Category Archives: Law enforcement

Butchers vs. the ‘blue law’ (1916)

Posted on January 29, 2023 by editor

Springfield’s Sunday “blue law” was more than 40 years old in 1916. That’s when a group of suburban butchers decided the law should actually be enforced. As the dispute developed, Springfield police that March hauled in 15 businessmen, including seven … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Labor unions, Law enforcement, Local government, Springfield, Theaters | Leave a comment

1910 Springfield Park Board election: ‘Shameful & disgraceful’

Posted on September 6, 2022 by editor

Political insiders went all-out to rig the 1910 Springfield Park Board election. “Spreading around the apparent victory (of incumbent park board members) lurks the shadow of the most amazing corruption of the elective franchise known in the history of Springfield,” … Continue reading →

Posted in Law enforcement, Local government, Parks, Prominent figures, Springfield | Leave a comment

Police officer killings, 1885

Posted on August 21, 2022 by editor

When Leonard Gardnier left his Springfield apartment the evening of Aug. 23, 1885, he told his wife to “dress up real nice, because he wanted her to make as pretty a corpse as possible.” An hour or so later, Gardnier, … Continue reading →

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

Gov. Len Small arrested, 1921

Posted on August 9, 2022 by editor

The Aug. 9, 1921, arrest of Gov. Len Small for alleged corruption created a daylong drama in Springfield. It was performed on three stages: the Capitol, the governor’s mansion and the Sangamon County Courthouse. Stars included Small, county Sheriff Henry … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Illinois capital, Law enforcement, Local government, Politics, Prominent figures, Spectacles, State government, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Pawnee posse captures burglars, 1899

Posted on March 27, 2022 by editor

A posse of Pawnee citizens corralled two burglars in a remote crossroads schoolhouse on Dec. 9, 1899. The two surrendered after a tense standoff. But their criminal careers would include one last episode in Springfield. The men, identified as Frank … Continue reading →

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

First parking meters (1941)

Posted on February 16, 2022 by editor

Confusion, reluctance and a little apprehension were Springfieldians’ responses to the city’s first parking meters. The Illinois State Journal described their debut in its Oct. 24, 1941, edition. Springfield entered a new era of streamlined parking control yesterday as nearly … Continue reading →

Posted in Law enforcement, Local government, Transportation, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

First traffic signals (1924)

Posted on February 7, 2022 by editor

Struggling with out-of-control auto traffic downtown, Springfield decided in 1924 to experiment with traffic signals. Officials chose the intersection of Sixth and Monroe streets for the city’s first set of stop-and-go lights. They started working Nov. 5, 1924. One set … Continue reading →

Posted in Law enforcement, Local government, Transportation | 4 Comments

Sangamon County Detention Home, 1916

Posted on December 19, 2021 by editor

The Sangamon County Detention Home was created with two goals: to be both an alternative to jail for the county’s youngest delinquents and a refuge for neglected or abandoned children. It wasn’t a perfect solution to either problem, but it … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Crime and vice, Family life, Law enforcement, Local government, Sangamon County, Social services | Leave a comment

Rooftop gunman, 1951

Posted on December 6, 2021 by editor

Updated with information on the Horn Hotel — ed. A man fired shots at random from the roof of a Springfield hotel for more than an hour the evening of July 1, 1951. Somehow, no one was injured except the … Continue reading →

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

Benjamin Miller, homesick murderer

Posted on December 2, 2021 by editor

Benjamin Miller was homesick. So Miller walked into the sheriff’s office in Jena, Louisiana, in November 1915 to confess that he had shot and killed James Kirlin in Riverton 36 years earlier. “I am tired of dodging from one place … Continue reading →

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