Chief Desmond Questions Aged Burglar
In early April 1900, St. Louis Police arrested David Johnson, a 69 year-old man who claimed to be a Civil War veteran. Johnson had burglarized the home of G.H. Johnson, no relation, in the 1900 block of LaSalle Street.
G. H. Johnson Home in the 1900 block of LaSalle Street – Courtesy of Google Earth
One of the most striking things about the case of the white haired and bearded Johnson, who walked with a slight limp, was his insistence that he never committed a crime until recently. The police would not normally suspect the soon-to-be 70 year old, who resembled a feeble old man.
Johnson claimed that he originally traveled from England on a ship in the 1840s. Johnson lived in Cincinnati, Ohio and stated that he served in Company B of the Thirteenth Ohio Infantry. Johnson stated that he was a carpenter by trade with both a wife and son back in Ohio.
While parts of Johnson’s story were probably true, Johnson was an experienced burglar. The police found burglary tools in his possession. Johnson had also befriended a young girl, who he gave silverware and things to. The St. Louis Police Detectives identified the items from several burglaries that had been committed on the South Side over the past two months.
Chief Desmond’s Exploits from the St. Louis Republic
St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond expected to be able to recognize Johnson but he did not know him. Desmond had a photo taken of David Johnson. Desmond then set the picture to the Cincinnati Police Department.
Johnson told Desmond that he came to St. Louis around the beginning of 1900 and roomed at the Home Hotel. Johnson claimed a woman robbed him of the $700 that he brought from Cincinnati. Johnson had her arrested but then changed his mind because of her desperate circumstances.
Johnson freely admitted to Chief Desmond that he burglarized G. H. Johnson’s home. David Johnson stated that he needed money to eat and only burglarized the home for this reason.
Chief Desmond did not believe Johnson, who was charged with multiple burglaries. A St. Louis Court sentenced Johnson to a 5 year sentence for burglary. Johnson told prison authorities he was born in 1832 making him 68 years old.
Chief Desmond would obtain many more confessions but few criminals would ever be as unique at David Johnson, the elderly South Side Burglar.
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