Death of the Head Rat

willie-egan-and saloon

William T.”Willie” Egan took over “Egan’s Rats” on the death of his older brother Tom in 1919.  Thomas “Snake” Kinney and his childhood friend and brother-in-law Tom Egan formed St. Louis’ criminal organization in the late 1800s.  Both Kinney and Tom Egan were saloon keepers and Democratic politicians.  They employed “the Rats” for political slugging and other criminal activities. Thomas

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A Tale of Two Turnvereine Halls

interior-south-st-louis-turnvereine

The fate of much of St. Louis’ historic buildings prove the old real estate adage.  It’s all about location, location, location.  If the building is in the South St. Louis, it has a better chance of being saved than a building on the North Side.  The same could be said for buildings located in the center of the city except

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Aftermath of the Union Bank Robbery

st-louis-republic-march-15-1903

On Friday, March 13, 1903, the Franklin County Judge William Davidson arraigned William Rudolph and George Collins for the robbery of the Union Bank and the murder of Pinkerton Detective Charles Schumacher.  Rudolph and Collins plead “not guilty”.  Judge Davidson assigned three attorneys to represent Rudolph and Collins. William Rudolph gave a confession to the St. Louis media, which was

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