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Osseo Town Marshal James L. Gardner End of Watch - November 1, 1916 |
Excerpts taken from the "The Osseo Review"
J.L. Gardner is shot by Frank Odenbreit. Village Marshal had been called to protect a woman and her children from attack by relative.
Shot down in cold blood while in attendance of his official duties as marshal of this village, J.L. Gardner, 45 years old, died at 3 AM this morning at the Swedish hospital, Minneapolis. Gardner was spot at about 1:15 A.M. Friday by Frank Odenbreit. The weapon used was a double barreled shot gun that Odenbreit had borrowed a short time before. The charge entered the officer's intestines. Odenbreit arrested and taken to the county jail, has refused to make any statement concerning the trouble. A charge of murder will undoubtedly be placed against him.
During the time of his official connection with the village, Gardner had several times been called on to quell young riots started by Odenbreit. On the night of the trouble the marshal had been called twice during the early hours to restore peace. Odenbreit, it is said, had been drinking and was in an ugly mood.
Mrs. Annie Odenbreit, a sister-in-law of Odenbreit's, was the only eye witness to the affair. It was she who called the officer, and who he was endeavoring to protect when the attack was made.
According to the statement made by Mrs. Odenbreit to representatives of the sheriff's, Odenbreit had set fire to her house and then left, presumably to get the gun with which he later shot Gardner.
As soon as the man had set fire to the house, she said, she ran to the police station and called Gardner. He at once accompanied her to the house, where he extinguished the flames. Later, she says, he started with her to the barn to see if her children who she had left there, were safe. She took the lead, and was in the barn before Gardner came out of the house.
As Gardner came out the back door, a form appeared around the corner of the house, and Frank Odenbreit, she says called out "is that you Gardner?" The officer replied that it was, and before he could say or doing anything else, Odenbreit fired the shot. Gardner fell to the ground.
Other village officials and neighbors gathered quickly at the scene, and the sheriff's office was called. Chief Deputy John Wail and Deputy Charles Budd drove to Osseo immediately and made an investigation of the affair at the same time arresting Odenbreit, who they found at his residence in the north end of town. He made no attempt to resist arrest, nor would he give any reason for his act.
Mrs. Odenbreit however, was not so reluctant. She told the officers of her troubles with her broth-in-law and of his attempts to burn the house and the events that lead up to the shooting. She also told them she had gone to a saloon at about 6:30 P.M. and induced Odenbreit to go home with her.
Once he was at her home, Odenbreit started to "clean up" the place, she alleges. He threatened her and her children and even hit her on at least one occasion. Following this she called Gardner, who went to the house but was unable to find Odenbreit. At this time he returned to the village, and later visited the house again and this time taking T. M. Carpenter with him. His object in doing this it is understood was to have a witness to the dishelmed appearance of the house.
Mrs. Odenbreit claims that she feared for her safety and that of her children and that she had taken herself and family to the barn. It was while there that she saw Odenbreit moving around the house and later noticed the flames which she says he started.
Gardner feared serious trouble from Odenbreit based on earlier remarks dropped by Gardner. At that time he is said to have told Fred Roenat that if he was called again to the Odenbriet home, he would arrest Odenbreit. Gardner believed that he was not behaving normal and he feared that he might shoot someone.
Odenbreit is said to have been a considerable troublemaker. On several occasions he was said to have broken furniture in Mrs. Odenbreit's home and has also started trouble in other places. Almost six years ago he was confined in the State Hospital for the insane in Rochester for a period of several months. He was subsequently released on the superintendant recommendation that he was normal.