Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
When I started martial arts in my mid-twenties, I thought my skill level would always continue to improve even as I aged. Since I regularly lifted weights, performed cardio and stretched, I thought I could battle Father Time to a draw. Like so many combat athletes before me, I discovered Father Time beats us all. Whether we want to face
On November 1908, three bishops and an abbot dedicated St. Francis de Sales Church, “the Cathedral of South St. Louis”. Built to serve the growing German Catholic population in St. Louis, the huge church would become the home to many families including my great grandparents, Eduard and Magdalena Mosblech, and their 14 children. The St. Louis Archdiocese dedicated the church
The International Wrestling Tournament occurred in two phases between May 19, 1915 and December 31, 1915. Fifty wrestlers would compete in the first phase of the tournament including World Greco-Roman Champion Aleksander “Alex” Aberg. The second installment had 40 wrestlers including up and coming star Ed “Strangler” Lewis, who joined a month into the tournament on November 22, 1915. The
Willard “Wild Bill” Longson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 8, 1906 but spent most of his adult life in St. Louis, Missouri. After beginning his career as a professional wrestler in 1931, Longson found himself working for Tom Packs in St. Louis. He never really left as it would be his home base for the remainder
On the evening of June 1, 1879, St. Louis Police Officer Charles Printz was walking his beat near 505 Marion Street on St. Louis’ South Side. It is not clear if Charles Sanders actions attracted Printz’s attention, or Printz just stumbled upon Sanders. Whatever the circumstances, Printz walked up to Sanders, who had a revolver in his right hand. When
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 May 11, 1900, World Heavyweight Boxing Champion James J. Jeffries fought his former employer James J. Corbett. Corbett held the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship in the early 1890s. Corbett hired the powerfully built Jeffires to help him prepare for his title challengers. Jeffries went on to win the world title from the man, who beat Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons. Corbett
The Scarlet Clue (1945) is the fifth of eleven Charlie Chan films Monogram Pictures produced after Twentieth-Century Fox cancelled the series in 1942. Sidney Toler made eleven films for Twentieth-Century Fox before moving the series to Monogram. After Toler died in 1947, Roland Winters took over the role for seven more films. In this film, Inspector Charlie Chan discovers a
Recently, I was searching for information about my Great Uncle Francis’ marriage to my Great Aunt Rosemary Kalt. What I discovered was an unexpected genealogy treasure, a picture in the July 5 edition of the St. Louis Star-Times of my great grandparents and 12 of the 14 Mosblech children. I had never seen a picture of my great grandparents, Eduard
St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond had respect for the “old school criminals”, who plied their trade in St. Louis during the late 19th Century. However, he did not have the same degree of respect for the thug tactics of the “new school criminals”. These criminals made up for a lack of finesse with great violence. Chief Desmond said