警方确定沃尔什的杀手

When unknown men shot Officer Michael Walsh on a cold, foggy night during December 1880, 圣. Louis Police believed the suspect may be saloon and grocery burglars working in the area. 然而, 圣. Louis detectives had been unable to find the burglary team. A chatty prisoner cleared up the mystery in April 1881.

Police arrested Charlie Wilson with his friend Tom Higgins for saloon burglaries in Alton, 二月伊利诺伊 1881. Higgins engaged in a gun fight with officers. The Alton Police Officers shot Higgins through the chest. Because doctors did not expect Higgins to live, 奥尔顿警察放松警惕. Higgins escaped but police believed Higgins died from the gunshot wound.

Wilson began to reveal details of burglaries to a fellow prisoner, 谁惊动了看守. 圣. Louis Police asked the warden to gather any information he could. Over the following weeks, Wilson revealed details about burglaries including a serious assault and the saloon burglaries on the night that burglars killed Officer Walsh.

报案人会写下来的一切威尔逊告诉他后，威尔逊睡着了. 然后，犯人会折腾出的信息到走廊, 在监狱长会每天早上检索. One of the things Wilson revealed to the authorities was his belief that Tom Higgins was still alive.

Wilson and Higgins frequented an African American brothel, 在 614 榆树街街. 路易, 由萨迪·罗斯运行. 在入室盗窃队的五个六个男人经常见面了在妓院, planned jobs, and patronized the prostitutes. Unlike his friends, Tom Higgins had a meaningful relationship with one of the girls, 杰西利物浦.

威尔逊认为，如果有人知道这里希金斯躲在, 这将是杰西利物浦. 圣. 路易警方突袭萨迪·罗斯’ establishment often but could not find information leading them to Higgins. 侦探有一个休息的时候一个叫海蒂·威尔逊年轻的妓女告诉他们哪里杰西利物浦躲在她的信从希金斯.

圣. 路易警方了解到，希金斯利物浦发出了一封信，要求她遇见他在路易斯维尔另一妓院, Kentucky. 他打算在路易斯维尔设立业务为ST. 路易斯已经变得太热. 圣. 路易警方安排路易斯维尔警察拿起希金斯.

Higgins agreed to St. Louis Police transporting him back to St. 路易斯盘算，他会在路上逃回. 然而, 圣. 路易警方确定他不会逃脱. 圣. Louis Police Officers safely delivered Higgins to the Four Courts building.

Hattie Wilson filled in the blanks for investigators. 威尔逊和汤姆·希金斯在一个区域中burglarizing轿车, 而他们的其他团队由爱德希金斯领导, 没有关系，汤姆, was working in another area. When Wilson and Tom Higgins heard the police officers rapping the pavement, they figured police had discovered the burglaries.

威尔逊和汤姆·希金斯试图要回萨迪·罗斯’ house when Officer Walsh stepped out of the fog. 他抓住查理威尔逊的手臂，问道, “你是哪里人急于?” 希金斯在里面路过, 转身后，沃尔什，他通过他, 拉平他的左轮手枪，在沃尔什的头，扣动了扳机. 沃尔什下跌身受重伤.

威尔逊和希金斯抵达萨迪·罗斯’ 房子周围 3:30 <跨度bbox_x“626”bbox_y =“1002”bbox_w“28”bbox_h =“20”的fsize =“14”fweight =“3”红=“255”绿色=“255”蓝色=“255”阿尔法“, 拍摄结束后的一个半小时. 威尔逊和汤姆·希金斯还在争论在沃尔什杀. 威尔逊告诉希金斯拍摄沃尔什是错误的.

The men pulled more burglaries including one where another confederate hit an aged saloon keeper with a lead pipe. 幸好, 轿车门将住，但男子决定搬到奥尔顿.

After police shot Tom Higgins in Alton, 杰西利物浦支付医生. 科里尔 $53 一两个星期的逗留，他从他的圣养伤. 路易. Higgins left for Louisville once he healed.

破案不如希金斯定罪容易. 对他的案件是基于一个同盟和妓女的证词. I have never found any evidence that prosecutors charged Higgins with Walsh’s murder.

I am often surprised at how criminals killed St. Louis Police Officers but escaped any punishment. 常, the killers escaped punishment or served short prison sentences of less than five years.

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Source: 圣. 圣路易斯邮报, 四月 30, 1881, 版, p. 1

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