A Book of the Saint Paul Police 1838 - 1912 — 19

On January, 1911 , Charles Keller, a former captain in the regular army was arrested for throwing red pepper in a clerk’s eyes in M. L. Finkelstein’s jewelry store in order to perfect a diamond robbery. Keller under the name of Charles Williams was sent to Stillwater for five years.

Clarence Harwood and Albert Harvey were arrested January 31st, 1911 for committing a series of burglaries on West 7th street. Harwood was given 25 years and Harvey 45 years at Stillwater.

On February 15, 1911, Judge Edwin A. Jaggard of the Supreme Court died in the West Indies.

On February 27th, 1911, Charles Thalerberg choked himself to death in a cell in the Margaret Street station.

On March 5th, 1911, Louis Labrie hanged himself and died in a cell at the Rondo Station.

On April 5th, 1911, the police department moved to its new and present quarters across the street from the old Central Station.

March 14, 1911, four persons were killed and three more seriously injured when an elevator fell in the Gordon and Ferguson building.

April 30, 1911, Sam Adler, cigar maker, shot Marie Kane during a lover’s quarrel. The woman recovered and the man went to the penitentiary.

A. Skorish dropped dead on the evening of April 16, 1911, from heart failure while rushing to the fire which burned his stock of goods in the Greve building. Fire did $75,000 damage and 19 firemen were seriously hurt.

On June 13, 1911, Irvin Bacon, better known as the St. Paul “Raffles” was given a 10 year minimum sentence for a series of raids on wealthy homes in St. Paul.

On June 14th, 1911, a coroner’s jury acquitted John A. Hamergren of shooting and killing L. E. Teegerstrom a picture agent, who was fleeing from the officer trying to arrest him.

June 24, 1911, a new police board appointed by Mayor Keller made some sweeping changes in the department, many of the oldest men were given their walking papers. Lieut. Meyerding and Sexton, Detective Jim King, Mayor’s Messenger Nugent, and eight other members were dismissed, and a large number of other officers were reduced. Three days later Capt. Hanft, Lieut. Boerner, Detectives Kenaley and Smith and Jailer Hammes were summarily dismissed. Officer Phil Gibbons one of the oldest men of the department and Detective Springer both of whom had been discharged on June 24 were reinstated. Chief O’Connor was allowed to remain, but he was given a great many orders which later it was claimed by him crippled the efficiency of his department and resulted in more changes later.

On August 13, 1911, Detective Fraser, one of the bravest men who ever wore a star went to his death while capturing Peter Juel a desperate criminal. Fraser was following Jeul from the millinery store of S. Weiss & Co. where he had attempted to steal some plumes. Fraser walked up the aisle of a crowded Selby avenue street car and tried to arrest Juel. Juel opened fire and Frasier dropped mortally wounded. Juel was arrested and later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison for life. Juel and Jerry McCarthy had escaped from the Stillwater prison in March before. McCarthy was killed in a pistol duel with a police officer whom he had killed during the duel in Minneapolis three weeks before Juel killed Fraser. These two men were the last of a gang of desperadoes. An attempt to lynch Juel was frustrated and he was rushed to Stillwater where he will spend the rest of his life. Fraser’s funeral was one of the largest ever seen in the city.

On September 11th, 1911, Chas. Robertson sometimes known as Chas. Jackman and Chas. Johnson, whose real name is unknown, both mere boys’ murdered Joseph Broszevich in order to rob him of $2. The murder took place in the Burlington railroad yards and the instrument was a coupling pin or some other blunt instrument. After a long trial Jackman was given a life sentence and Johnson was given a 30 year sentence at Stillwater.

On October 8th, 1911, James Nugent a veteran of the department who had served over 35 years as a police officer died at his home.

On October 18th, I 91 I, Nathan Pitt Langford died in St. Paul. He was one of the best known old settlers of the West and was the discoverer of Yellowstone Park.

On December 6th, 1911, Geo. H. Seiferling made a second attempt to die by jumping from the high bridge but survived and recovered.

On the same day Mike Scavo shot Mike Ballis who recovered and Scavo is now at the State Reformatory.

Two days later Mrs. Andrew Jackson had her throat cut by an insane medical student who instead of being tried was sent to the insane asylum.

A peculiar incident occurred when Aleen Fisher, a slip of a girl disappeared from her house and despite all police effort could not be located. She returned home Christmas day, whispered to her mother where she had been and no one outside the mother and father have learned her place of sojourn to this day.

On January 1, 1912, M. D. Neely, depot agent at the Union depot disappeared, being short $3200 dollars in his account.

Early in February 1912 the Grand Opera House burned resulting in the death of Lieut. Thome and permanent serious injury to Pipeman McDonough of the fire department. The fire loss was nearly $200,000.

On the last day of February 1912, Chief John J. O’Connor tendered his resignation to the police board claiming that his work had been interfered with and that this interference had caused a break in his splendid discipline of the men in his department. The resignation was accepted as well as that of Capt. Clark, the veteran assistant chief, who refused to remain, though tendered the appointment as chief, because he said he could not accept the office so long as the police board had hampered the efficiency of the department. Fred N. Catlin, the newly elected president of the police board was named for acting chief and John C. Fielding, a Pinkerton detective and a hero of the Dr. Dumas arson raid at Cass Lake, Minn., was made Chief of Detectives. Other sweeping changes were made in the department, and now that we have come to the end of the history it would perhaps be well to state Chief O’Connor has gathered together in his Bertillon room at the Central station one of the finest Bertillon galleries in the world, with perhaps a single exception it is the greatest rogues gallery ever collected and hundreds have availed themselves of the use of this gallery. A word in closing and this history shall end. To Chief O’Connor, Captain Clark, Sergeant Ruben Wright and Secy. Joseph Mounts there is due a debt of gratitude for splendid assistance and uniform courtesy to the hours when the writer was working out the details of this history to bring it down to date. St. Paul may well be proud of its department. The writer has worked eight years as a police reporter in the midst of the operations at the Central station and for the last half dozen years has practised law, and in the course of the practice of such profession has come in almost daily contact with the Chief and in fact all his men. To all of them I wish to pay the tribute of a personal knowledge that they have seen their public duty and have performed it well. Despite low pay and little hope of promotion or reward all have done valiant service for St. Paul and its citizens. The citizens of St. Paul at night may feel themselves as safe as if the day had never closed and all because the Police Department of St. Paul never sleeps and never fails to perform its single purpose and functions, the highest protection to every citizen of the city.