Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
Posts about St. Louis,Missouri and miscellaneous history until 1930 .
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
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
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.
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
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
1802 N. Jefferson Avenue was a two-family flat built in 1890 and located in the St. Louis Place neighborhood. I originally wrote about the building in 2013 but it was demolished sometime before March 2015. The building is part of an area being developed for a government complex in St. Louis, so it was not able to be saved. These pictures are
On Thursday, September 9, 1875, George “Mitchell” Gassert and William Salisbury went to Fred Fisher’s Saloon at the corner of N. Jefferson and Morgan (Delmar today). After ordering drinks, the two young men of unsavory reputation refused to pay for their drinks. After trying to illicit payment, Fisher summoned St. Louis Police Officer John Cummings. Officer Cummings, assigned to the
For the Sunday, June 24, 1900 edition of the St. Louis Republic, a reporter interviewed St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond about the increasing violence of the new criminal. After 10 years as St. Louis Chief of Detectives and one of the most noted thief takers in United States, Chief Desmond lamented the increasing violence he was seeing out