North Dakota
Chippewa football star from North Dakota was one of the Untouchables sent to bring down Al Capone
Editor’s observe: That is the second and ultimate story from InForum columnist Curt Eriksmoen on the lifetime of William Jennings Gardner. To catch up,
learn Curt’s first story on Gardner’s early years
as a star soccer participant.
Throughout the Nineteen Twenties and early Thirties, gangster and bootlegger Al Capone was in a position to perform his legal actions in Chicago with impunity, both by means of intimidation or bribery of prohibition brokers. In 1931, prohibition agent Eliot Ness was directed to place collectively a staff of trustworthy and fearless brokers who might take down Capone and implement Prohibition within the metropolis. Ness began with six males, and one of many first he selected was William Jennings Gardner, a Chippewa man from the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota. As a result of these brokers couldn’t be intimidated or bribed, they turned generally known as the Untouchables.
Previous to changing into a Prohibition agent, Gardner had
established a repute as an All-American
soccer participant, a university soccer, basketball, and baseball coach, and a lawyer who was nominated to be a North Dakota county decide. On Aug. 15, 1917, Gardner enlisted within the U.S. Military at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and was assigned to the 338th Infantry Division. He was promoted to captain and despatched to Camp Custer, Michigan, to coach new recruits to turn into expert troopers earlier than being despatched to Europe to combat the Nazis.
Picture by Michael Vosburg, Discussion board Picture Editor. Paintings by Troy Becker.
The corporate of troopers that Gardner was ordered to coach was from a Polish neighborhood in Detroit and most of the troopers couldn’t communicate English. Gardner spoke English and was possible aware of French and Algonquian, the language of the Chippewa, however not Polish. Gardner tasked certainly one of his lieutenants with studying Polish. The lieutenant discovered Polish instructions, which he would dictate in Polish after Gardner gave the instructions in English. The Polish troopers appreciated Gardner’s work to bridge the language barrier.
After the lads had been skilled, Gardner stated, “My firm gained’t take a again seat for any firm within the new military, even when they did need to be taught soldering by means of an interpreter. They’re the best-drilled males in camp right this moment.” Whereas at Camp Custer, Gardner additionally put collectively a soccer staff and performed finish on the staff. His feats on the sphere had been so spectacular that Walter Camp, later chosen Gardner as a member of his “All-American Service Eleven.”
Captain Gardner together with different members of the 338th had been despatched to Europe on July 14, 1918, and “billeted within the cities of Nevers and Cosne” in central France. Though he reportedly was concerned in restricted motion, Gardner was gassed and suffered life-long issues. Gardner returned to the U.S. on March 28, 1919, married Alene French on July 8, and was discharged at Fort Sheridan on Oct. 11.
In an article about Gardner within the July 17, 1921, version of the Waco Information Tribune, there was a sentence that jumped out at me: “Following the shut of the conflict he turned one of many coaches on the College of North Dakota.” I used to be unable to substantiate this, so I despatched a request to Curt Hanson, head of particular collections on the UND’s Chester Fritz Library. He checked “the Dakota Scholar newspaper, the Dacotah annual, the UND listing, the Grand Forks metropolis listing, the College Archives,” and different doable sources and “discovered no point out of Gardner in 1919.”
Paul Davis was the top coach in 1919 and Reinhold Jacobi was an assistant coach. For the reason that first UND recreation was performed on the College of Minnesota on Oct. 4, one week earlier than Gardner’s discharge, he clearly was not with the staff in the beginning of the season. Gardner could have provided some help to Davis later within the 12 months.
Gardner and his spouse moved to Devils Lake the place he started practising legislation. He apparently had a following as a result of, in 1920, he was nominated to run for Ramsey County Choose towards the incumbent, George Griffin. Nevertheless, sports activities remained Gardner’s main ardour and when he obtained a proposal to educate all athletics at St. Edwards Faculty (now St. Edward’s College) in Austin, Texas, he withdrew his candidacy for county decide.
Contributed / Cumberland County Historic Society, Public area, by way of Wikimedia Commons
Previous to relocating to Austin, Gardner made a cease in Ohio as a result of his good pal and former teammate at Carlisle, Jim Thorpe, was the top coach and star participant for the Canton Bulldogs within the American Skilled Soccer Affiliation, which might turn into the Nationwide Soccer League in 1922. Thorpe inserted Gardner into the lineup for one recreation and he, and Marshall Jones, who performed for the Detroit Heralds and Hammond Execs in 1920, turned
the primary two athletes from North Dakota to play skilled soccer
on the highest stage. On the age of 36, Gardner additionally turned one of many oldest rookies to ever play skilled soccer. Most file books record 35-year-old Otis Douglas, a quarterback for the 1946 Philadelphia Eagles, because the oldest rookie in NFL historical past.
As the top soccer coach at St. Edward’s in 1920, Gardner’s staff ended the season with a 7-7 file. He additionally resurrected a baseball program that had not fielded a staff since 1908, and the brand new staff posted a 7-2 file in 1921. Thirty miles north of Austin is town of Georgetown, the place Southwestern College is situated. Soccer groups from each schools had been main rivals within the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Affiliation and Southwestern wanted an athletic director and head soccer coach and employed Gardner. In 1921, Gardner’s Southwestern Pirates completed the season with an 0-6 file with one tie. The staff improved to 4-6 in 1922, fell again to 2-5 in 1923, and bounced again to 4-5 in 1924. Pissed off at not having the ability to provide you with a profitable season, Gardner turned in his resignation at Southwestern in 1925.
In 1926, Gardner went to work for the Treasury Division and was assigned as an agent within the Bureau of Prohibition. He quickly developed a repute as being expert in undercover work. When Ness was directed to place collectively a staff of Prohibition brokers to analyze Capone’s operation, one of many first brokers he recruited was Gardner. Ness not solely appreciated Gardner for his undercover work but in addition knew that he couldn’t be bribed or intimidated. As a result of all of the brokers employed by Ness had these qualities, Charles Schwarz, a reporter for the Chicago Each day Information started calling them the “untouchables.” This turned the unofficial title of the Ness-led Prohibition squad.
In 1931 the Chicago Outfit was damaged up and Capone was arrested. As an alternative of charging him for his Prohibition violations, Capone was charged and convicted of tax evasion. One of many jurors defined, “Folks like to drink, however they hate individuals who cheat on their taxes.” With the repeal of Prohibition on Dec. 5, 1933, Gardner labored for different businesses inside the Treasury Division for a few years.
Contributed / ABC Tv, Public area, by way of Wikimedia Commons
In keeping with Chris Serb in his e book Warfare Soccer, “After his stint with the Treasury Workplace, Gardner’s life sank right into a downward spiral of alcohol, playing, and a damaged marriage.” He and his spouse, Alene, divorced in 1943 and Gardner spent a lot of his time with buddies and kin on the Turtle Mountain Reservation. William “Birdie” Jennings Gardner died on June 15, 1965 of coronary heart illness and he was additionally affected by cirrhosis of the liver. Gardner was the real-life inspiration behind Abel Fernandez’s character of Agent William Youngfellow on the tv collection, “The Untouchables,” which ran on ABC from 1959 to 1963.
It has been a year of adjusting for North Dakota State Junior Guard Brennan Watkins, who has found a new home in Fargo after two seasons at VMI.
“It’s different in the stand point that I get to just focus on basketball more. At VMI there was military, a lot of academics and then basketball was kind of an after thought. Obviously there is time for academics but I have more time to be in the gym and get more shots up,” said Watkins looking back at his time out east.
As the Missouri native navigates his first season with the green and gold, Watkins also has to adjust to some new headgear after a gruesome injury in the game against Weber State earlier this season.
“I didn’t even know where I got hit. I just knew there was pain radiating around my face. My reaction was to just put my hands to my face. I kind of took my hands away and my hands were just completely filled with blood and I was like oh no that’s not good” he said.
Watkins suffered a compound fracture breaking his nose in two places.
“When I was at the game the team doctor readjusted it partially there and they said it was too swollen to completely adjust it. I think once I go back to the doctor they are going to adjust it a second time too. There is not pain but it is difficult to breathe. I’m not really getting as much airflow through my nose as I am used to” said Watkins describing his challenges with the broken nose.
Despite the injury, Watkins hasn’t missed a game or a beat becoming the “Masked Man” for the Bison.
“It’s completely different. I can’t really see out of my peripherals. Once I start to sweat the clear mask starts to fog up so that creates another problem. It’s truly difficult. I don’t think people understand how much of a difference it makes,” he said.
“Brennan has always been a really talented basketball player. Gifted offensive player and we have challenged him on the little things, the winning plays and he is starting to understand those and execute those things and that’s the next step for him,” said NDSU Head Coach, Dave Richman.
A warrior, Watkins is determined to stay on the floor and make those winning plays for North Dakota State.
“Just do anything for my team and help them win that is just kind of the player I am. It doesn’t matter if I have a broken nose. If I am able to play I’m going to be out there,” said Watkins.
The Bison Men’s Basketball Team has one more non-conference match up against CSU-Bakersfield on Monday night before conference play begins on January, 2nd.
FARGO — For the second year, most North Dakota homeowners have the chance to save $500 on their taxes.
The primary residence tax credit returns after being passed in 2023 legislation.
Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus says last season, more than 90% of people who were eligible to apply sent in their application and saved a combined total of nearly $70 million dollars.
The North Dakota Tax Commission is hoping for an even higher application rate this season.
The commission has been working with lawmakers to add individuals with homes in a trust. Because of language in the bill, they didn’t qualify in 2023.
Kroshus said those residents now will be eligible for credit from last year, as well.
“So far, we’ve received over 35,000 applications already in just a couple of weeks. And to put that into perspective, last year, we received 135,000 applications in total, but we’re already at the 35,000 mark, and last year, we didn’t open until Jan. 1. This year, we decided to pull the trigger just a little bit earlier,” he said.
For questions about eligibility or the application process, you can call the commission toll-free at (877) 649-0112.
You can apply for the tax credit
on their website
.
MDN File Photo
North Dakota’s oil production had a recent decline largely due to the wildfires in October.
BISMARCK – Wildfires in October attributed to a decline in oil and gas production in the state that month, according to the director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources.
Nathan Anderson said the state produced 1.178 million barrels of oil a day in October. In September, the state produced 1.199 million barrels of oil a day.
He said the oil production numbers are down about 522,000 barrels for the month.
“This is largely due to the wildfires that occurred starting later in the first week of October and those shut-ins that remain on and off for the remainder of the month,” Anderson said. He said oil production is down 1.8% but it’s still up to the revenue forecast of 7%.
Anderson released the October production numbers this past week. The numbers are normally two months behind.
North Dakota produced 3.4 million cubic feet (MCF) a day of natural gas in October, a decrease of 4.1%. The gas capture was 94%. In September, the gas capture was 95%.
Anderson said the natural gas production was down also due to the wildfires in the state in October.
He said 97% of the state’s oil production is from the Bakken and the Three Forks formations, and 3% from the legacy pools.
On Wednesday, the price of North Dakota Light Sweet crude oil was $62.65 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate was $70.94 a barrel, according to the report. The all-time high was in June 2008 when N.D. Light Sweet was $125.62 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate was $134.02 a barrel.
In September, 100 wells were permitted and in October, 111 wells were permitted, according to Anderson. The all-time high was 370 wells permitted in October 2012.
He said the trend over the past several years has been less 2-mile lateral wells being permitted and more 3-mile lateral permits coming in. He said most recently, there’s been probably half a dozen 4-mile lateral permits, He said the trend for longer laterals continues in the state.
The rig count in North Dakota for the month of October was 39, Anderson said. In November, there were 37 rigs. On Wednesday, he said 37 rigs were actively working in the state and two were on federal surface.
Anderson said North Dakota is fourth in the nation in rig counts. Citing Baker Hughes information, he said 589 rigs are working in the United States. In addition to the 37 in North Dakota, 284 are in Texas, 104 in New Mexico and 43 in Oklahoma.
From a basin standpoint, he said, the Permian is at 304 rigs, Eagle Ford/South Texas at 46 rigs, Williston Basin including North Dakota and Montana around 40 and the Marcelus/Utica (dry gas) at 35.
In October, he said 331 wells were waiting on completion,1,796 are inactive and remains relatively consistent month over month, and 95 were completed. In November, 98 wells (preliminary number) were completed.
He said the number of producing wells set another all-time high of 19,334 in October.
Anderson said 73 abandoned wells have been plugged and 82 sites reclaimed during 2023 through October 2024 as part of a $25 million grant. “We expect this to be closer to the 110 mark once all the grant money is all wrapped up,” he said.
On the Fort Berthold Reservation, Anderson said, oil production is at 177,000 barrels of oil per day. He said one rig is running and the reservation has 2,950 active wells. He said two wells are waiting on completion.
“Production continues to drop slightly month over month. I would likely contribute this to just less activity and a rig count that doesn’t quite add the same production as the decline,” he said, referring to Fort Berthold Reservation.
He said the drilling rig count in the state remains steady even with the mergers and acquisitions across the United States. He said this is expected to increase gradually to the mid-40s sometime over the next couple years.
He said 14 frac crews are actively operating in the state and operators continue to maintain a permit inventory of approximately 12 months.
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