Ambush Kills Beat Officer

54-year-old William Henry Anderson plied his trade as a St. Louis Police Officer for 25 jaren. Toegewezen aan een beat in de buurt van Natural Bridge en Vandeventer Avenue, 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. Het was 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; zijn overjas was helemaal dichtgeknoopt en zijn pistool zat volledig geladen en nog in zijn zak.

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, de auto's waren verdwenen, en de salon was donker. A site of frequent police raids, St. Louis-criminelen brachten samen tijd door aan de bar.

Echter, Anderson did not take part in the raids of Brady’s Saloon. Earlier in his shift, Anderson walked through Brady’s Saloon, begroette de patroons, en wekte geen nieuwsgierigheid of bezorgdheid op door zijn aanwezigheid.

Officer Anderson checked in on the call box at 4:10 a.m. zoals hij gepland was en zei dat alles stil was op zijn ritme. Anderson missed his next check-in at 5:10 a.m. maar niemand wist wat Anderson vasthield. Andersons onvermogen om in te checken leek geen aanleiding te geven tot bezorgdheid totdat burgers schoten meldden op het hoofdbureau van politie.

St. Louis Police interviewde de opdrachtgevers, waaronder een griffier van de St. Louis City Courts, professionele honkbalspeler en verschillende onsmakelijke karakters, maar noemde nooit potentiële verdachten. Helaas, the streetcar conductor did not get a good look at the vehicles, wat de politie mogelijk heeft geholpen de moordenaar of moordenaars te benoemen. Vandaag, 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. Een getrouwde zoon overleefde ook Anderson. St. Louis-politieagenten hebben mysterieuze moorden ondergaan, maar zelden zo’n zinloze moord.

You can leave a comment or ask a question about this or any post on my Facebook-pagina of Twitter-profiel.

Sources: De St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Februari 11, 1924, p. 1 & 3 en St. Louis Star-Times, Februari 15, 1924, p. 1

Pin It