John Mabray’s Gambling Ring

During March 1910, the United States Attorney General in Council Bluffs, Iowa charged John C. Mabray (a version of his actual name, Mabry) and a dozen defendants with using the mail to commit gambling fraud in professional boxing, professional wrestling, and professional horse racing. Mabry, a livestock dealer living in Kansas City, Missouri, employed insiders in boxing, wrestling, and horse […]

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Safe Burglars Kill Former World Champ

In the early morning hours of August 5, 1933, four safe burglars broke a window at the Marshfield Brewing Company in Marshfield, Wisconsin. The burglars knocked a dial off the safe and removed $1,550.00 in federal stamps. In 2024 dollars, the burglars stole over $37,000.00. The same burglars successfully took another $1,000 in federal stamps from the Wausau Brewing Company […]

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Tom Allen Shoots Patron

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Tom Allen was born in Birmingham, England on April 23, 1840 but he became famous as a heavyweight bare knuckle prizefighter in America.  Settling in St. Louis around 1867, Allen won the American Heavyweight Championship in 1873 and held the title until 1876.  He returned to England for a year before returning to St. Louis for good in 1878. Back […]

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William Desmond Passes Away

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On Tuesday, July 4, 1916, former St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond passed away after an illness of two years.  Desmond was in Alexian Brothers Hospital from October 1915 until his death on Independence Day 1916.  The 59-year-old Desmond left a 12-year-old son, William Desmond, Jr.  Chief Desmond’s wife died several years before him. For 17 years from 1890 […]

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Cornelius O’Keefe Stops Burglar

cornelius-okeefe-circa-1911

Cornelius O’Keefe earned a reputation as a tough police officer during his career with the St. Louis Police Department. He would need all that toughness on the morning of January 6, 1911, when a burglar entered the boarding house, where O’Keefe lived and tried to steal several items including O’Keefe’s pants. O’Keefe had just woken up and was getting ready […]

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