Crime, crime, crime! Do you ever get sick of that word? It seems there’s so much of it around, but yesteryear it was prevalent too. Whatever happened to the lessons children learned from parents and teachers about staying out of trouble, obeying the law, respecting authority and the age-old “Golden Rule?” Had they never been exposed to any of that?
It seems unlikely that a preacher man would be a victim of crime. The Reverend Henry Soltau, pastor of Brooklyn Center Methodist Church, experienced such indignities back in the ‘30s and ‘40s. He thought so much of his parishioners that he, like Robin Hood, gathered his merry men and went on a deer hunting expedition every year, enduring the ice and snow of northern Minnesota to hunt some tasty venison for the annual “deer supper” at his church.
Now, wouldn’t you think he’d be loved for that? Well, not everyone did, for this “dear” pastor was a hunted victim, himself. It all began in the ‘30s because of his desire to rid our great state of some of the no-no’s that some people thought were fine, even though breaking the law at that time. His great sin was that Rev. Soltau was a crusader against the powers of evil; things like gambling, vice and crooked government.
The first encounter occurred when Rev. Soltau was going home one night. Gunmen fired at him from a car which sped down the alley behind his home. It was about 9:40 p.m. as he leaped and ducked toward his house. He told police he heard three or four shots, close together. A neighbor who was parked close by saw the gun flashes and the car speeding down the alley. After running through his back yard and hurdling his fence, Soltau escaped to the safety of his front yard.
A second situation occurred in July 1941. Soltau had branched out into other towns in Minnesota, one of them being Mendota. He had been directing a raid upon four taverns, confiscating slot machines, and this particular incident took place outside the Colonial Tavern. He was severely beaten up, and got a swollen left eye, scalp wounds, and various other cuts and bruises. His left arm was injured and he suffered painful bruises of the chest and abdomen. An attorney took him to his home where a doctor was called and he was admitted to Asbury Hospital. Five men were arraigned on assault charges.
There were other attempts to “Stop Soltau,” but these only challenged him to wage a stronger battle. His faithful Board of Directors of the Good Government League stood by him and planned their strategy, organizing vigilante groups in many counties.
He circulated petitions throughout the state to acquire names of citizens who were desirous of having honest politicians who would uphold the law. The result was a complete cleanup in county after county. So this man who was such an adept “deer hunter” turned out to be a successful hunter of crime!
Note: Taken from an article supplied by Jeanne Meyer Edberg.