Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
Also known at The Sleeping Cardinal, Sherlock Holmes’ Fatal Hour (1931) is the first Sherlock Holmes film starring Arthur Wontner in the title role. The film concerns a young man, who has been cheating at bridge to regain his lost wealth. Professor Moriarty uses the information in an attempt to blackmail the young man Ronald Adair, portrayed by Leslie Perrins.
On November 10, 1924, Mrs. A.W. Stickney was leaving the St. Louis Country Club, when she was approached by two African-American men. The lighter skinned man told Mrs. Stickney to turn over her jewels or he would take them from her. Fearing for her safety, Mrs. Stickney handed the man her jewelry, valued at $17,000.00, and $85.00 in cash. Mrs.
Sam McVey would win the World Colored Heavyweight Boxing Championship in an era where the three best fighters were black and frozen out of the title picture. He started 1903 out so well, he would put pressure on World Heavyweight Boxing Champion James J. Jeffries to give him a match. Jeffries refused to break the “color line” by giving a
On September 15, 1887, a muscular man stood in the First District Police Court listening to Judge Cady. As he looked out between eyes almost swollen shut and a busted lip, he waited to see if justice would be done. It was as Judge Cady told the beaten man, “$10 fine for disturbing the peace. $100 for resisting arrest. You
On November 30, 1910, reports came from England that former World Heavyweight Prizefighting Champion Jem Mace had died at 79 years of age. Mace was world champion from 1860 to 1862 and again from 1866 to 1876. After reportedly earning a million dollars in a career that spanned 1857 to 1909, Jem Mace died penniless. He was laid to rest
On September 15, 1919, St. Louis citizens woke up to read about the death of one of their oldest citizens, Alexander Baptiste. Just a few months before his 101st or 102nd birthday depending on which source you believed, Alexander Baptiste passed away from intestinal disease. For years, Alexander was known as one of the fittest St. Louisans. An early advocate
“Terrible” Terry McGovern proved to be a rare fighter at the turn of the Twentieth Century. While smaller boxers packed no power in their punches, McGovern, who scaled between 110 and 126 pounds, possessed tremendous knockout power. “Terrible” Terry often finished his opponents in the first four rounds. On July 1, 1899, Brooklyn based McGovern met Chicago’s Johnny Richie at
On August 26, 1886, Evan “Strangler” Lewis met the British Wrestling Champion Tom Cannon in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the legitimate wrestling era, other wrestlers feared the powerful Lewis because of his stranglehold. Lewis employed a carotid arterial strangle known as the rear naked choke in Judo. At least that was what I originally thought and most historians have quoted. Modern
My grandfather’s first cousin, Julius W. “Joe” Johannpeter, was one of St. Louis’ airplane pioneers. Julius, who was known in the family as “Punks”, joined the Air National Guard in the mid-1920s. He would be commissioned as a Lieutenant. Julius flew planes for both the military and civilian air corps. Most of the men in his unit, which included Charles
During the last week of December 1902, William Rudolph, a recently returned miner to Franklin County, and George Collins robbed the Union Bank in Union, MO. They robbed it overnight, when no one was present by blowing up the safe. Rudolph returned to his parents’ cabin in Stanton, MO. He and his accomplice hid out until the Franklin County Sheriff