Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
Rosa or Rose Elker was born in St. Louis on February 5, 1890. Aunt Rose was my great-grandmother, Magdalena Elker’s, youngest sister. On Saturday, September 22, 1906, the 16-year-old Rose was walking to her job at the Plows Candy Factory in St. Louis. Aunt Rose was walking about 8 am in the morning, when she started to cross the 18th
When unknown men shot Officer Michael Walsh on a cold, foggy night during December 1880, St. Louis Police believed the suspect may be saloon and grocery burglars working in the area. However, St. Louis detectives had been unable to find the burglary team. A chatty prisoner cleared up the mystery in April 1881. Police arrested Charlie Wilson with his friend Tom Higgins
This post is an unedited excerpt from my newest book to be released in Fall or early Winter 2017. William Rudolph’s trial delayed George Collins’ execution to later in the day on March 27, 1904. Normally, executions occurred at dawn. Prior to being escorted to the gallows, Sheriff Bruch allowed Collins to say goodbye to Rudolph. Collins walked into the
On September 27, 1941, Warner Brothers Film Corporation released Sergeant York (1941). The film (affiliate link) tells the story of Sergeant Alvin C. York, a reluctant World War I hero from the small town of Pall Mall, Tennessee. Western film veteran Gary Cooper stars as Sergeant York. The film begins with the contrast of a Sunday church service and the
It was very cold on the morning of Sunday, December 5, 1880, about 2 a.m., when St. Louis Police Officer Sheehan found the front door open to John R. Lionberger’s home. Owing to the bitter cold, Sheehan feared burglars had entered the residence. Sheehan rang the bell repeatedly but could not awaken anyone inside. Sheehan began rapping his night stick against the
Over the next three weeks, I will be releasing posts, which are excerpts from the book I’m currently working on and one from a previously published book. The following unedited story is from the book I’m working on which will be released in the Fall or early Winter 2017. William Rudolph proved elusive after his Independence Day escape from the
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943) is loosely based on The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual. The short story was published in The Strand Magazine during May 1893. It was later compiled in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. In the story, the Musgrave Mansion held a secret that even it’s inhabitants did not know. This film follows the same plot line
Few events shocked St. Louis like the line of duty death of Lt. Sidney Sears in June 1924. For almost 30 years, Lt. Sears was considered the best pistol shot on the St. Louis Police Department. In 1904, Sears was also National Pistol Champion of the United States. For someone to kill Lt. Sears in a shootout was considered impossible.
Kate Chopin, daughter of a prominent French family and at the time local author, collapsed at the St. Louis 1904 World’s Fair on August 20, 1904. Madame Chopin was only 54 years old and suffered a brain hemorrhage or aneurism. She died at her home on McPherson Avenue on August 22, 1904. Kate Chopin was born Kate O’Flaherty in St.
I’ve been on an Alan Ladd kick lately. When I was still in college, I watched a number of Alan Ladd films one summer. I’ve been watching them over again the last few weeks on Amazon Prime. I’ll share some of these films over the next few months. The first film I watched was Thunder in the East (1951) starring