First in Violence, Deepest in Dirt: Homicide in Chicago, 1875 - 1920

376 Pages·2006·1.01 MB·English

by  Jeffrey S. Adler

First in Violence,
Deepest in Dirt

First in Violence,
Deepest in Dirt
HOMICIDE\IN\CHICAGO
1875–1920
JEFFREY S. ADLER
harvard university press
Cambridge,Massachusetts
London,England
2006
Copyright©2006bythePresidentandFellowsofHarvardCollege
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Adler,JeffreyS.
Firstinviolence,deepestindirt : homicideinChicago,1875–1920 /
JeffreyS.Adler.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-674-02149-5(alk.paper)
1.Homicide—Illinois—Chicago—Casestudies.2.Murder—Illinois—
Chicago—Casestudies.3.Chicago(Ill.)—Socialconditions.I.Title.
HV6534.C4A352006
364.1520973′1109034—dc22 2005052778
Contents
Introduction 1
1 “SoYouRefusetoDrinkwithMe,DoYou?” 6
2 “ILovedMyWifeSoIKilledHer” 45
3 “HeGotWhatHeDeserved” 85
4 “IfEverThatBlackDogCrossestheThresholdof
MyHouse,IWillKillHim” 120
5 “TheDeadMan’sHand” 159
6 “AGoodPlacetoDrownBabies” 200
7 “AButcherattheStockyardKillingSheep” 236
Conclusion 272
Appendix:Methodology 279
Notes 285
Acknowledgments 359
Index 363

First in Violence,
Deepest in Dirt

Introduction
Chicago,”journalistLincolnSteffensreportedin1903,was“first
in violence, deepest in dirt.”1 Again and again, observers
reached similar conclusions, at least about local violence, often as-
sertingthat“ChicagoleadsAmericainhomicides”orthatitwasthe
“murdercapitaloftheworld.”2“NoothercityintheUnitedStates,”
itspolicesuperintendentconcededin1913,“ismoreopentothedep-
redations of criminals than Chicago.”3 During the opening decades
ofthetwentiethcentury,Chicagodidindeedexperiencemorehomi-
cidesthananyotherurbancenterinthenation.4Furthermore,itsho-
micide rate—that is, the number of homicides per 100,000 resi-
dents—farexceededthatofotherbigcities;onlysouthernandafew
smaller western cities had higher levels of bloodshed. But despite
Chicago’s distinctive record for violence,the Illinois metropolis also
symbolized America’s progress, vigor, and industrial might, with its
phoenixlike rebirth from the Great Fire of 1871 and its hosting the
1