
“Police Business for 1891.” Quincy Daily Journal. January 19, 1892.
“Police Commissioners Accept Auto Patrol; D’Arcy is Appointed.” Quincy Daily Journal. November 15, 1913.
“Say City Should Cover the Patrol.” Quincy Daily Whig. August 24, 1904.
“The New Wagon is Under Fire.” Quincy Daily Whig. May 9, 1909.
“The Patrol Wagon.” Quincy Daily Whig. September 27, 1891.
“The Police Department.” Quincy Daily Journal. April 29, 1893.
“The Police Department Team.” Quincy Daily Whig. August 17, 1892.
