Showing results by author "Ken Zimmerman Jr." in All Categories

Who captured members of the Wild Bunch? Solved a nationally known 1893 train robbery? WHo helped to capture H.H. Holmes, America's first serial killer? Not a Western sheriff nor a Pinkerton agent. Chief William Desmond commanded the largest detective force west of the Mississippi River. The St. Louis Chief of Detectives from 1890 to 1907 personally solved hundreds of crimes and protected fair goers to St. Louis' 1904 World's Fair. Learn the true story of one of America's greatest detectives.

The Double Cross Which Brought Down the Most Powerful Organization in Professional Wrestling Between 1923 and 1928, the Gold Dust Trio of World Champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis, manager Billy Sandow and promotional genius Joseph "Toots" Mondt dominated professional wrestling. Due to the promotional practices of the Trio, Ed "Strangler" Lewis earned the most money of any professional athlete in the 1920s including Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey. Riding a high tide of full houses and big gates, poor decisions based on greed led to trouble for both the Trio and professional wrestling. Learn How a 45-...

On Saturday, May 5, 1900 at 11:30 p.m., the bombing of the Suburban Line at the Wabash and Sarah Street railroad crossing marked the beginning of the St. Louis Street Car Strike of 1900. Before the strike was over, the streets of St. Louis were a battle ground between rich and poor. Read the graphic details about this explosive time.

Lewis, Burns, Jenkins and Gotch, Legendary Wrestlers of the Legitimate Era In January 1881, Edwin Bibby defeated Duncan C. Ross to establish the first American based title, the American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. For the next forty-two years, the best wrestlers in American competed for the prestigious title. However, the true history of the American title is not nearly as clear. This book looks at the big title matches and champions to establish a clearer picture of the championship. Learn the true history of the first catch wrestling championship in the United States.

The Daring Robbers Who Took on the Most Powerful Detective Agency in the World Two daring young burglars. The most powerful detective agency in the world. A nationwide manhunt. Read the story of two youthful bandits who almost got away with blowing up the bank vault on the night after Christmas. Had they not run into a Pinkerton agent during the investigation the outcome may have been much different.

Revised and Expanded - The St. Louis Police Department never experienced a year like 1920, when criminals killed six officers and shot many more including the Chief of Police. This book includes high profile crimes from 1919 and 1920, the deadliest year for St. Louis Police.

The Deadliest Shootout in St. Louis Police History A daring train robbery. Desperate criminals. The 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. These events collided to create the deadliest shootout in St. Louis Police History. Read this detailed true crime account with more chilling events than anything imagined in crime fiction. The Shootout That Shook a City to It's Core

Fighting Crime in the Largest City West of the Mississippi Famous robbers. A Trunk Murder. The deadliest incident in St. Louis Police history. This book focuses on the St. Louis Police shortly after the reorganization of the department in the 1860s to 1909. This book chronicles some of the most significant crimes affecting the city during the time it was the largest city west of the Mississippi River.

The first Japanese professional wrestler in the United States In late 1883, Kojiro Matsuda, a former Sumo wrestler named Torakichi, traveled to the United States to learn professional wrestling. After two high profile matches with Evan "Strangler" Lewis, fans made Sorakichi Matsuda one of the first fan favorites in professional wrestling. Matsuda never achieved his dream of bringing professional wrestling back to Japan. Matsuda caught "consumption", a death sentence in the 19th Century. Learn the true history of this groundbreaking wrestler.

The early years of one of the top two legitimate professional wrestlers of all-time Myths and tall tales obscure the true history of Ed "Strangler" Lewis' early years in professional wrestling. How many legitimate matches did Lewis wrestle prior to 1916? How did he really meet Billy Sandow? Why did he change his name to Ed "Strangler" Lewis? Learn the true history of Lewis' first five years in professional wrestling.

The Gimmick That Saved the 1915 International Wrestling Tournament When Frank Gotch retired as World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion in 1913, it left a void that many promoters tried to fill with their hand-picked successors. One of the more interesting attempts was Samuel Rachmann staging the 1915 New York International Wrestling Tournament. Rachmann's Spring Tournament was a big success but attendance fell off badly in the Fall Tournament. Rachmann was forced to employ a gimmick to save his tournament. The gimmick was a huge success but was it worth it, if it hurt his contender and exposed...

The Matches Which Built and Crippled an Industry In 1908, Georg Hackenschmidt had been the touring World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion for 8 years. Considered one of the strongest men in the world, fans viewed "Hack" as unbeatable. He returned to the United States for the first time in three years to face the formidable Frank Gotch. Gotch harbored hard feelings for not getting a title shot in 1905. The result was two controversial but legitimate wrestling matches, whose effects were felt for the next decade.

He Enjoyed Hurting His Opponents Powerfully built, skilled at submissions and vicious, Evan "Strangler" Lewis became the most feared professional wrestler of the 19th Century. Even a squad of Buffalo, New York police officers couldn't stop Lewis' viciousness. This book takes a detailed look at Lewis' career inside and outside the ring including the two controversial matches with Sorakichi Matsada that forever marked him as a villain. The Man Other Wrestlers Tried to Avoid

The Man John L. Sullivan Feared William Muldoon reigned as undefeated World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion for 9 years before embarking on a career as America's first celebrity trainer. Initially training athletes like John L. Sullivan, Muldoon trained athletes, businessmen and politicians at the first health resorts in America. Read about the Solid Man vanquishing his foes in the ring and meeting challenges outside of it. The Last American World Champion Who Wrestled Greco-Roman Style

The Deadliest Twenty Year Period for the St. Louis Police Bank Robberies. Prohibition. Civil War Within Egan's Rats. This book focuses on the St. Louis Police Department during the deadliest decades for the department, the 1910s and 1920s. The Roaring Twenties led to more police deaths than any other decade. This book chronicles some of the most significant crimes affecting the city during this time.

The One Opponent Gotch Feared Could Beat Him Wrestling fans believed no living man could defeat World Champion Frank Gotch. To stimulate fan interest, Gotch’s manager lured Stanislaus Zbyszko, a European Greco-Roman wrestling champion, to America for a match with Gotch. The pairing produced one of the most controversial falls in Gotch’s lengthy career. The controversy dogged both men for the next four years.