St. Louis Officer Killed by Wanted Man

The picture of Cornelius O’Keefe in the book, Duty-Line in: St. Louis polizia Who Made Ultimate Sacrificio by Barbara Miksicek, David McElreath eta Major Stephen Pollihan, struck me the first time I saw it. Bere ilea parted behera erdian eta bibote handi bat, I could see him walking the streets of Downtown St. Louis speaking to children in his Irish brogue.

Cornelius O’Keefe both looked and acted the part of the brave, strong policeman. He performed many legendary feats of daring during his career.

Several of his exploits were chronicled in the St. Louis Post-hilabete asteartean, Abuztua 8, 1911. Aurretik bere heriotza untimely arte, O’Keefe had overpowered an armed maniac Downtown by dancing like a trained bear to amuse him. When he got close enough to the lunatic, he overpowered the man and took two guns from him.

In another case, a burglar tried to break into his boarding house at 1121 Mississippi Avenue. O’Keefe chased him down being shot in the hand in the process. Zuen duela gutxi, emakume bat topatu, duten hotel bat salto egin eta, azkenean, bere lesioak hil.

Astelehen gauean, Abuztua 7, 1911, O’Keefe was working the evening shift. Typically, he was looking for Remus Hawshaw, a man wanted for assault. O'Keefe gelditu in Weisman en Taylor Denda Olive Street at Choris Candy denda ondoan, 1308 Oliba Street.

Weisman okupatuak hainbat afrikar-amerikarrek Hawshaw barne. Weisman stated he had not seen Hawshaw all day. Hawshaw would stop in at Weisman’s later that day. Mr. Weisman told Hawshaw to turn himself in.

Hawshaw zuen buelta berak hurrengo goizean at 9:oo a.m. baina une honetan O'Keefe zen hilik. Laster litzateke Hawshaw prime susmagarri izango.

O'Keefe bere erliebe Hamalaugarren eta Olive Street post baitugu at 10:50 p.m., Horrek bost minutu izan zen goiz, beraz ikusteko Sartu Weisman en denbora gehiago erabaki zuen.

Inguruan at 10:55 p.m, Choris familia, gozoki denda entzun beira kalezulo batean haustura eta hainbat gunshots jabetzako nor. Ezkutatzen da goiko apartamentuan dute 15 arte 20 nahikoa seguru behera etorri sentitu dute minutu lehenago. Ordurako, Sergeant Meehan aurkitu zuen O'Keefe etzanda kalezulo batean. O'Keefe izan soilik esan “beltz bat lortu zidan.”

O'Keefe behera zebilen kalezulo gozoki denda atzean, denean gizon beltz bat harritu zuen. They fought with O’Keefe trying to strike the assailant with his club. O’Keefe broke the glass, which the Chorises heard, by swinging his club at Hawshaw. Hawshaw was able to draw O’Keefe’s service revolver and shoot him. The shooting was at such close range O’Keefe had powder burns on his jacket. Hawshaw jaka geroago bala manga zulo batekin berreskuratu.

O'Keefe hiriko ospitalera eraman, Bertan hil zuen 5:35 a.m. Abuztuaren goizean 8, 1911. Police officers brought in a couple of African-Americans who were found in the area but O’Keefe shook his head each time indicating it was not the man. He had apparently lost his power of speech before his death. O'Keefe heriotzaren ziurtagiri estatu bularrean zauria gunshot bat dela bere heriotzaren arrazoia izan zen.

Beti galdetu zergatik O'Keefe ez zuen esan, “Hawshaw got me.” It is possible he did not know him well or did not know who attacked him in the alley. Kontuan hartu gabe, Hawshaw prime susmagarri oso azkar bihurtu zen. Bere errodatzen garai alibi bi bazkide kenduz, nork adierazi zuen ez zela Red Rooster Club at arratsaldean zehar.

Lekuko beste, nork kalezulo zehar bizi izan neurrira dendatik, Hawshaw ikusi kalezulo ordubete baino gutxiagoan hilketa gertatu aurretik. St. Police also found physical evidence such as Hawshaw’s coat with a powder burn on the sleeve.

Hawshaw was convicted of the crime but did not die in prison. Bere heriotza-ziurtagiria arabera, urrian hil zen 27, 1931 urterekin 42 biriketako tronbosia etik. He was employed as a laborer and lived at 2340 Washington Boulevard. I do not know how long he served time in prison for O’Keefe’s murder.

O'Keefe bat izan zen 42 lizentziatura urteko, zuten indarra izan da geroztik 1899. Bere heriotza-ziurtagiria ez du zerrendatu kin hurrengo edozein. O'Keefe ofizial ausart bat zen, bere bizitza eman ziona arriskutsua penal bat atzeman nahian. Zoritxarrez, his fate would be shared by many other officers in the 1910s and 1920s.

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