Tag: Police History

Over the next three weeks, I will be releasing posts, which are excerpts from the book I’m currently working on and one from a previously published book.  The following unedited story is from the book I’m working on which will be released in the Fall or early Winter 2017. William Rudolph proved elusive after his Independence Day escape from the […]

Few events shocked St. Louis like the line of duty death of Lt. Sidney Sears in June 1924.  For almost 30 years, Lt. Sears was considered the best pistol shot on the St. Louis Police Department.  In 1904, Sears was also National Pistol Champion of the United States. For someone to kill Lt. Sears in a shootout was considered impossible.  […]

When unknown men shot Officer Michael Walsh on a cold, foggy night during December 1880, St. Louis Police believed the suspect may be saloon and grocery burglars working in the area. However, St. 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 […]

On the evening of June 1, 1879, St. Louis Police Officer Charles Printz was walking his beat near 505 Marion Street on St. Louis’ South Side. It is not clear if Charles Sanders actions attracted Printz’s attention, or Printz just stumbled upon Sanders. Whatever the circumstances, Printz walked up to Sanders, who had a revolver in his right hand. When […]

St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond had respect for the “old school criminals”, who plied their trade in St. Louis during the late 19th Century.  However, he did not have the same degree of respect for the thug tactics of the “new school criminals”.  These criminals made up for a lack of finesse with great violence. Chief Desmond said […]

On Thursday, September 9, 1875, George “Mitchell” Gassert and William Salisbury went to Fred Fisher’s Saloon at the corner of N. Jefferson and Morgan (Delmar today). After ordering drinks, the two young men of unsavory reputation refused to pay for their drinks. After trying to illicit payment, Fisher summoned St. Louis Police Officer John Cummings. Officer Cummings, assigned to the […]

For the Sunday, June 24, 1900 edition of the St. Louis Republic, a reporter interviewed St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond about the increasing violence of the new criminal.  After 10 years as St. Louis Chief of Detectives and one of the most noted thief takers in United States, Chief Desmond lamented the increasing violence he was seeing out […]

54-year-old William Henry Anderson plied his trade as a St. Louis Police Officer for 25 years. Assigned to a beat near Natural Bridge and Vandeventer Avenues, Officer Anderson was known as the “Friendly Copper” by the residents and businesses on his beat. Working the overnight shift on a cold February morning, Officer Anderson was walking on Vandeventer just south of […]

Before he was promoted to Special Officer, St. Louis Police Officer Preston Anslyn responded to calls for service like any other patrolman.  On the morning of February 28, 1916, Anslyn was patrolling the area of Franklin and Jefferson Avenues. A citizen notified Anslyn that 30-year-old Albert Kivet was celebrating after his birthday on February 27th.  During his revelry, Kivet assaulted […]