The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03
THE LOUDER MURDER
..Billy'. Louderman vas the seton Of
By WILLIE GREEN

Billy Louderman was the scion OF
= wealthy and prominent family of ST.
Louis, Mo. Billy never completed
sowing his wild OATS for he was
murdered before the task had been
finished. And upon the tragic fate Of
Billy Louderman was based one OF
the most remarkable Of newspaper hap
penings
The late Joe McCulIagh was then
editor OF the Globe-Democrat and
ranked as one OF the famous old time
editors. Tobe Mitchell was city editor,
and the staff comprised some 20 bright
young newspaper men-not journalists
for in those days the journalist was
q literary genius" and the newspaper
man was one who worked.
Young Louderman's father, knowing
Of his sons weakness. left his money
50 tied up that Billy got his quarterly
allowance only. He could not touch
the principal. And after each allow
ancA Billy had wild time OF It.
On one OF those occasions the dead
body Of young Louderman was found
on the sidewalk In Olive street He
had been murdered and there was abb
solutely no clew to the murderers. save
that 1t was known that his associates
were not OF the best
Months sped by and no trace OF the
Louderman murderers. The news
papers were keen for news and q spe-
cial man was Kept on the Louderman
case. Gin Sanders was assigned to
that duty on the Globe-Democrat.
One morning the ST. Louis Republic
came out with q nine column story OF
the apprehension and arrest OF the three
Louderman murderers, with their pic
fures
The Globe Democrat contained par
agraph stating that there was nothing
new In the Louderman case"
Later on 1t developed that Frank
C'Neill. then police reporter on the Re-
public and afterward managing editor
OF the same paper. had alone ferreted
out the men who killed Billy Louder
man, and thus accomplished a feat that
had for many months bafiied the de-
,tectives Of the police force and OF the
Pinkertons.
On the night before the publication
OF the scoop" In the Republic orders
were given in that ONCE that lunch be
served to the 100 printers In the COM
posing room and that no man be per-
mitted to leave the building. Every
possible avenue for leak was sealed.
Then O'Neill went to the four courts
and saw Chief Larry Harrigan In his
private ONCE. To the chief he re-
marked:
well, cnler, nave lOuHu Inc LIZ u
derman murderers."
.ewhere are they?" fairly shouted
Harr1gan.
I'm bed. asleep. just at present" re-
piled O'Neill.
Lets go get them." said the chief.
Not so fast" responded ONeflL Il
want your promise that the men Will
not be arrested before $3.50 a. m. and
that I am to handle the arrest, which
Is not to be made public until the
morning has well advanced"
The chief fumed and fretted, but
O'NeilI was inexorab1e. Harrigan final
ly yielded. and the Republic was on
the streets before the murderers were
In jail, for when the detectives and
O'Neill went after them one was miss
ing, and thus considerable delay was
caused. He was found, all right, in a
neighboripg saloon. where he had gone
for pitcher of beer.
To be thus beaten was q, new expert
ence for the G1obe-Democrat, and Edi-
tor McCullagh was furious. At noon
private once and said:
..Mr. Mitchell. / want you to dis
charge every man on your force. Then
report to me-
Mitchell did as directed. and when
he reported McCullagh said:
And now you may consider your
connection with the Globe Democrat at
an end"
McCullagh had, in the meantime, sent
for Mike Tanning, former city editor
OF the Globe-Democrat. and instructed
him to employ an entire new local
force.
And the morning after the Louder
map scoop the Globe-Democrat was
got out by the new men.
Many Sof the old men afterward
worked on the Globe-Democrat, and In
later. years Mitchell was once more city
edffXr