Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
On May 11, 1931, Fritz Lang’s classic film M (affiliate link) was released in Berlin, Germany. Besides being on most lists for the top 100 films of all time, Fritz Lang believed his finest film was M (1931). The film is the story of a series of child murders that are occurring in Berlin. The police are determined to catch the killer
On Tuesday, July 4, 1916, former St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond passed away after an illness of two years. Desmond was in Alexian Brothers Hospital from October 1915 until his death on Independence Day 1916. The 59-year-old Desmond left a 12-year-old son, William Desmond, Jr. Chief Desmond’s wife died several years before him. For 17 years from 1890
Martin “Farmer” Burns was a professional catch-as-catch can wrestler as well as wrestling and physical cultural trainer. Despite great success as a professional wrestler, even winning the American Heavyweight Championship, he is more famous as a wrestling trainer. Martin “Farmer” Burns was born February 15, 1861 in Cedar County, Iowa. Both then and now, wrestling is in an Iowan’s blood.
On February 23, 1906, World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Marvin Hart defended his title in Los Angeles. When James J. Jeffries retired as heavyweight champion, Hart and Jack Sharkey fought for the vacant title. Hart was the surprise winner of the fight. Hart refused to fight Jack Johnson, the recognized best heavyweight. Instead he fought Tommy Burns, a 5’07” skilled boxer.
I wrote this post due to a conversation I was tagged in on Twitter about the 1911 rematch between Frank Gotch and Georg Hackenschmidt for the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. Jim Cornette, who besides being one of the best managers in professional wrestling is also a noted pro wrestling historian, talked about the double cross in the second Gotch-Hack match
During the Golden Age of Radio, the Shadow was a crusading crime fighter named Lamont Cranston. In this 1933 English film produced by Real Arts Productions, the Shadow is a villainous murderer and blackmailer. The film opens up with the Shadow demanding payment from a famous lawyer. The Shadow promises to expose the lawyer who can’t pay. Facing exposure and
St. Louis Police Officer Cornelius O’Keefe performed countless acts of bravery over his career. On May 26, 1901, O’Keefe proved his toughness and quick thinking again by saving a fellow officer from an excited horse and shed fire. St. Louis Police Officer Joseph A. Gerk patrolled his beat on Eighteenth Street during the morning of May 26, 1901, when he
In combat sports, a good big man usually beats a good little man. If you are great, you can often make up for huge size discrepancies. Edwin Bibby stood only 5’04” and weighed 160 pounds but defeated many larger wrestlers during his professional wrestling career. Bibby defeated many wrestlers including the gigantic German wrestler William Heygster. Edwin Bibby was able
On December 15, 1903, three men entered the Erie House at Fourth Street and Clark Avenue. The men beat up cook Victor Dauson before shooting hotel clerk Charles Harding. Dauson died from his injuries but Charles Harding recovered. The men took $300 from the safe and fled the hotel. The men entered the hotel at 2:00 a.m. and surprised Harding,
On August 11, 1896, a train arrived in St. Louis, Missouri around 7:30 a.m. Three figures exited the train. Two healthy looking police officers were escorting John D. “Jack” Shea, who killed St. Louis Police Officer Patrick Doran on November 7, 1881. The gaunt and sickly Shea was no longer the young thug, who executed Doran during a chase after