San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JUDGE DANA P. EICKE
The life story of the present mayor
of Stockton, Judge Dana P. Eicke, presents an interesting and varied record,
which has run the gamut of farm boy, miner, prison guard, railroad policeman, detective,
lawyer, judge and mayor. He was born in
Placer County, December 9, 1879 and when still in his teens went to work as a
miner, working in the gold, copper and borax mines of Canada and Mexico. When he was twenty-four he returned to
California and was appointed prison guard at Folsom by Governor Pardee, where
he passed through some exciting experiences.
He went through the famous riot and attempted jail break of 1904, when
convicts seized a captain and several guards and used them as shields against
bullets in their attempt to break away.
Judge Eicke aided in preventing this wholesale delivery that had been
carefully planned, ten men being shot during this break in eight minutes. In 1908 Governor Gillette appointed him to
the state railroad police and he was one of the posses that captured the China
Mail robbers near Suisun; he was then chosen by the Southern Pacific to gather
evidence for its legal department in criminal cases.
With a decided inclination toward
the legal profession, and through his association with C. M. Gill, a prominent
attorney of Stockton, Judge Eicke took up the study of the law, burning the
midnight oil in Mr. Gill’s office to such good purpose that he was admitted to
the bar in February, 1914 practicing in the Superior, Supreme and U. S.
Courts. In 1918 he was elected judge of
the police court of Stockton and while on the bench he attracted nation-wide
attention through his method of dealing with automobile speeders, articles
having appeared in many of the Eastern papers.
The following is quoted from a
Buffalo, New York, paper:
Solomon in all his wisdom could not
have devised a brighter scheme for punishing speeders than that of the genial
police court justice of Stockton, California, Dana P. Eicke. Speeders no longer come into Judge Eicke’s court smirking, ‘What’s the fine, Judge?’ The Judge doesn’t fine speeders any
more. Instead he locks up the speeder’s
machines. Judge Eicke launched this
unique campaign against speeders some time ago and since that time he has locked
up a number of cars. He started out with
a motorcycle and a tin Lizzie and followed up with big machines. His first victim was a young Stanford
University law student. ‘You’re learning
the ways of the law, young man,’ said the Judge, ‘and it isn’t costing you a
cent. But you will have to walk for a
week. The bailiff is hereby ordered to
lock up your car in the fire engine house for seven days.’ One day a taxicab driver appeared before His
Honor. ‘You are sentenced to thirty days
in jail,’ said he sternly. ‘However, I
will grant you your liberty on condition that you turn over your machine to the
bailiff for that same period.’ ‘Your
honor, I will pay a fine, but the taxicab is not mine,’ said the driver. ‘Very well, then’ said the Judge. ‘You shall surrender your license to the
bailiff and you shall not so much as step inside of an
automobile for thirty days. If you are
seen in a machine within that time, you will go to jail. This court does not fine speeders anymore.’
The novelty of Judge Eicke’s plan struck the humor of the people and it was the
talk of the town, and, incidentally, speeding decreased 100% while he was on
the bench. Before his election to the
judgeship, Judge Eicke was appointed prosecuting attorney for the State Board
of Pharmacy by Governor Johnson. During
the World War he was appointed by the Government as appeal agent for San
Joaquin County, and he received an honorable discharge from President Wilson
for the faithful performance of his duties and also honorable mention from
Governor Stephens. He was also one of
the four-minute speakers and did much effective work in this capacity. Judge Eicke has always been prominent in
Republican politics and at the November election in 1920 he was elected Mayor
of Stockton, and this high office he had filled with distinction.
Judge Eicke was married in 1910 to
Miss Florence Taylor, a native daughter of Amador County, and a descendant of a
pioneer family, her father having crossed the plains in 1849; Judge Eicke’s father having come to California around the Horn
the same year. Three children have been
born to them: Jane, Willis and
Caroline. Judge Eicke is very prominent
in fraternal life and is a member of all branches of Masonry, including the
Shrine; also of the Eagles, Elks, Moose, Red Men, Mooseheart
Legion, Ad Club of Stockton and the State Automobile Association. Mrs. Eicke is a member of the First Christian
Church, the Christian Women’s Board of Missions, and of the Eastern Star.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1275. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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