The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-03
NEXT CH|EF OF PIuG
JOHN j. O'CoNNOR, WHOSE REPU-
TATION AS A THIEF CATCH
Err Is NATIONAL
DESIRABLE CHANGE FOR CITY
Ia "a Few Days the City viii Again
Have IL Police Force With
an Experienced Official
at Its Head.

John J. O'Connor, who has been Sc
lected for the office of chief of police OF
e. Paul, by MaYor-elect Smith, is beyond
any question the best detective and police
executive in the Northwest and one OF
the best in the entire country. So FAR mas
he distinguished himself in this line dur
ing the many years he has followed II
that he enjoys the fullest respect and
friendship Of the Pinkertons and the po-
lice officials OF all of the Eastern cities.
Air O'Connor was born in Louisville,
KY, but was brought to this city. He
received his education at the Cathedral
school in this city and St. Johns college,
at Conegeville, Mimi, and first entered
upon a business career in the counting
room Of the wholesale grocery house of
p. II. Kelly & Co, where ne remained
for some years and filled various posi-
tions to his own credit and the satisfac-
tion Of his employers.
he was first appointed a detective by
Mayor Dawson, in 1876, and for some years
was the only detective in the city, with
the exception Of the late John Bresette,
who also officiated as d captain of police
Mayor Edmund Rice il 1856 invested Mr..
Bresette with the tite OF senior captain
OF podcc, and made Mr.. OConnor chief
of detectives, appointing as his subordi-
nate Dan Ahern, who served under him
for many years
Mr.. O'Connor is possessed of qualifica-
tions which, while they would prove ad-
VauJageous in many other walks of life,
peculiarly fit him for a detective and an
II.
has d remarkable memory for faces,
which he so cultivated that having once
seen person he never forgets him. He
is a man of decision, thinks rapidly and
acts promptly. In dealing with criminals
or with his subordinates he Is always firm
and decided, and all who have ever come
In contact with him understand that
what he says goes. He possesses a pow
erful physique, remarkable endurance and
great personal bravery, and when he was
a younger man it would have been a
brave man who would undertake a physi-
cal encounter with him. 1t fact 1t was
very generally believed that there was
not man in the city who could best
him. In disposition he is genial and
hearty, and has great fondness for prac-
teal jokes of a good-natured character
His generosity and liberality and his
loyalty to his friends are proVerbial No
and honor him, even those who have
learned to fear his as a police official have
the highest regard for him as a man. In
dealing with criminals he has always been
uncompromtsing, and a thief or crook of
any kind who came to st. Paul was
promptly made to understand that as
long as he was willing to behave himself
ms good citizen he might remain, but
as soon as he tried to do any 'Work''
yo11II la -
anto enforced retirement, no matter how
Iar 1t might be necessary to send after
him.
As an example of the great advantage
Which lay in Mr. O'COnnor's remarkable
memory and acquaintance with criminals
may be related an occurrence Of some
years ago. Billy Burke, enc of the most
notorious bank sneaks in the country
had been arrested in MINNEAPOLIS while
trying to steal a small amount of money
IN a bank and was held for trial in the
police court. Mr. OConnor happened to
See MIN at the Minneapolis lookup and
recognized him at once. He also remem-
bered that there was a reward of 81 600
offered for the return of Burke to Syra-
cuse, y. Y, where he had robbed a bank
OF SO.OOO but the Minneapoiis authOri
ties were rot aware of Burl<e's identity
Iha charge against Eurke in MinneaDoIis
was not prosecuted with much vigor
ana waiting until he had succeeded in
sallsIElnG 1t by the payment of a fine
IN the police court Mr. O'Connor. who
was waiting for him arrested him and
sent MN 70 Syracuse. thereby securing
the reward of $1,000.
Mr. O'Ccnnor's resourcerulness ord
promptness TO act were evidenced IN tho
clever manner in which he caDtlIrad a
prisoner from two Boston detectives at
minneapolis. The prisoner was a former
bank president from Boston. named Saw
age, who was alleged to have embezzIed
S--,Ouu pI the banks funds and had fed
10 Winnipeg. Two detectives from, IIsnc-
com agency in Boston, followed Mr.
savage and after spending several weeks
IN cultlNaunG his acquaintance induced
MN 70 accompany them on a fishine, trin
Heh they kidnapped him and hroupbt
MIN across the American line and placed
MN under arrest. Il was learned that
tley would pass through the Twin Citiea
@ una me prisoners friends retained John
~ - ',Iu w, H. Sanborn, by wire, as his
attorneys. The MesSrs Sanborn called
upon Mr. O'Connor 10 assist them ana
WIN ore Of his men he went to Mime
HpouS' where he learned the party wou1C
chaHge cars. They were armed wifi, n
writ or habeas corpus, but didn't bavA
u use IT, While the Boston detectives
were waiting with their prisoner at the
~PCt III AiluuG13O1lS they relax p1
tlelr vigilance for only moment. b1t il,
that moment O'Conner and his coro.,o,,i
on kidnapped from the Boston sleuths
lhe man whom they had kidnanne6 o,,t
ol canada. Mr.. Savage returned 80
Canaea and eventually satisfied the
claims against him at Boston
Probably the best piece of detaot;7,a
work O'ConnOr has ever done vas ~ ~
eating the man who had broken the
window OF Ingham & Co.'S iewelrv storo
on Jackson street and was found after
some Gays serving a ten-day sentence
Tor drunkenness at the St. Psul vvorlr
mouse. before breaking the window and
snatching the diamonds. the fellow bad
carefully prepared for flight bv nlacina
a saddle horse I'm front Of the CIilfIIan
biock just across the street from the
9eWe'ry store IL hitching the horse he
mad merely thrown the rein over a hook
Oh the pole, so there would be no 5elav
Something went wrong with his nlans
however, and in making his getaway
ne was forced to trust to his heels and
abandon the horse. He ran only a short
distance and planting" the diamonds
ne had stolen, he returned and mingled
with the crowd that had been attracted
10 ihe store by the sound of breaking
glass. He feigned drunkenness and kent
humping into officer Sexton until he
at last got himself arrested as a comn,o,,
drunk, and in due course sent TO the
Workhouse- The attention of Mr.. O'Con-
nor was flrst attracted by the length of
time that the horse had been left stand
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