Category Archives: Crime and vice

Murder-extortion gang, 1932

Posted on July 13, 2020 by editor

A wild shootout in Christian County in 1932 ended the bloody history of a Springfield-based murder and extortion gang. Authorities claimed their followup investigation solved a half-dozen area slayings. But Springfield’s chief of detectives struggled to explain why police hadn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Italians, Law enforcement | Leave a comment

Springfield’s statewide stickup gang, 1938

Posted on June 6, 2020 by editor

Authorities squelched a statewide crime wave with the arrests of a Springfield-based stickup gang in March 1938. Sangamon County assistant state’s attorney John Curren called the group, which he credited with 150 or more robberies, “the best organized gang of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice | Leave a comment

Body in the barrel mystery, 1930

Posted on May 25, 2020 by editor

Springfield police thought they’d wrapped up their case when junk dealer Harry Ross confessed to murdering his partner and trying to burn the man’s body. But a judge said detectives went too far when they interrogated Ross for six days … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice | Leave a comment

House of prostitution standoff, 1885

Posted on May 15, 2020 by editor

While a crowd gathered outside, a stylish bordello madam held off a Springfield police raid for nine hours in August 1885. Police tried to serve a warrant on Retta Rawlins’ “house of assignation,” which was upstairs in a building on … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Law enforcement | 3 Comments

New Year’s news, 1920

Posted on December 30, 2019 by editor

Good news dominated Springfield newspapers on New Year’s Day 1920. The pages of the Illinois State Journal and Illinois State Register were full of predictions about the year to come. Businesspeople were optimistic. Among those the Register quoted was Joseph … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Business, Celebrations, Crime and vice, Prominent figures, Public health, Social life | Leave a comment

First marijuana arrests, 1938

Posted on July 9, 2019 by editor

Sangamon County resisted “reefer madness”, but marijuana finally arrived in Springfield in 1938. “Brilliant raids” by two Springfield police detectives resulted in the arrests of three men – two locals and one from Youngstown, Ohio – on Aug. 6, 1938, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice | 2 Comments

First Prohibition bootlegger, 1919

Posted on May 19, 2019 by editor

This entry has been updated with the photos above. The 14 gallons of whiskey federal agents seized on May 30, 1919, made Servia Diaz Springfield’s first officially recognized Prohibition bootlegger. Diaz (1897-1975), an immigrant from Spain, claimed he had made … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Hotels & taverns, Law enforcement, Social life | Leave a comment

Fortune-teller scandal, 1897

Posted on April 18, 2019 by editor

A fortune-teller with a gift of gab went to prison in 1897, thanks partly to an investigation by Springfield’s first woman dentist. Arthur A. Waite went by the name of “Luke Leslie” when he set up shop at Second and … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Crime and vice, Law enforcement | Leave a comment

‘Segregated district,’ 1909-15

Posted on April 10, 2019 by editor

In the early 20th century, the city of Springfield set aside a few square blocks where prostitutes were allowed to ply their trade without interference from police. The theory behind the quasi-legal “segregated district” was to keep the rest of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Local government, Public health, Springfield Survey, Women | 1 Comment

‘Humane officer’ report, April 1904

Posted on February 8, 2019 by editor

Charles Stone (1847?-1911) was appointed Springfield’s first humane officer in November 1903. The position was part of the Springfield Police Department, and the humane officer had all the powers of any other police officer, but with the special duty of … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Children, Crime and vice, Law enforcement, Prominent figures, Social services | Leave a comment