Newton Ice Co. Archives - Harvey County Historical Society

“Never Taken Alive!” The Newton Ice Co Robbery

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Archivist/Curator

Newton Ice Co., 5th & Oak, Newton, Ks

“Stick’em up!”

Engineer Raymond Moulds was working alone in the early morning hours of August 29, 1927 at the Newton Ice Co. on Oak Street. His coworker, Tillman Reiff, had left to check on the Sand Creek plant, but Moulds thought nothing of it as he worked in the engine room. The Kansan describes what happened next.

“At about 12:45 am he was startled by the appearance of a stranger, who made his entrance through a side door. Pulling an automatic pistol, the man . . . commanded, “Stick’em up!” Moulds obeyed. The man was unmasked short, and wore a dark suit.”

Two other men were with the first. They each held a revolver and were masked.

“What should we do with him?” asked one of the gunmen.

“Get rid of him.” commanded the other who was six feet tall and seemed to be in charge.

The first man then shoved his revolver into Moulds’ back and took him to the large ice storage vault at the front of the building and locked him in. Meanwhile the other two broke into the safe in the office. Moulds sat in the locked chamber with the temperature at 29′ for about an hour until he could no longer hear the pounding. He pried open the door with a crowbar and ran to Main street to alert police.

It was discovered that about $200 worth of silver, cash and checks had been taken from the Ice Co safe.

Further investigation revealed that robbers had stolen a sledgehammer and hand saw from Fent’s Blacksmith Shop on east 6th Newton. Used, no doubt, to break through the safe.

Harvey County Sheriff J.M. McIntire then notified the police in surrounding towns.

“Gun Battle with Bandits”

Sheriff McIntire soon heard of a terrible “gun battle with bandits” in Wichita that had occurred shortly after the robbery at Newton. Hoping there might be a connection he contacted the Wichita police.

Evening Kansan Republican, 29 August 1927

The tragic details were told.

Early in the morning, on north St. Francis, Wichita, police Officer J. E. Marshall and his partner Frank Bush had stopped a Chevrolet sedan containing three men. As the officers drew near, the men in the car began to fire, shooting Officer Marshall twice through the head. Officer Bush returned fire as two of the men in the car sped away and one man ran on foot.

A chase ensued and ended when the car finally served into a ditch. One man left the car, drew his pistol and shot himself in the head. The second man in the car ran but was soon found. A man hunt continued for the third man.

It was soon revealed that the man that took his own life was Herman Barker, one of the infamous “Bloody Barkers.”

Never Taken Alive!

Herman Barker

Herman was the oldest of the Barker brothers whose mother, “Ma Barker,” oversaw the activities of the gang. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, the outlaw gang of brothers and allies actively kidnapped people, and robbed banks and post offices. That August night in 1927, Herman Barker was the first of the family to die a violent death. Herman had once bragged that he would never be taken alive. He was 33 years old.

A second man, Charlie Stalcup, was arrested at dawn. The third man, Myers also known as Elmer A Inman was on the run until August 31, when he was shot and killed. There was confusion about his identity because at first Stalcup would not identify him as the third man. Finally, he agreed, “Yes, that’s him” after looking at his picture, only his name was not Myers or Inman. He was identified as a man named Porter Meeks who was on parole from Oklahoma where he had been sentenced to 25 years for a bank robbery on December 31, 1914.

Amidst the tragedy, the people of Newton and Wichita found a way to help support the widow of Officer Marshall establishing a fund to pay the mortgage of her home.

“Sole Survivor”

Charles Stalcup, “the sole survivor of a trio which engaged Marshall and . . .Bush in a gun battle” stood trial for the murder of Officer J.E. Marshall in November 1927. The jury selection took a long time with the defense exercising seven challenges and the state three. The first day more than forty men were considered for the jury. Stalcup’s own father, I.H. Stalcup, from Picher, OK, was one of the defense attorneys. Despite the slow start the case went to the jury in a few days.

Stalcup was found guilty of first-degree murder after the jury deliberated for three hours. Life was the mandatory sentence for first degree murder. Despite his appeal for a new trial, Stalcup was sent to Lansing Penitentiary for life. Thirty-eight years later he was paroled. Stalcup, the “sole survivor” who left a mark on Newton’s history and was part “of one of Wichita’s most infamous crimes” died in Little Rock, AR, December 1981.

Sources

Evening Kansan Republican: 29 August 1927; 30 August 1927; 31 August 1927.
Emporia Gazette: 01 November 1927, 05 November 1927 14 November 1927.
Council Grove Reporter: 05 November 1927, 11 November 1927.
Hutchinson News Herald: 31 August 1927, 31 October 1927.
Newton City Directory: 1919-1920
“Herman Barker” Find A Grave.
“Charles H. Stalcup” Find A Grave.
https://www.briannica.comhttps://biography/Ma-Barker, 14 June 2024

Ice House

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

On a hot summer day, what sounds better than an ice cold drink? Today, most of us take for granted that we can easily get ice when we want it, but what about years ago?

Charlsen Ice Co.

Charles Charlsen arrived in Harvey County in the early 1870s. After trying several businesses, he settled on an ice and produce business. In 1872, he built an ice house on the bank of Sand Creek at 811 N. Elm. He is credited with establishing the first ice business in Harvey County in November 1872. He owned about a block of land on each side of the creek. The basement of the house was the equivalent of a two story building and used to store ice year round.

Initially, Charlsen sold ice from a covered ice wagon to individuals. People would put out signs indicating how much ice they wanted. He also sold ice to meat markets and grocery stores. The last ice cut from Sand Creek for Charlsen was in 1927. Early in January 1928, Charlsen was inspecting the Sand Creek ice when suffered a stroke and fell. He died January 5, 1928. His son, George continued with the produce business.

North Side Ice Co. ca. 1890s Possible location: north of the west end of 12th Street, possibly owned by Daniel Ainsworth.

Harvesting Ice from Sand Creek

Ice was harvested annually from Sand Creek until the late 1920s.

Sections were marked off with an iron mark which would measure to the equivalency of a 300 pound chunk of ice. Using a double cut saw, the worker would cut around the mark. They would usually mark off three at a time.

After the first piece was cut, the men, with the use of a pick or hook on the end of a long pole and ice tongs, would lift the first piece out and place it on a ramp. The other pieces would then float to were they could get a hold of them with the tongs. The chunks would be pulled up the ramp with ropes and pulleys and then released to go down another ramp into the basement of the ice house. Two men were in the basement stacking the blocks of ice.

The floor of the ice house was covered with about 12 inches of straw. Eventually, the basement would be stacked to the ceiling with ice blocks.

Newton Ice Co.

In addition to Carlson, other ice companies served Harvey County. The Newton Ice Co. began delivering ice to homes in 1898.

Newton Ice Co., Oak Street Plant, 1922

Customers would indicate the amount of ice needed, either 25 or 50 pounds, with a sign on their door.

Polar Ice Co Delivery Wagon., 1922 The Polar Ice Co. was purchased by the Newton Ice Co. in 1915.

The Railroad also needed ice. In 1906, the Sand Creek Ice Plant of the Newton Ice Co., had a daily capacity of 75 tons of ice. By 1922, 100 tons of ice were manufactured with a storage capacity of 10 thousand tons. The Plant served the city of Newton, the Santa Fe Railroad and surrounding communities.

Posing in front of the Newton Ice Co.

The Plant employed 25 men and operated 24 hours a day. An additional 75-100 men were employed during the busy times.

So, next time you fill your glass with ice, remember it used to be a whole lot harder to come by.

Sources

Newton Kansan, 10 January 1928. Obituary for Charles C. Charlsen (1848-1928).
Newton Kansan 50th Anniversary Edition, 22 August 1922.
Newton Kansan 7 February 1979 “Newton’s First Ice House Dates Back to 1872” by Betty Reeves.
Toews, Dudley Dodgion. Newton: Remembering Yesterday Today.