Ambush Kills Beat Officer

54-year-old William Henry Anderson plied his trade as a St. Louis Police Officer for 25 Jahre. In der Nähe der natürlichen Brücke und der Vandeventer Avenue zugewiesen, Officer Anderson was known as the “Friendly Copper” by the residents and businesses on his beat.

Working the overnight shift on a cold February morning, Officer Anderson was walking on Vandeventer just south of the intersection with Natural Bridge. Wearing gloves to keep out the cold, Anderson was walking near Brady’s Saloon, a notorious hangout, when he was felled by a shot to the neck from behind.

As Anderson lay on the sidewalk, the unknown assailant or assailants fired two more shots in the back of his head. Henry Marmor, who was delivering newspapers at Vandeventer and Labadie Avenues, heard five shots ring out and looked at his watch. Es 5:25 am.

St. Louis Police responded to the gunshots found Anderson laying in a pool of blood in front of Brady’s Saloon. The responding officers believed Anderson had no idea he was about to be ambushed. Anderson was wearing his mittens; Sein Mantel war völlig geknöpft und seine Waffe war voll beladen und immer noch in der Tasche.

St. Louis Police were convinced Anderson’s death was connected to Brady’s Saloon, a North Side gangster hangout. When the Vandeventer streetcar passed at 5:00 am, the lights were on in the saloon and two cars were parked out front.

When the streetcar passed again at 5:56 am, Die Autos waren weg, Und der Salon war dunkel. A site of frequent police raids, St. Louis Kriminelle verbrachten Zeit miteinander an der Bar.

Jedoch, Anderson did not take part in the raids of Brady’s Saloon. Earlier in his shift, Anderson walked through Brady’s Saloon, begrüßte die Gönner, und weckte keine Neugier oder Sorge durch seine Anwesenheit.

Officer Anderson checked in on the call box at 4:10 a.m. Wie er geplant war und sagte, alles sei still auf seinem Takt still. Anderson missed his next check-in at 5:10 a.m. Aber niemand wusste, was Anderson festhielt. Andersons Versäumnis zum Einchecken schien keine Besorgnis zu äußern, bis die Bürger Schüsse an das Polizeipräsidium gemeldet hatten.

St. Die Polizei von Louis interviewte die Gönner, einschließlich eines Angestellten der ST. Louis City Courts, Professioneller Baseballspieler und mehrere unappetitliche Charaktere, aber nie potenzielle Verdächtige benannt. Leider, the streetcar conductor did not get a good look at the vehicles, was dem Polizei den Mörder oder die Mörder möglicherweise geholfen hat. Heute, Officer Anderson’s murder is still an unsolved crime.

Officer William H. Anderson was born on October 17, 1869, in Missouri. Anderson lived at 4567 Clarence Avenue with his wife Lida and grown daughter. Ein verheirateter Sohn überlebte auch Anderson. St. Die Polizeibeamten von Louis haben mysteriöse Morde erlitten, aber selten so sinnlos.

You can leave a comment or ask a question about this or any post on my Facebook page.

Sources: Die St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Februar 11, 1924, p. 1 & 3 und St. Louis Star-Times, Februar 15, 1924, p. 1

Pin It