News Items from The Kansas City Journal ~ Old News That's New to You from Vintage Kansas City.com

January 19, 1910

MAYOR CALLS NEGRO HERO.

Modifies Prejudice Against Race and

Will Try to Get Him a Job.

"You are a hero, Washington Johnson, and I take great pleasure in recommending you to Superintendent of Streets Pendergast for a job on the street cleaning gang," said Mayor Crittenden yesterday. Johnson, a negro janitor, was in charge of the Rialto building the night it burned. Risking his life, Johnson awakened sleepers on the several floors.

"For the once I am going to modify my prejudice against the negro in positions that bring him in contact with the public. I'm giving you temporary work until you can find something that will pay you better."

"Thank you, mayor," was Johnson's response.

Labels: employment, Mayor Crittenden, race, Thomas J. Pendergast

January 28, 1909

WASN'T INTERFERENCE;

JUST LOSS OF TEMPER.

FARCICAL ENDING OF SULLIVAN

SALOON POLICE ROW.

Commissioners, However, of the Opin-

ion That Saloonkeeper Should

Be More Particular as to Patrons.

The trial of John Sullivan's "No. 3" saloon, at 6 West Missouri avenue, where it was alleged police officers were interfered with Saturday night while making an arrest, was very brief before the police board yesterday.

After cautioning the father of the proprietor to be careful hereafter in the selection of his patrons, as a certain element, said by police to make that a headquarters, would endanger his license. Mayor Thomas T. Crittenden, Jr., "rebuked" Thomas Pendergast, superintendent of streets, by saying:

"It looks to me like some of our citizens lost their temper. Now, Tom, you know you must have been mad or you wouldn't have used those cuss words. You are a good superintendent of streets, but we can't expect you to keep the saloons clean, too. Matter dismissed. Be more careful in the future and don't let it occur again."

THE DETECTIVES' STORY.

Lieutenant Harry E. Stege and Detectives M. J. Halvey and J. J. Raftery testified that when they went into the saloon to get "Eddie" Kelly and Thomas Loftus on the order of Inspector Charles Ryan, they were interfered with by Pendergast, Bert Brannon, a deputy marshal, and Dennis Sullivan, brother of the saloon man.

"Brannon stepped out of a side room," said Detective Halvey, "and grabbed Stege, saying: 'Don't take those men. They are coming with me.' Then Pendergast rubbed his fist in Stege's face, and called him vile names. When I tried to get to them, Sullivan held me from behind. It looked at once time as if Brannon was going to make a gun play -- but he didn't. As we left the place Pendergast again abused Stege."

SAYS KELLY'S THE "GOAT."

Brannon was not present, but Pendergast and Sullivan were, the latter having nothing to say. Mr. Pendergast said that he blamed the whole thing on Inspector Ryan. He said that while Kelly may have done some bad things he had never been convicted anywhere, and that of late he had been working steadily when the police would let him alone.

"Every time a man loses a hat or a pair of shoes, though, Ryan sends out and has Kelly arrested and just as promptly he is released in police court when they try to prove him a vagrant. Ryan hasn't liked me for seven or eight years and these arrests are always a direct slap at me. There was no interference there Saturday night -- not a word said about it. I told the boys to go on with the officers. I know better than to interfere with a man in the discharge of his duty.

"All I said," continued Mr. Pendergast, "was: 'These two detectives are all right, but the other fellow is a big stiff.' That is not interfering, is it?"

The board at this point dismissed the case with the "reprimands" before mentioned. Brannon, it is said, would be left to the county marshal, as the board had no jurisdiction over him.

Fred Baily, secretary to Inspector of Detectives Charles Ryan, yesterday tendered his resignation to the board. Mr. Baily intends going on the road as a traveling salesman.

The board yesterday issued thirty-one special commissions to park policemen and watchmen. The matter of taking them into the regular police department, where they would be under the direction of the police board and the chief of police, was not mentioned. About six months ago it was thought that this would soon be done.

Labels: detectives, police board, saloon, Thomas J. Pendergast

October 9, 1908

HEINE BAKER IS

KILLED BY TRAIN.

WAS ONCE A WELL KNOWN

HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHTER.

Made a Great Chicago Record, Then

Jeffries Whipped Him -- His

Head Cut Off by

Wheels.

The headless body of Harry Baker, better known as Heine Baker, one of the best known heavyweight boxers in the world in his time, was found yesterday afternoon n the tracks at the Gooseneck at the foot of Broadway. It is thought that he was run over by a Burlington passenger engine.

Baker was born in Chicago about 42 years ago and received his early training for the battles of life among the foundries of that city. At a very early age he entered the ring and began earning money by the edification of the Chicago fight fans.

"I have seen him," said Dave Porteous last night, "fight a negro in a cellar where the boundaries and the floor of the ring were of rock. He could knock a man out with either fist, and he never held back, but went after a man from the start. There were some cleverer men than Heine in the ring, but few gamer and none squarer. Strange as it may be to be said of a prize fighter, eh never owed a man a dollar that he did not pay. He was one of the squarest sports that ever pulled off a shirt."

At other times Baker fought negroes in a ring where the "ropes" were iron pipes. He got to be called the "iron man" and had a reputation of being unbeatable. Starting in at the weight of about 165 pounds, with each succeeding training he became heavier and in his prime he weighed 185. He soon became too good to stay in the Chicago foundry district, so he got a fight with Dick Moore in Milwaukee. He won one fight with Moore and was once beaten by him.

Several other fights with good men around Milwaukee gave him a reputation and he became known as a trial horse for the big fighters. In May, 1896, he got a match with James J. Jeffries. The battle was pulled off in San Francisco. Baker wanted a twenty-four-foot ring, but the champion insisted on an eighteen-foot ring. This was a considerable handicap to Baker, who, although he held on gamely for nine rounds, was terribly beaten. He got three ribs broken, besides being knocked out. He never fought so well afterwards.

After that he went down. He came to this city ten years ago to get a match with Tommy Ryan, but the match was interfered with and Baker stuck here. He got a job as watchman on an excursion steamboat, which he held for many years. Since Tom Pendergast went into office as street commissioner he had been working for the street department. In the fall of 1903 he tried to enter the ring again and went on in a bout with a negro named Bob Long at Vineyard hall and was beaten. He roomed at 1320 St. Louis avenue. Two sisters and a brother live in Milwaukee. The body is at Eylar's undertaking rooms.

Labels: accident, Chicago, death, history, railroad, sports, St Louis avenue, Thomas J. Pendergast, undertakers

June 17, 1908

THOMAS MINOGUE IS DEAD.

Prominent in Local Sports for the

Past Twenty Years.

Thomas Minogue, for the last twenty years one of the prominent figures in Kansas City's sportdom, died about 6 o'clock yesterday morning at his boarding house, 1325 Brooklyn avenue. Minogue was 45 years old and Wednesday night was apparently healthy and in prime condition. A hemorrhage of the lungs was the cause of his death. He was unmarried, but leaves a mother and sister in Leavenworth, Kas. At the time of his death, Minogue was assistant superintendent of the streets. He had formerly held the same job under Mayor James A. Reed, when T. J. Pendergast was head of the department. At one time he was a bartender in the Pendergast saloon. When the new administration came in Minogue was given back his job as assistant street commissioner.

Minogue's figure was as well known around the racing stables at New Orleans and in the East as in Kansas City. No wrestling contest or prize fight was complete without him. He sometimes officiated as referee and sometimes as announcer. At various times he became a promoter of prize fighters, but never with striking success.

Among sporting men Minogue was considered a "good Indian." He never "laid down" and never left a friend in the lurch. He was a friend of "Doc." Shively and Dave Porteous, and was looked upon as an authority on boxing. He was a member of the order of Eagles. The funeral arrangements have not been made.

Labels: boarding house, Brooklyn avenue, death, James A. Reed, Leavenworth, lodges, Mayor Crittenden, New Orleans, saloon, sports, Thomas J. Pendergast