St. Louis Officer Killed by Wanted Man

The picture of Cornelius O’Keefe in the book, No cumprimento do deber: St. Louis axentes da policía que fixeron o sacrificio final by Barbara Miksicek, David McElreath eo Major Stephen Pollihan, struck me the first time I saw it. Co pelo repartido polo medio e un gran bigote, 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-Dispatch o martes, Agosto 8, 1911. Antes da súa morte prematura, 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 Minnesota Avenue. O’Keefe chased him down being shot in the hand in the process. El recentemente atopou unha muller, que saltou dun hotel e finalmente morreu de súas feridas.

Na noite do luns, Agosto 7, 1911, O’Keefe was working the evening shift. Typically, he was looking for Remus Hawshaw, a man wanted for assault. O'Keefe parou en Taylor Tenda de Weisman en Olive Street xunto Choris Candy Store, 1308 Olive Street.

Weisman empregou varios afroamericanos, incluíndo Hawshaw. 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 virou-se na mañá seguinte, ás 9:oo A.M. pero por esta época O'Keefe estaba morto. Hawshaw logo sería o principal sospeitoso.

O'Keefe chegou ao seu posto en relevo XIV e Olive Street en 10:50 da tarde, que era de cinco minutos máis cedo, el decidiu facer check-in na casa de Weisman unha vez máis.

Ao redor das 10:55 p.m, familia Choris, propietario da tenda de doces oído vidro dobres no rúa e varios tiros. Eles se esconderon no apartamento no piso de arriba 15 para 20 minutos antes de eles se sentiron seguros o suficiente para baixar. Ata entón, Sarxento Meehan atopara O'Keefe deitado no beco. O'Keefe só podería dicir que “un negro me pegou.”

O'Keefe estaba camiñando polo calello detrás da tenda de doces, cando un home negro sorprendeu. 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. Chaqueta de Hawshaw viría a ser recuperado cun buraco de bala na manga.

O'Keefe foi levado ao hospital da cidade, onde morreu en 5:35 A.M. na mañá de agosto 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. Morte da certidão de O'Keefe que un tiro no peito foi a causa da morte.

Sempre me preguntei por que non dixo O'Keefe, “Hawshaw me pegou.” It is possible he did not know him well or did not know who attacked him in the alley. Independentemente, Hawshaw tornouse o principal sospeitoso moi rapidamente. O seu coartada para a hora do tiroteo foi descontado por dous asociados, que afirmou que el non estaba no Galo Club Vermello durante a noite.

Outra testemuña, que vivía no outro lado do calello da alfaiate, Hawshaw viu na rúa menos dunha hora antes da aparición do asasinato. 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. Segundo a súa certificado de defunción, morreu en outubro 27, 1931 coa idade de 42 de trombose pulmonar. 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 era 42 bacharelato anos, que estivera en vigor desde a 1899. A súa certificado de defunción non lista calquera parente máis próximo. O'Keefe era un oficial valente, que deu a súa vida intentando prender un criminal perigoso. Desafortunadamente, his fate would be shared by many other officers in the 1910s and 1920s.

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