Hannah McLaughlin Desmond (1879 – 1904)

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On January 7, 1903, St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond married 24-year-old Hannah McLaughlin in a ceremony he hoped to keep secret. The 46-year-old Desmond always said he would never marry due to the dangers of his job. Echter, he was clearly smitten with Hannah McLaughlin. In March 1897, de St. Louis Post-Dispatch printed the first rumors of an

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St. Louis Police Protect World’s Fair

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The Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, of 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair as it is more popularly known, is the most significant event in St. Louis, Missouri history. While St. Louis was the largest city west of the Mississippi River, the World’s Fair put it on the international map. While the fair would bring notoriety, tourists and increased revenue to the city,

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Streetcar Strike Claims First Victim

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Op woensdag, Mei 9, 1900, de tweede dag van de St. Louis Streetcar Strike, een verdwaalde kogel gedood Frank Liebrecht. Frank Liebrecht, een Spaans-Amerikaanse Oorlog veteraan, keek naar een staking rally op de hoek van Finney en N. Taylor Avenue. Tijdens de rally, some in the crowd observed the last two streetcars for the day coming down the tracks about a

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Detective Desmond Gets His Men

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Before he became St. Louis Chief of Detectives in 1890, William Desmond plied his trade as a Detective with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. During February 1890, Detective Desmond’s persistent efforts to locate two confidence men paid off with the arrest of both men. “Kinch” Keegan and “Thatch” Grady were brother-in-laws and accomplices in several confidence games. On January

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Officer Fatally Wounded Nabbing Killer

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Op november 16, 1877, St. Louis Police Officer John S. White and his partner Officer Heffernan responded to a report of a wanted man tried to pawn stolen merchandise at Wright’s Pawnshop. The man later identified as Frank Rande entered Wright’s Pawnshop at about 9:30 a.m. Wright sent one of his assistants for the police. As Officer White and Heffernan

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Streetcar Strike Mob Attacks Woman

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I have always said the St. Louis Streetcar Strike of 1900 was not the story of the evil streetcar companies exploiting the innocent workers. “The innocent workers” committed many deplorable acts during the streetcar strike. One of their most frequent tactics involved stripping woman in public who rode the streetcars during the strike. Amazingly, hun slachtoffers waren jong en aantrekkelijk

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Chief Desmond Brings Fugitive Home

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St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond would be primarily responsible for the security of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Prior to the fair opening in April 1904, Desmond played a critical role in St. Louis’ boodling investigation. During his boodling investigation, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Joseph “Holy Joe” Folk indicted City Councilman Charles Kratz for taking bribes or

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