Jack Shea Finally Does Time

Den August 11, 1896, a train arrived in St. Louis, Missouri around 7:30 a.m. Three figures exited the train. To sunde politifolk eskorterede John D. “Jack” Shea, who killed St. Louis Police Officer Patrick Doran on November 7, 1881.

The gaunt and sickly Shea was no longer the young thug, who executed Doran during a chase after his second escape from the St. Louis Jail. Shea was only 38 years old but 15 år på flugt og et par stints i fængsel efterlod tydeligt deres præg på ham.

Da officerne eskorterede den blege shea for at se St.. Louis Police Chief Harrigan, Shea told Harrigan, “Well, Chief, I’ve been playing a losing game. Now I’m soaked for 50 years.” Shea escaped the St. Louis Jail four times. It was during his second escape that he killed Officer Doran.

In October 1881, Shea and his close confederate Frank Fone broke out of the St. Louis Jail for the first time. Committing a series of thefts and burglaries, St. Louis -politiet fangede dem i begyndelsen af ​​november 1881.

På November 7, 1881, they escaped again and shot Officer Patrick Doran during a pursuit through Downtown St. Louis. St. Louis -politiet fangede Shea og vendte ham tilbage i fængsel.
Within a month, Shea and Fone again escaped the St. Louis Jail. While Shea was dangerous, Fone var kunstig og planlagde flugt. Shea avoided arrest until 1887, Da politiet fangede Shea og bragte ham tilbage til St.. Louis.

Authorities closely guarded him for the four years he was in St. Louis Jail. Tried twice for killing Officer Patrick Doran, Retten dømte Shea til at hænge i den første retssag. Men, Shea successfully appealed. His second trial ended in a sentence of 50 år.

Oktober 2, 1891, En ukendt person efterlod en jernport ved fængslet åben og ti hærdede kriminelle, including Shea, made their escape. Myndighederne mener, at de kriminelle bestikkede en vagt for at lade døren være åben. For the next five years, Shea bounced in and out of prisons in Pennsylvania and Ohio under his alias John Sullivan.

Shea har måske fortsat med at undgå fangst, Men en tidligere konfødereret ved navn Conroy ankom til Ohio -fængslet nær slutningen af ​​Sheas sætning for indbrud. Conroy told prison authorities who they really had. Fængselsmyndighederne sendte et telegram til St.. Louis.

Detectives Jim Tracey and Denny Viehle arrived and took Shea back to St. Louis. Before they arrived and despite his weakened condition, Shea found an opportunity to stab Conroy in the side. Guards stopped him before he could kill Conroy, which Shea admitted was his intent.

Tracey and Viehle took no chances with Shea. They kept him in handcuffs even when he was eating. When they had to stop over in a town between Ohio and Missouri, they locked Shea in the local jail until it was time for the train to leave.

Tracey and Viehle were wise to take their precautions. Mens hans liv på flugt svækkede shea, Shea tænkte konstant på at flygte. Når en st. Louis Post-Dispatch Reporter spurgte ham, om han hellere ville staten henrette ham end at tjene en 50 year-term, Shea responded, “Hvorfor, of course not. Haven’t I got a chance to escape from there?”

Fængselsembedsmænd transporterede Shea til Missouri Penitentiary. Mellem april 1905 and May 1907, Tjenestemænd overførte Shea til Fulton Asylum. Guvernør Major pendlede resten af ​​Sheas dom i juli 3, 1914. Shea ville have handlet om 56 år.

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Sources: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 11, 1896, udgave, p. 3 og Missouri State Penitentiary Records

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