The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-12-23
DEAD THUGS
Good Quick Work by Two Brave
Detectives in a St.
Paul Saloon.
A Fierce Fight-One Detective
Was Severely Wounded
in the Struggle.

Although for years Minneapolis has
been fruitful field for confidence men,
thieves and thugs, St. Paul, until quite
recently, has been given wide berth
by fellows Of that ilk-they had
wholesome dread of Chief John O'Con-
nor and his eficienr police force. But
lately the bandits and desperate char
acters, emboldened by their uniform
success in escaping arrest in the Mill
City, have extended their operations to
st. Paul. A bank has been robbed in
broad daylight and there have been
several sensational hold-ups in stores
and saloons. But the st. Paul chief
would not stand for Minneapolis meth
DDS in the Sanity City, and he gave
instructions to his men to get the ban
dts alive or dead, but to get them, and
put quietus on the carnival of crime
in good old St. Paul.
In accordance with Chief O'Con-
nor's well laid plans detectives and
plain clothes men were secreted in
stores and saloons in the outlying dis
tricts that would be likely to receive
evening visits from the desperadoes.
Last Friday evening three Of these
desperate characters undertook to rob
a saloon at 1872 Rice street. Within
five minutes two Of the hold-up men
were dead, and the other was MORALLY
wounded and died two hours later.
Two detectives, Paul Gottfried and
John Mckinley, were on the job and
they did their work well. Mckinley
escaped unscathed but Gottfried was
severely wounded. r.
1t appears that the detectives had
been in rear room of the saloon
nearly an hour when they heard shoot
ing in the saloon-the three bandits
had entered and in order to terrify the
seven or eight patrons and the bar
tender commenced shooting.
Detective Gottfried Immediately ran
around to the front of the saloon while
| Mckinley guarded the rear door
| AS Gottfried entered the front door
one of the bandits, Carson, shot at him
and the bullet took effect in his breast.
Gottfried returned the fire and wound
| ed Carson in the hand; the second bull
let from the detectives revolver pierre
ed Carson's neck and he fell dead.
Montana Pete, another of the bandits,
opened fire on Gottfried, and again
wounded him. But the detective Crap
pied with the bandit and dubbed him
with his revolver. A bullet from Nc
Kinley's revolver ended the brigand's
career. But just prior to the tussle
between Gott.:7ied and Montana Pete,
Mckinley had shot Charlton, the third
Of the bandits, through the breast and
he died two hours later in the hospital.
John Mckinley, better known as
''Big Jack Mckinley was formerly
steward at the Merchants hotel and
was familiar figure around that pop
ular hostelry for years. "Big Jack"
was a general favorite with all the old
timers at the Merchants.
Detective Gottfried was hit three
times-once in the mouth and twice in
the body-but it is expected that he
will recover.
The brave detectives are deserving
of the thanks of the citizens of St.
Paul for Kidding the city of three
thugs. And Chief O'Connor is to be
congratulated for the energetic meas
ures he has taken to put an end to the
reign Of terror in that city, and he is to
be doubly congratulated in having such
plucky officers on his force as detect
ives Mckinley and Gottfried.
I'll