Detective’s Wife Shoots Man

On Boxing Day, December 26, 1900, the headline for the St. Louis Republic read, “Detective’s Wife Shoots a Man”. Pauline Courtney, who was married to Fifth District Detective Edward Courtney, was riding home on the Lee Avenue street car with her 6-year old daughter. When they left the street car about 7 p.m., James Wilkerson, a bricklayer, “annoyed” Pauline Courtney. Mr. Wilkerson annoyed Pauline Courtney’s all the way to her home. Pauline Courtney ended the annoyance by shooting at James Wilkerson three times and striking Wilkerson once in the thigh.

Pauline Courtney had a passing acquaintance with Wilkerson, who used to be the motorman on the Lee Avenue line. James Wilkerson followed Pauline Courtney and her daughter to their home in the 3200 block of North Nineteenth Street in the Hyde Park neighborhood. The Courtney’s lived on the second floor, which was only accessible by an outside stair. When Pauline Courtney and her daughter walked through the archway and up to the back stairs, James Wilkerson grabbed Pauline Courtney’s hand in “an overly familiar manner”.

Pauline Courtney pushed James Wilkerson away and ran to her upstairs flat, where she retrieved one of her husband’s guns. She warned James Wilkerson to go away three or four times but Wilkerson refused. In fear for her and her daughter’s safety, Pauline Courtney fired at Wilkerson. Wilkerson fled and sought medical attention from three different doctors. Wilkerson did not go to the Emergency Room.

Pauline Courtney reported the shooting to the Fifth District. Oddly, the commander assigned her husband and Officer Stead to arrest Wilkerson. They arrested Wilkerson at his mother’s house, which was located at 4152 Pleasant Street in the Fairgrounds neighborhood. James Wilkerson claimed that he was standing outside after escorting Pauline Courtney and her daughter home, when Pauline Courtney started shooting at him for no reason.

Wilkerson could not explain a couple of circumstances of the shooting. Pauline Courtney could not shoot Wilkerson unless Wilkerson followed her to the back steps leading to their flat. It is a tight turn and covered steps, so if Wilkerson stood at the bottom of the steps, Pauline Courtney would have to be a contortionist to shoot him. Wilkerson also could not explain why he did not report Mrs. Courtney shooting him

Tragically, Edward Courtney died on July 25, 1901. The Police Relief Association paid Mrs. Courtney a judgment of $2,927 for his death. Detective Courtney died of Bright’s Disease and left three children besides Pauline Courtney. They lived on Palm Street having moved from the North Nineteenth Street address.

The Circuit Attorney did not charge anyone in the incident.

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Source: St. Louis Republic, December 27, 1900, p. 1