St. Louis Police Catch Indiana Escapee
St. Louis Police Chief of Detectives William Desmond made many tough criminals talk over his career. John Huey, an Indiana murderer, was not one of these cases. Huey freely spoke with Desmond about his criminal past. Huey escaped from Indiana after serving 13 years for a murder in 1874.
John Huey came to Lyon, Indiana in 1874 as a 22-year-old. Huey began hanging out with Elihu Hardin. By Huey’s account, Hardin was a tough man who bullied others. On December 30, 1874, Hardin demanded that Huey buy him a drink or fight. When Huey took off his jacket to fight, Hardin pulled a knife.
Chief Desmond’s Sweating of Suspects from the St. Louis Republic
Huey fled the tavern and retrieved a firearm from his room. Huey stated that he intended to leave town but Hardin was waiting for him down the street. Hardin approached Huey with the knife. Despite Huey’s pleas for Hardin to back off, Hardin continued to advance. Huey shot Hardin in the head. Hardin died instantly.
Huey fled Lyon and lived in Terre Haute until arrested for Hardin’s murder in 1876. In January 1877, the case was tried but ended in a hung jury. The prosecuting attorney dropped the murder charge in exchange for Huey’s plea to manslaughter. In a surprise to everyone in the court room, the judge sentenced the 25-year-old Huey to 20 years in prison.
Huey later became a trustee. It was in this role that with only six months left before a parole that was going to be granted that Huey walked away from the Jeffersonville, Indiana prison during August 1890. Huey worked in Southern Illinois before coming to visit his sisters in St. Louis. Huey came to St. Louis at the end of April and believed one of his relatives turned him in.
Detectives McGrath and O’Connell picked Huey up at his sister’s residence near the intersection of Glasgow and Cass Avenues. Huey admitted his identity to them almost immediately. They took him to speak to Chief Desmond at the Four Courts Building, where he told the above story.
Four Courts Building in St. Louis in early 1900s
Huey returned to Indiana and served the remainder of his term. Unfortunately, Huey’s congenial nature did not lead him to go straight. Indiana officials arrested him and his brother Jack for theft in 1901. The newspaper noted that the Hueys were known burglars.
Chief Desmond would have many criminals confess to him over the years. While many of his contemporaries used techniques such as “the third degree” or beating prisoners, Desmond said violence was ineffective. Desmond got his results by talking to criminals.
He sometimes interrogated them like a drill instructor but for the most part he won their trust by treating them better than they were used to. Criminals would contact Desmond after they were in prison to provide him information. Bank and train robber Marion Hedgepeth helped Desmond catch serial killer H.H. Holmes.
In 1891, Desmond was a young Chief of Detectives. Some of his greatest triumphs were yet to come.
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