Most of us who attended the one room schools of the county have many wonderful memories of our experiences there. However, for several obvious reasons, those schools could no longer exist today. The following incident is one of those reasons. With too many school shootings in the last few decades, one would have to wonder if these schools might have been an easier target. We can be thankful that there were no more similar incidents to share from the past.
A stranger, who gave his name as Harry Kimberk, made an appearance at Dill with the arrival of a freight train heading east at 2:45 on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 1, 1910. He inquired of some boys, whether there was a school house in the neighborhood and was directed to the local Montgomery school, just south of Dill, located at what would now be N1948 Dill Road.
While on his way to the school, he met the teacher and informed her that he was a map agent and desired to have her see his maps. This failed to interest her so he drew a revolver, “which the young woman says he thrust in her face and threatened to shoot her in case she refused to return to the school house with him.” At this time a team driven by Ollie Stanley appeared over the hill and Kimberk turned and walked back to Dill.
Miss Patterson, the teacher, hurried to the home of Fred Mau, where she was boarding, and telephoned Sheriff Ball. Ball sent Deputy Sheriff J. W. Stover to Dill, where he took Kimberk into custody and took him back to Browntown where he’s was locked up overnight.
Kimberk was a young man of good size, 21 years old, with dark hair and dark complexion, “showing a trace of either Indian or negro blood, and smooth faced.” He wore an ulster, blue overalls, high shoes laced up the front, and a black felt cap. When searched they found that he had “an Iver Johnson revolver, 32 calibre, with its six chambers loaded” and $3.35 in cash.
Kimberk was taken to Monroe on Wednesday morning and arraigned before Justice W. T. Saucerman at 11:00 a.m. “on a charge of attempted rape.” Due to the absence of District Attorney McGrath, the hearing was adjourned until Saturday morning at 10:00 with bail being set at $1,000. Since Kimberk could not furnish bail, he was confined to jail to await the hearing.
Kimberk denied that he even met the teacher and planned to fight the charge. He said he formerly lived in Argyle and had been in the west, returning to move his parents from Darlington to the Berry farm south of Argyle. He claimed that he had borrowed a team which he had returned to Darlington, then came back to South Wayne on the freight train before walking to Dill. He admitted that he had made inquiry about the school house prior to reaching Dill. Others said that he came to Dill on the freight train.
After being found guilty, Kimberk was taken into court for sentencing on the morning of April 1. When he was asked if he had anything to say for himself, he admitted his guilt; he denied that he had pointed a revolver at Miss Patterson or that he intended to resort to using violence. He agreed that he should be punished and “that he was willing to take it.”
“Attorney J. L. Sherron addressed the court in behalf of the accused, making appeal for mercy.” Judge Grimm gave the prisoner “a talk” and sentenced him to six years imprisonment at Waupun with the sentence to begin at noon. His first day in prison was to be spent in solitary confinement.
Sheriff Ball was scheduled to leave for Waupun on Monday, April 4 with Kimberk and another prisoner, “who was found guilty of carrying off an old country trunk containing $385 in money from the home of Abraham Olson in York.”
Fortunately, nothing this blatantly horrifying has been found about any of the other rural schools in the county during those earlier days.
— Matt Figi is a Monroe resident and a local historian. His column will appear periodically on Saturdays in the Times. He can be reached at mfigi48@tds.net or at 608-325-6503.
