While he was interred in the mausoleum at Greenwood Cemetery the mausoleum was torn down due to deterioration in 1926. All of the bodies were either moved by relatives or re-interred in a common grave. Unfortunately, for those unclaimed bodies, there is no record, placard, or tombstone which lists who is in there. They also did not keep records of the disposition of those bodies so that link in the ancestry is lost forever.
The record at Greenwood, in the case of James Thomas "Dick" Peel, shows that he was moved to Mt. Auburn Cemetery in ~1926. The record also has him shown as James "E" Peel. A copy of the page from Greenwood is attached to this memorial.
A gentleman named Mark D. Barthelemy, who is the historian for the Decatur Police Department, sent me a written history of James Peel and I have attached it below.
Mr. Barthelemy and I firmly believe that James named his son, Oscar Mason Peel, after Oscar Cross and William Mason. Both men were highly revered and respected in the Decatur community during that time. William Mason served for a total of 21 years on the Decatur Police Department commencing in the 1880s through the early 1900s (off and on depending on who the mayor was at the time). Mr. Mason had been a Captain in the union army during the Civil War and was highly decorated. 17 of his 21 years service was as the chief of police.
FROM THE HISTORY OF THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Service of James Thomas "Dick" Peel
As was customary, Decatur, Illinois,was requested to loan several police officers to the city of Springfield, the state capital,for security at the state fair each year. This particular request, received on September 29, 1906, required the chief of police to appoint several special officers to work in the city while more experienced men were sent to the state capitol.
Officers Petty, Pound, Joe Powell, John Stober, John Williamson, and J.F. Eskridge (the latter four being special appointees) were sent to the fair. Officer Charles Dunnigan had a foot abscess which had forced him on leave.
With the above regular officers on loan, Chief Albert appointed Reverend F.B. Jones and J.T. "Dick"Peel to the force as special officers to fill in. Jones was said to be over six feet tall and weighed 225 pounds, with a large chest and shoulders. The chief was unable to find a uniform to fit him, so the clergyman walked the street in plainclothes, undetectable to the public as an officer, except for the club he carried in his hand. (1)
The newly elected city council members took their seats on May 6, 1907. Mayor McDonald nominated his slate of officers and his new chief, Albert H. Cope. Cope, who was a Decatur businessman and had held several city positions over the years but never on the police department, was strongly opposed by the aldermen.
The saloon men lobbied hard against Cope, as they feared he would be a man that would "clamp the lid down tight" on vice operations. The saloon keepers had a strong lobby with their aldermen and Cope was not accepted by the council. It was voted to hold all the police appointments over to the following week's meeting. (2)
At the following council meeting on May 13, all police appointments were accepted by the council, but Cope was turned down by a 12 to 2 vote. Although there was no police chief, the following appointments were confirmed: Herman Koeppefor Captain, Officers: Oscar Cross, Clayton Clements, Robert Pound, John Glasgow, John Dayton, John J. Pearse, Frank Vording, Charles Dunnigan, George Brant, Frank Gresley, J.T. "Dick" Peel, Charles Shadrick "Shad" Kemp (an African-American), A.A. Petty, Richard Moran, D.E. Baucom, Frank Hays, Carl Besalki, Joe Powell, Frank Lynch, and John Welty. (3)
An article appearing in the Decatur Daily Review on June 9, 1907, indicated that juvenile justice was becoming a concern for the Decatur Police Department. With the city's population in excess of 30,000, the number of juvenile offenders was multiplying faster than the number of adult offenders.
At that time, there was no juvenile court, but the matter was being discussed. It was proposed that if such a court were established for the city, Justice of the Peace J.H. McCoy would be named to preside. Officer "Dick" Peel, who seemed to take an ardent interest in youngsters and had a vast self-made knowledge of children's names and backgrounds, would be the logical choice for juvenile officer. (4)
At the council meeting of May 10, 1909, Mayor Borchers nominated J.C. Lyons and A.H. Cope for the top police positions. The vote was eight to six to lay the appointments over for a week.
____________________
(1)The Decatur Daily Review, September 29, 1906
(2)The Decatur Review, May 7, 1907
(3)The Decatur Review, May 14, 1907
(4)The Decatur Review, June 9, 1907
The aldermen had no real problem with Lyons, but there were two problems with Cope. One, he was said to be a candidate for sheriff. The aldermen feared he would use the captaincy to further his campaign for that office. Secondly, Cope was a republican and it was obvious the east-side city democrats would not tolerate this. The aldermen let it be known indirectly that all of the mayor's appointments would be held up until he agreed to their demands of two men from each ward being included in his appointments.
Speculation ran unchecked on this issue. Borchers was obviously insistent on having his way with selection of the police, yet the aldermen refused to budge. One avenue Borchers might pursue would be to dismiss all the current officers on the force and appoint special officers of his choosing in their places. Borchers could dismiss any officer for "cause", if presented in writing and aired before the council.
It would take a vote of at least 10 aldermen in favor of retaining the officer charged to keep him on the force. Borchers had more than four sympathizers among the aldermen, so he knew this plan would work. It was later learned from the city attorney, however, that if this avenue was pursued, Borchers would be forced to re-appoint all the special officers at each council meeting, thereby bogging the process down in bureaucracy. The city attorney also feared there would be problems in paying the men for their work. (5)
The controversy over Borcher's police appointments began to heat up with the city council meeting of May 17, 1909. The aldermen once again voted against Lyons and Cope for chief and captain, this time with a vote of nine to five.
Alderman Oldridge alleged he would never vote for Cope because when Cope was up for chief several years prior, Cope had told him he would allow the city to run "wide open". With this announcement, other aldermen began to questions Borcher's judgment in appointing Cope. Other aldermen said they would not vote for him until they personally had a chance to question Cope in the matter.
During the discussion, the aldermen decided to add one additional position to the police force. It was deemed another plainclothesman was needed on the night force. In the final business of the council meeting, the city fathers rented space in the courthouse for another year at the cost of $1,200. (6)
On May 18, 1909, tired of the bickering and public embarrassment, James Lyons withdrew his name from contention for the chief's job. Lyons said he had originally agreed to take the job and surrender operation of his real estate firm to another man for the following two years. Since the delay in the confirmation had taken place, the substitute had been offered another job and Lyons now had no one to watch over his business interests.
Sadly, all of the aldermen said they had absolutely nothing against Lyons for chief. They believed him an honest, hard-working and ethical man that would do an excellent job in the position. It was "a matter of principal" with the mayor, the aldermen claimed.
Cope subsequently withdrew his name from contention for captain also. Speculations began that Mayor Borchers would probably fire all but six men currently on the force, and appoint special officers for the remaining 17 positions.7
At the following council meeting on May 24th, Borchers named former police captain Dan Myers for chief and Sergeant John Welty for the position of night captain. The mayor also announced
____________________
(5) The Decatur Review, May 11, 1909
(6) The Decatur Review, May 18, 1909
(7)The Decatur Review, May 18, 1909
that he would hold over the appointments of Sergeant Dunnigan, Officers Vording, Clements, Peel, Pearse, and Kemp. He followed by naming 15 new men to the force.
The usual eight to six vote by the aldermen blocked all of the appointments and laid the business over for a week. The aldermen did pass a resolution to add the 23rd position to the police force. Borchers used his temporary "special officer appointment powers" to name one of his recommended new officers, Noah C. Davis, to the vacancy created by D.E. Baucom's resignation. (8)
With the national emphasis on liquor control in 1909, it appeared thrill-seekers were turning to narcotic drugs for entertainment. Earlier in the year, cocaine had become a regulated drug, dispensable only by pharmacists through doctor's prescription. The drug had been labeled as one of the most abused and dangerous drugs in modern society.
On November 5, 1909, Decatur police made their first documented drug raid. Officer Brant, while on patrol, observed a number of persons entering the doorway to an upstairs room on his beat. The officer went into a business located below the room the persons would have been going to. From there, Brant could hear a good deal of commotion, leading him to believe there was some sort of party taking place.
The officer notified headquarters and Chief Mason, Officers Welty, Elliott, Peel, Besalki, and Deputy Sheriff Dan Sullivan arrived to assist. Knocking on the door, someone inside opened and the officers had the necessary evidence plainly in sight to enter and arrest the occupants.
The room was described as "an opium joint" equal in every detail to those found in the Chinese dens of San Francisco. Seven men and three women were taken into custody, along with a professional opium pipe, extra bowls, a large quantity of the drug, whiskey, beer, and wine, all being confiscated by the officers. (9)
When approached by news hounds on November 23, 1909, Mayor Borchers admitted that through complaints from unhappy wives and mothers, he was aware of nine establishments in the city where professional gambling was taking place. Four had recently been raided by police, with the confiscation of paraphernalia at three.
The mayor expressed his displeasure with the fact that he seemed to always be the one taking the information to the police, rather than the patrolmen gathering the information through observation on their beats. When questioned, Borchers admitted he was becoming frustrated that he seemed forced always to take the initiative in vice enforcement. (10)
Subsequently, the mayor began to make "heads roll" at the police department the following day. Officer John J. Pearse, a four and one half year veteran of the force, was suspended by Chief Mason. Officer Besalki was assigned to assume Pearse's beat.
Rumors flew that three more would be kicked off the force in coming days. Officers Vording and Peel were said to have been found sleeping in a livery stable a few nights previous, and Officer Powell was alleged to have allowed some gamblers to escape arrest.
The only reason provided for the suspension of Pearse was that he and Officer Wilson (on the adjacent beat) were having difficulty getting along and the mayor believed the primary source of that conflict was Pearse's fault. In a shocking statement to the press by a usually reserved and dignified William Mason, the chief was asked about his knowledge of the Pearse-Wilson
____________________
(8) The Decatur Review, May 25, 1909
(9) The Decatur Review, November 6, 1909
(10) The Decatur Review, November 23, 1909
dispute. Mason said he was aware of their problems and added, "About half the men on this police force aren't worth....," but he caught himself and refused further comment. (11)
On December 9, 1909, newly-appointed Chief Roy Bendure made his first formal address to the Decatur Police Department. In the presence of Mayor Borchers, Bendure told the men he expected them reporting for work with their uniforms cleaned, pressed, and brushed. Their buttons and stars were to remain polished and their firearms were to be well maintained.
Each man was expected to read and learn the city ordinances and criminal laws of the State of Illinois. This was startling news to the officers, as none of them had ever been mandated to read and learn the law. Officers were taught everything they knew by making mistakes or observing other more senior officers in action.
Bendure told the officers they would also be expected to immediately begin learning the names of everyone on their beats. They were to accomplish this in a non-offensive manner, little by little. In a few months, Bendure said he would be accompanying the men on their beats and would expect them to be able to call everyone they see by name.
The plainclothes officer would be expected to make daily visits to the junk dealers and pawn shops in town. A complete record of stolen property would be maintained at headquarters and the plainclothesman was expected to have that list handy to compare with the inventory of the shops.
A record was to be kept of each man's star number and cell key number. These were expected to be turned in when a man left the service. Each man was advised to enforce all the ordinances and laws to the letter. There would be no excuse for negligence, warned Bendure, since each officer was required to read the laws and ordinances for himself.
Ending the meeting, Mayor Borchers told all the officers they would remain on the force and have a secure position under his administration if they performed their duties as outlined by the chief. That same day, Bendure appointed William H. Mays to the force, as health officer, to take Cross' place. (12)
The very next day, Officer J.T. "Dick" Peel, a two and a half year veteran of the department,was suspended by Mayor Borchers. An hour before the suspension, G.W. Elmore was sworn in as a member of the department to take Peel's place. The only comment Borchers would make about the reason for Peel's suspension was that he "had failed to deliver the goods" and he was incompetent.
Chief Bendure published his list of 19 regulations for the department that day. In addition to those he had already informed the officers of at their initial meeting; Bendure told the officers that all bulletins and important information would be placed daily in a large book at the main desk at headquarters. All officers were expected to examine the book and read the bulletins. They were required to sign off after having read them.
Officers were forbidden from smoking in the public eye while on duty, and were expected to act and be on call even when off-duty. In addition, each officer would be required to make written reports of all crimes and accidents that occurred on his beat during his tour of duty.
Officers were required to report to the desk sergeant at least once each hour, attend all fires in their beats and assist the firemen, and report all defects in sidewalks, gratings over basements, or obstructions in the streets and alleys.
____________________
(11) The Decatur Review, November 24, 1909
(12) The Decatur Review, December 10, 1909
Bendure told his officers to keep their weapons concealed, although close at hand. Displaying the weapon, said the chief, indicates the weapon is the foundation of the officer's power. Bendure said the officer's power was in the law, not his weapons.
Officers were warned to act officially only in criminal matters and not to become involved in civil disputes except as necessary to preserve the peace. Officers were strictly forbidden from accepting tips, fees for services, or rewards in exchange for doing their duty. Any personnel found committing a violation of any of Bendure's rules was subject to immediate dismissal. (13)
On December 14, 1909, Mayor Borchers announced that he had filed formal charges against both J.T. Peel and Oscar Cross for incompetency. There had been some talk of a hearing for the officers on the charges, but the law required nothing of the kind.
It was rumored that the dismissals were going to bring up a strenuous fight in the council. The mayor's constant opponent, Alderman Oldridge, was contacted for his comments. Oldridge said his vote was to remove the mayor and keep Officer Cross. If anyone was incompetent and had failed to do the things they had promised or sworn to do, it was Borchers, according to the alderman. Cross had never done anything to justify the mayor's action in his 17 year tenure with the department. He was a good man, and according to Oldridge did not deserve dismissal. (14)
During the summer of 1910, citizens anxiously awaited the arrival of "flying machines" in Decatur. The air show was to be staged at the Downing Race Track (the area now known as Hess Park). Ex-officer Oscar Cross had been hired by the track manager to take charge of security for the show.
Due to the size of the anticipated crowd, Cross was authorized to hire 40 to 50 men for the task. He had already enlisted former officers Peel, Dunnigan, R.E. Pound, Vording, and Richardson. The show was held on July 17 and 1,500 persons turned out to watch the flights of three separate bi-planes. (15)
On a humorous note, on the morning of August 13, 1910, 17 ex-Decatur police officers, discharged during the Borcher's administration, gathered for a picnic. In rigs and in groups around the Transfer House, nearly 50 persons watched the ex-officers, accompanied by their wives and families, board a big Hamman auto truck and disappear over the hill of West Main Street on their way to Moffett's lake for an all day picnic.
"Take care of Brant and Petty," called the bystanders as the group drove off, "and don't let Lynch and Koeppe get to fighting; don't tease Pound; and keep Peel away from the horses' heels."
The big truck passed the number one fire house on Main Street and the firemen were out in front to wave goodbye to all the "ex-stars". Although 17 left together for the picnic site, John Stober and Deputy Sheriff Dan Sullivan were expected to get away later in the day and join them.
A list of those in attendance was: Riney Schwartz (merchant policeman), Amos Imboden, Bob Pound, Brant, Peel, Wheeler, Lynch, Vording, Hayes, Miller, Clements, Koeppe, Dayton, Richardson, Powell, Petty, and Gresley.
____________________
(13) The Decatur Review, December 12, 1909
(14) The Decatur Review, December 14 1909
(15) The Decatur Review, July 12 & 17, 1910
Ex-officer Richardson went out early with the "commissary" all iced down. He was to guard the supply until the remainder of the old force arrived. Each member of the "Borcherized" force was mandated to get up and make a speech as to "Why I Got Fired".
George Brant, weighing in at 250 pounds, was the feature of the day's program and served as the mascot. He had the entire crowd laughing from the time he first came into view coming up South Main Street wearing "that blue serge cap" that was "sixteen sizes too small", and his blue serge peg-tops, rolled up at the bottom, college style, "fitting him like the paper on the wall". The ensemble was topped off with that famous "Brant smile" that kept everyone smiling the rest of the day.
The ex-officers were asked what they intended to do about employment. All of them said they supposed they would eventually look for some work, but the first order of business on that day was to relax. (16)
On May 6, 1911, Chief of Police Koeppe announced 26 appointments to the police force: Alfred A. Petty would serve as captain or assistant police chief:
POLICE ASSIGNMENTS
DAY FORCE
I.W. Fribourg - Desk Sergeant
John Dayton - Plain Clothes
Charles Price - Plain Clothes
Clayton Clements - Patrol Wagon Driver
William Harding - Plain Clothes Health Officer
Amos Imboden - Plain Clothes License Man
Alva Scroggin - Patrolman, Transfer House
John Welty - Patrolman, Water Street
Dan Martin - Patrolman, Franklin Street
John Glasgow - Patrolman, Levee
John Stephens - Patrolman, Levee
W.Leonard Brummitt - Patrolman, Jasper Street
NIGHT FORCE
Tim Collins - Desk Sergeant
Wm .Manse Park - Plain Clothes
George McDaniels - Plain Clothes
Charles S. Kemp - Patrol Wagon Driver
Mark Donahue - Patrolman, Levee
Adolph Schepper - Patrolman, Levee
James T. Peel - Patrolman, Jasper Street
John H. Stone - Patrolman, Franklin Street
William Lewschinski - Patrolman, Water, north of Wabash
John W. Pound - Patrolman, northeast Decatur
O.B. Wilson - Patrolman, Transfer House
As dictated by Shade, each of the men was at least five feet nine inches tall and well built. Charles Price was said to be "the best looking man on the force". The men were picked without regard to politics. (17)
____________________
(16) The Decatur Review, August 13, 1910
(17)The Decatur Review, May 6, 1911
The following day after the big announcement, J.T. Peel had turned the job down and Schepper had failed to qualify. It was unknown who would be named to take their places. Also, the council fixed the men's pay at $840 per year and advised all city employees they were expected to pay their bills on time and maintain a good credit rating. (18)
On July 14, 1912, former Decatur police officer James T. "Dick" Peel died at 3:35 a.m. in St. Mary's Hospital. Peel was 46 years of age and had served on the force from 1906 until 1909. It was believed peritonitis had been the cause of death. Peel had suffered from stomach trouble for some time, but his condition had worsened in the days just prior to his death. (19)
____________________
(18) The Decatur Review, May 7, 1911
(19) The Decatur Review, July 15, 1912
THE ABOVE INFORMATION WAS COMPILED BY RETIRED DECATUR POLICE CHIEF MARK BARTHELEMY.
THE INFORMATION WAS HARVESTED FROM DAILY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AS PUBLISHED BY THE SOURCES CITED IN THE FOOTNOTES.
The record at Greenwood, in the case of James Thomas "Dick" Peel, shows that he was moved to Mt. Auburn Cemetery in ~1926. The record also has him shown as James "E" Peel. A copy of the page from Greenwood is attached to this memorial.
A gentleman named Mark D. Barthelemy, who is the historian for the Decatur Police Department, sent me a written history of James Peel and I have attached it below.
Mr. Barthelemy and I firmly believe that James named his son, Oscar Mason Peel, after Oscar Cross and William Mason. Both men were highly revered and respected in the Decatur community during that time. William Mason served for a total of 21 years on the Decatur Police Department commencing in the 1880s through the early 1900s (off and on depending on who the mayor was at the time). Mr. Mason had been a Captain in the union army during the Civil War and was highly decorated. 17 of his 21 years service was as the chief of police.
FROM THE HISTORY OF THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Service of James Thomas "Dick" Peel
As was customary, Decatur, Illinois,was requested to loan several police officers to the city of Springfield, the state capital,for security at the state fair each year. This particular request, received on September 29, 1906, required the chief of police to appoint several special officers to work in the city while more experienced men were sent to the state capitol.
Officers Petty, Pound, Joe Powell, John Stober, John Williamson, and J.F. Eskridge (the latter four being special appointees) were sent to the fair. Officer Charles Dunnigan had a foot abscess which had forced him on leave.
With the above regular officers on loan, Chief Albert appointed Reverend F.B. Jones and J.T. "Dick"Peel to the force as special officers to fill in. Jones was said to be over six feet tall and weighed 225 pounds, with a large chest and shoulders. The chief was unable to find a uniform to fit him, so the clergyman walked the street in plainclothes, undetectable to the public as an officer, except for the club he carried in his hand. (1)
The newly elected city council members took their seats on May 6, 1907. Mayor McDonald nominated his slate of officers and his new chief, Albert H. Cope. Cope, who was a Decatur businessman and had held several city positions over the years but never on the police department, was strongly opposed by the aldermen.
The saloon men lobbied hard against Cope, as they feared he would be a man that would "clamp the lid down tight" on vice operations. The saloon keepers had a strong lobby with their aldermen and Cope was not accepted by the council. It was voted to hold all the police appointments over to the following week's meeting. (2)
At the following council meeting on May 13, all police appointments were accepted by the council, but Cope was turned down by a 12 to 2 vote. Although there was no police chief, the following appointments were confirmed: Herman Koeppefor Captain, Officers: Oscar Cross, Clayton Clements, Robert Pound, John Glasgow, John Dayton, John J. Pearse, Frank Vording, Charles Dunnigan, George Brant, Frank Gresley, J.T. "Dick" Peel, Charles Shadrick "Shad" Kemp (an African-American), A.A. Petty, Richard Moran, D.E. Baucom, Frank Hays, Carl Besalki, Joe Powell, Frank Lynch, and John Welty. (3)
An article appearing in the Decatur Daily Review on June 9, 1907, indicated that juvenile justice was becoming a concern for the Decatur Police Department. With the city's population in excess of 30,000, the number of juvenile offenders was multiplying faster than the number of adult offenders.
At that time, there was no juvenile court, but the matter was being discussed. It was proposed that if such a court were established for the city, Justice of the Peace J.H. McCoy would be named to preside. Officer "Dick" Peel, who seemed to take an ardent interest in youngsters and had a vast self-made knowledge of children's names and backgrounds, would be the logical choice for juvenile officer. (4)
At the council meeting of May 10, 1909, Mayor Borchers nominated J.C. Lyons and A.H. Cope for the top police positions. The vote was eight to six to lay the appointments over for a week.
____________________
(1)The Decatur Daily Review, September 29, 1906
(2)The Decatur Review, May 7, 1907
(3)The Decatur Review, May 14, 1907
(4)The Decatur Review, June 9, 1907
The aldermen had no real problem with Lyons, but there were two problems with Cope. One, he was said to be a candidate for sheriff. The aldermen feared he would use the captaincy to further his campaign for that office. Secondly, Cope was a republican and it was obvious the east-side city democrats would not tolerate this. The aldermen let it be known indirectly that all of the mayor's appointments would be held up until he agreed to their demands of two men from each ward being included in his appointments.
Speculation ran unchecked on this issue. Borchers was obviously insistent on having his way with selection of the police, yet the aldermen refused to budge. One avenue Borchers might pursue would be to dismiss all the current officers on the force and appoint special officers of his choosing in their places. Borchers could dismiss any officer for "cause", if presented in writing and aired before the council.
It would take a vote of at least 10 aldermen in favor of retaining the officer charged to keep him on the force. Borchers had more than four sympathizers among the aldermen, so he knew this plan would work. It was later learned from the city attorney, however, that if this avenue was pursued, Borchers would be forced to re-appoint all the special officers at each council meeting, thereby bogging the process down in bureaucracy. The city attorney also feared there would be problems in paying the men for their work. (5)
The controversy over Borcher's police appointments began to heat up with the city council meeting of May 17, 1909. The aldermen once again voted against Lyons and Cope for chief and captain, this time with a vote of nine to five.
Alderman Oldridge alleged he would never vote for Cope because when Cope was up for chief several years prior, Cope had told him he would allow the city to run "wide open". With this announcement, other aldermen began to questions Borcher's judgment in appointing Cope. Other aldermen said they would not vote for him until they personally had a chance to question Cope in the matter.
During the discussion, the aldermen decided to add one additional position to the police force. It was deemed another plainclothesman was needed on the night force. In the final business of the council meeting, the city fathers rented space in the courthouse for another year at the cost of $1,200. (6)
On May 18, 1909, tired of the bickering and public embarrassment, James Lyons withdrew his name from contention for the chief's job. Lyons said he had originally agreed to take the job and surrender operation of his real estate firm to another man for the following two years. Since the delay in the confirmation had taken place, the substitute had been offered another job and Lyons now had no one to watch over his business interests.
Sadly, all of the aldermen said they had absolutely nothing against Lyons for chief. They believed him an honest, hard-working and ethical man that would do an excellent job in the position. It was "a matter of principal" with the mayor, the aldermen claimed.
Cope subsequently withdrew his name from contention for captain also. Speculations began that Mayor Borchers would probably fire all but six men currently on the force, and appoint special officers for the remaining 17 positions.7
At the following council meeting on May 24th, Borchers named former police captain Dan Myers for chief and Sergeant John Welty for the position of night captain. The mayor also announced
____________________
(5) The Decatur Review, May 11, 1909
(6) The Decatur Review, May 18, 1909
(7)The Decatur Review, May 18, 1909
that he would hold over the appointments of Sergeant Dunnigan, Officers Vording, Clements, Peel, Pearse, and Kemp. He followed by naming 15 new men to the force.
The usual eight to six vote by the aldermen blocked all of the appointments and laid the business over for a week. The aldermen did pass a resolution to add the 23rd position to the police force. Borchers used his temporary "special officer appointment powers" to name one of his recommended new officers, Noah C. Davis, to the vacancy created by D.E. Baucom's resignation. (8)
With the national emphasis on liquor control in 1909, it appeared thrill-seekers were turning to narcotic drugs for entertainment. Earlier in the year, cocaine had become a regulated drug, dispensable only by pharmacists through doctor's prescription. The drug had been labeled as one of the most abused and dangerous drugs in modern society.
On November 5, 1909, Decatur police made their first documented drug raid. Officer Brant, while on patrol, observed a number of persons entering the doorway to an upstairs room on his beat. The officer went into a business located below the room the persons would have been going to. From there, Brant could hear a good deal of commotion, leading him to believe there was some sort of party taking place.
The officer notified headquarters and Chief Mason, Officers Welty, Elliott, Peel, Besalki, and Deputy Sheriff Dan Sullivan arrived to assist. Knocking on the door, someone inside opened and the officers had the necessary evidence plainly in sight to enter and arrest the occupants.
The room was described as "an opium joint" equal in every detail to those found in the Chinese dens of San Francisco. Seven men and three women were taken into custody, along with a professional opium pipe, extra bowls, a large quantity of the drug, whiskey, beer, and wine, all being confiscated by the officers. (9)
When approached by news hounds on November 23, 1909, Mayor Borchers admitted that through complaints from unhappy wives and mothers, he was aware of nine establishments in the city where professional gambling was taking place. Four had recently been raided by police, with the confiscation of paraphernalia at three.
The mayor expressed his displeasure with the fact that he seemed to always be the one taking the information to the police, rather than the patrolmen gathering the information through observation on their beats. When questioned, Borchers admitted he was becoming frustrated that he seemed forced always to take the initiative in vice enforcement. (10)
Subsequently, the mayor began to make "heads roll" at the police department the following day. Officer John J. Pearse, a four and one half year veteran of the force, was suspended by Chief Mason. Officer Besalki was assigned to assume Pearse's beat.
Rumors flew that three more would be kicked off the force in coming days. Officers Vording and Peel were said to have been found sleeping in a livery stable a few nights previous, and Officer Powell was alleged to have allowed some gamblers to escape arrest.
The only reason provided for the suspension of Pearse was that he and Officer Wilson (on the adjacent beat) were having difficulty getting along and the mayor believed the primary source of that conflict was Pearse's fault. In a shocking statement to the press by a usually reserved and dignified William Mason, the chief was asked about his knowledge of the Pearse-Wilson
____________________
(8) The Decatur Review, May 25, 1909
(9) The Decatur Review, November 6, 1909
(10) The Decatur Review, November 23, 1909
dispute. Mason said he was aware of their problems and added, "About half the men on this police force aren't worth....," but he caught himself and refused further comment. (11)
On December 9, 1909, newly-appointed Chief Roy Bendure made his first formal address to the Decatur Police Department. In the presence of Mayor Borchers, Bendure told the men he expected them reporting for work with their uniforms cleaned, pressed, and brushed. Their buttons and stars were to remain polished and their firearms were to be well maintained.
Each man was expected to read and learn the city ordinances and criminal laws of the State of Illinois. This was startling news to the officers, as none of them had ever been mandated to read and learn the law. Officers were taught everything they knew by making mistakes or observing other more senior officers in action.
Bendure told the officers they would also be expected to immediately begin learning the names of everyone on their beats. They were to accomplish this in a non-offensive manner, little by little. In a few months, Bendure said he would be accompanying the men on their beats and would expect them to be able to call everyone they see by name.
The plainclothes officer would be expected to make daily visits to the junk dealers and pawn shops in town. A complete record of stolen property would be maintained at headquarters and the plainclothesman was expected to have that list handy to compare with the inventory of the shops.
A record was to be kept of each man's star number and cell key number. These were expected to be turned in when a man left the service. Each man was advised to enforce all the ordinances and laws to the letter. There would be no excuse for negligence, warned Bendure, since each officer was required to read the laws and ordinances for himself.
Ending the meeting, Mayor Borchers told all the officers they would remain on the force and have a secure position under his administration if they performed their duties as outlined by the chief. That same day, Bendure appointed William H. Mays to the force, as health officer, to take Cross' place. (12)
The very next day, Officer J.T. "Dick" Peel, a two and a half year veteran of the department,was suspended by Mayor Borchers. An hour before the suspension, G.W. Elmore was sworn in as a member of the department to take Peel's place. The only comment Borchers would make about the reason for Peel's suspension was that he "had failed to deliver the goods" and he was incompetent.
Chief Bendure published his list of 19 regulations for the department that day. In addition to those he had already informed the officers of at their initial meeting; Bendure told the officers that all bulletins and important information would be placed daily in a large book at the main desk at headquarters. All officers were expected to examine the book and read the bulletins. They were required to sign off after having read them.
Officers were forbidden from smoking in the public eye while on duty, and were expected to act and be on call even when off-duty. In addition, each officer would be required to make written reports of all crimes and accidents that occurred on his beat during his tour of duty.
Officers were required to report to the desk sergeant at least once each hour, attend all fires in their beats and assist the firemen, and report all defects in sidewalks, gratings over basements, or obstructions in the streets and alleys.
____________________
(11) The Decatur Review, November 24, 1909
(12) The Decatur Review, December 10, 1909
Bendure told his officers to keep their weapons concealed, although close at hand. Displaying the weapon, said the chief, indicates the weapon is the foundation of the officer's power. Bendure said the officer's power was in the law, not his weapons.
Officers were warned to act officially only in criminal matters and not to become involved in civil disputes except as necessary to preserve the peace. Officers were strictly forbidden from accepting tips, fees for services, or rewards in exchange for doing their duty. Any personnel found committing a violation of any of Bendure's rules was subject to immediate dismissal. (13)
On December 14, 1909, Mayor Borchers announced that he had filed formal charges against both J.T. Peel and Oscar Cross for incompetency. There had been some talk of a hearing for the officers on the charges, but the law required nothing of the kind.
It was rumored that the dismissals were going to bring up a strenuous fight in the council. The mayor's constant opponent, Alderman Oldridge, was contacted for his comments. Oldridge said his vote was to remove the mayor and keep Officer Cross. If anyone was incompetent and had failed to do the things they had promised or sworn to do, it was Borchers, according to the alderman. Cross had never done anything to justify the mayor's action in his 17 year tenure with the department. He was a good man, and according to Oldridge did not deserve dismissal. (14)
During the summer of 1910, citizens anxiously awaited the arrival of "flying machines" in Decatur. The air show was to be staged at the Downing Race Track (the area now known as Hess Park). Ex-officer Oscar Cross had been hired by the track manager to take charge of security for the show.
Due to the size of the anticipated crowd, Cross was authorized to hire 40 to 50 men for the task. He had already enlisted former officers Peel, Dunnigan, R.E. Pound, Vording, and Richardson. The show was held on July 17 and 1,500 persons turned out to watch the flights of three separate bi-planes. (15)
On a humorous note, on the morning of August 13, 1910, 17 ex-Decatur police officers, discharged during the Borcher's administration, gathered for a picnic. In rigs and in groups around the Transfer House, nearly 50 persons watched the ex-officers, accompanied by their wives and families, board a big Hamman auto truck and disappear over the hill of West Main Street on their way to Moffett's lake for an all day picnic.
"Take care of Brant and Petty," called the bystanders as the group drove off, "and don't let Lynch and Koeppe get to fighting; don't tease Pound; and keep Peel away from the horses' heels."
The big truck passed the number one fire house on Main Street and the firemen were out in front to wave goodbye to all the "ex-stars". Although 17 left together for the picnic site, John Stober and Deputy Sheriff Dan Sullivan were expected to get away later in the day and join them.
A list of those in attendance was: Riney Schwartz (merchant policeman), Amos Imboden, Bob Pound, Brant, Peel, Wheeler, Lynch, Vording, Hayes, Miller, Clements, Koeppe, Dayton, Richardson, Powell, Petty, and Gresley.
____________________
(13) The Decatur Review, December 12, 1909
(14) The Decatur Review, December 14 1909
(15) The Decatur Review, July 12 & 17, 1910
Ex-officer Richardson went out early with the "commissary" all iced down. He was to guard the supply until the remainder of the old force arrived. Each member of the "Borcherized" force was mandated to get up and make a speech as to "Why I Got Fired".
George Brant, weighing in at 250 pounds, was the feature of the day's program and served as the mascot. He had the entire crowd laughing from the time he first came into view coming up South Main Street wearing "that blue serge cap" that was "sixteen sizes too small", and his blue serge peg-tops, rolled up at the bottom, college style, "fitting him like the paper on the wall". The ensemble was topped off with that famous "Brant smile" that kept everyone smiling the rest of the day.
The ex-officers were asked what they intended to do about employment. All of them said they supposed they would eventually look for some work, but the first order of business on that day was to relax. (16)
On May 6, 1911, Chief of Police Koeppe announced 26 appointments to the police force: Alfred A. Petty would serve as captain or assistant police chief:
POLICE ASSIGNMENTS
DAY FORCE
I.W. Fribourg - Desk Sergeant
John Dayton - Plain Clothes
Charles Price - Plain Clothes
Clayton Clements - Patrol Wagon Driver
William Harding - Plain Clothes Health Officer
Amos Imboden - Plain Clothes License Man
Alva Scroggin - Patrolman, Transfer House
John Welty - Patrolman, Water Street
Dan Martin - Patrolman, Franklin Street
John Glasgow - Patrolman, Levee
John Stephens - Patrolman, Levee
W.Leonard Brummitt - Patrolman, Jasper Street
NIGHT FORCE
Tim Collins - Desk Sergeant
Wm .Manse Park - Plain Clothes
George McDaniels - Plain Clothes
Charles S. Kemp - Patrol Wagon Driver
Mark Donahue - Patrolman, Levee
Adolph Schepper - Patrolman, Levee
James T. Peel - Patrolman, Jasper Street
John H. Stone - Patrolman, Franklin Street
William Lewschinski - Patrolman, Water, north of Wabash
John W. Pound - Patrolman, northeast Decatur
O.B. Wilson - Patrolman, Transfer House
As dictated by Shade, each of the men was at least five feet nine inches tall and well built. Charles Price was said to be "the best looking man on the force". The men were picked without regard to politics. (17)
____________________
(16) The Decatur Review, August 13, 1910
(17)The Decatur Review, May 6, 1911
The following day after the big announcement, J.T. Peel had turned the job down and Schepper had failed to qualify. It was unknown who would be named to take their places. Also, the council fixed the men's pay at $840 per year and advised all city employees they were expected to pay their bills on time and maintain a good credit rating. (18)
On July 14, 1912, former Decatur police officer James T. "Dick" Peel died at 3:35 a.m. in St. Mary's Hospital. Peel was 46 years of age and had served on the force from 1906 until 1909. It was believed peritonitis had been the cause of death. Peel had suffered from stomach trouble for some time, but his condition had worsened in the days just prior to his death. (19)
____________________
(18) The Decatur Review, May 7, 1911
(19) The Decatur Review, July 15, 1912
THE ABOVE INFORMATION WAS COMPILED BY RETIRED DECATUR POLICE CHIEF MARK BARTHELEMY.
THE INFORMATION WAS HARVESTED FROM DAILY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AS PUBLISHED BY THE SOURCES CITED IN THE FOOTNOTES.
While he was interred in the mausoleum at Greenwood Cemetery the mausoleum was torn down due to deterioration in 1926. All of the bodies were either moved by relatives or re-interred in a common grave. Unfortunately, for those unclaimed bodies, there is no record, placard, or tombstone which lists who is in there. They also did not keep records of the disposition of those bodies so that link in the ancestry is lost forever.
The record at Greenwood, in the case of James Thomas "Dick" Peel, shows that he was moved to Mt. Auburn Cemetery in ~1926. The record also has him shown as James "E" Peel. A copy of the page from Greenwood is attached to this memorial.
A gentleman named Mark D. Barthelemy, who is the historian for the Decatur Police Department, sent me a written history of James Peel and I have attached it below.
Mr. Barthelemy and I firmly believe that James named his son, Oscar Mason Peel, after Oscar Cross and William Mason. Both men were highly revered and respected in the Decatur community during that time. William Mason served for a total of 21 years on the Decatur Police Department commencing in the 1880s through the early 1900s (off and on depending on who the mayor was at the time). Mr. Mason had been a Captain in the union army during the Civil War and was highly decorated. 17 of his 21 years service was as the chief of police.
FROM THE HISTORY OF THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Service of James Thomas "Dick" Peel
As was customary, Decatur, Illinois,was requested to loan several police officers to the city of Springfield, the state capital,for security at the state fair each year. This particular request, received on September 29, 1906, required the chief of police to appoint several special officers to work in the city while more experienced men were sent to the state capitol.
Officers Petty, Pound, Joe Powell, John Stober, John Williamson, and J.F. Eskridge (the latter four being special appointees) were sent to the fair. Officer Charles Dunnigan had a foot abscess which had forced him on leave.
With the above regular officers on loan, Chief Albert appointed Reverend F.B. Jones and J.T. "Dick"Peel to the force as special officers to fill in. Jones was said to be over six feet tall and weighed 225 pounds, with a large chest and shoulders. The chief was unable to find a uniform to fit him, so the clergyman walked the street in plainclothes, undetectable to the public as an officer, except for the club he carried in his hand. (1)
The newly elected city council members took their seats on May 6, 1907. Mayor McDonald nominated his slate of officers and his new chief, Albert H. Cope. Cope, who was a Decatur businessman and had held several city positions over the years but never on the police department, was strongly opposed by the aldermen.
The saloon men lobbied hard against Cope, as they feared he would be a man that would "clamp the lid down tight" on vice operations. The saloon keepers had a strong lobby with their aldermen and Cope was not accepted by the council. It was voted to hold all the police appointments over to the following week's meeting. (2)
At the following council meeting on May 13, all police appointments were accepted by the council, but Cope was turned down by a 12 to 2 vote. Although there was no police chief, the following appointments were confirmed: Herman Koeppefor Captain, Officers: Oscar Cross, Clayton Clements, Robert Pound, John Glasgow, John Dayton, John J. Pearse, Frank Vording, Charles Dunnigan, George Brant, Frank Gresley, J.T. "Dick" Peel, Charles Shadrick "Shad" Kemp (an African-American), A.A. Petty, Richard Moran, D.E. Baucom, Frank Hays, Carl Besalki, Joe Powell, Frank Lynch, and John Welty. (3)
An article appearing in the Decatur Daily Review on June 9, 1907, indicated that juvenile justice was becoming a concern for the Decatur Police Department. With the city's population in excess of 30,000, the number of juvenile offenders was multiplying faster than the number of adult offenders.
At that time, there was no juvenile court, but the matter was being discussed. It was proposed that if such a court were established for the city, Justice of the Peace J.H. McCoy would be named to preside. Officer "Dick" Peel, who seemed to take an ardent interest in youngsters and had a vast self-made knowledge of children's names and backgrounds, would be the logical choice for juvenile officer. (4)
At the council meeting of May 10, 1909, Mayor Borchers nominated J.C. Lyons and A.H. Cope for the top police positions. The vote was eight to six to lay the appointments over for a week.
____________________
(1)The Decatur Daily Review, September 29, 1906
(2)The Decatur Review, May 7, 1907
(3)The Decatur Review, May 14, 1907
(4)The Decatur Review, June 9, 1907
The aldermen had no real problem with Lyons, but there were two problems with Cope. One, he was said to be a candidate for sheriff. The aldermen feared he would use the captaincy to further his campaign for that office. Secondly, Cope was a republican and it was obvious the east-side city democrats would not tolerate this. The aldermen let it be known indirectly that all of the mayor's appointments would be held up until he agreed to their demands of two men from each ward being included in his appointments.
Speculation ran unchecked on this issue. Borchers was obviously insistent on having his way with selection of the police, yet the aldermen refused to budge. One avenue Borchers might pursue would be to dismiss all the current officers on the force and appoint special officers of his choosing in their places. Borchers could dismiss any officer for "cause", if presented in writing and aired before the council.
It would take a vote of at least 10 aldermen in favor of retaining the officer charged to keep him on the force. Borchers had more than four sympathizers among the aldermen, so he knew this plan would work. It was later learned from the city attorney, however, that if this avenue was pursued, Borchers would be forced to re-appoint all the special officers at each council meeting, thereby bogging the process down in bureaucracy. The city attorney also feared there would be problems in paying the men for their work. (5)
The controversy over Borcher's police appointments began to heat up with the city council meeting of May 17, 1909. The aldermen once again voted against Lyons and Cope for chief and captain, this time with a vote of nine to five.
Alderman Oldridge alleged he would never vote for Cope because when Cope was up for chief several years prior, Cope had told him he would allow the city to run "wide open". With this announcement, other aldermen began to questions Borcher's judgment in appointing Cope. Other aldermen said they would not vote for him until they personally had a chance to question Cope in the matter.
During the discussion, the aldermen decided to add one additional position to the police force. It was deemed another plainclothesman was needed on the night force. In the final business of the council meeting, the city fathers rented space in the courthouse for another year at the cost of $1,200. (6)
On May 18, 1909, tired of the bickering and public embarrassment, James Lyons withdrew his name from contention for the chief's job. Lyons said he had originally agreed to take the job and surrender operation of his real estate firm to another man for the following two years. Since the delay in the confirmation had taken place, the substitute had been offered another job and Lyons now had no one to watch over his business interests.
Sadly, all of the aldermen said they had absolutely nothing against Lyons for chief. They believed him an honest, hard-working and ethical man that would do an excellent job in the position. It was "a matter of principal" with the mayor, the aldermen claimed.
Cope subsequently withdrew his name from contention for captain also. Speculations began that Mayor Borchers would probably fire all but six men currently on the force, and appoint special officers for the remaining 17 positions.7
At the following council meeting on May 24th, Borchers named former police captain Dan Myers for chief and Sergeant John Welty for the position of night captain. The mayor also announced
____________________
(5) The Decatur Review, May 11, 1909
(6) The Decatur Review, May 18, 1909
(7)The Decatur Review, May 18, 1909
that he would hold over the appointments of Sergeant Dunnigan, Officers Vording, Clements, Peel, Pearse, and Kemp. He followed by naming 15 new men to the force.
The usual eight to six vote by the aldermen blocked all of the appointments and laid the business over for a week. The aldermen did pass a resolution to add the 23rd position to the police force. Borchers used his temporary "special officer appointment powers" to name one of his recommended new officers, Noah C. Davis, to the vacancy created by D.E. Baucom's resignation. (8)
With the national emphasis on liquor control in 1909, it appeared thrill-seekers were turning to narcotic drugs for entertainment. Earlier in the year, cocaine had become a regulated drug, dispensable only by pharmacists through doctor's prescription. The drug had been labeled as one of the most abused and dangerous drugs in modern society.
On November 5, 1909, Decatur police made their first documented drug raid. Officer Brant, while on patrol, observed a number of persons entering the doorway to an upstairs room on his beat. The officer went into a business located below the room the persons would have been going to. From there, Brant could hear a good deal of commotion, leading him to believe there was some sort of party taking place.
The officer notified headquarters and Chief Mason, Officers Welty, Elliott, Peel, Besalki, and Deputy Sheriff Dan Sullivan arrived to assist. Knocking on the door, someone inside opened and the officers had the necessary evidence plainly in sight to enter and arrest the occupants.
The room was described as "an opium joint" equal in every detail to those found in the Chinese dens of San Francisco. Seven men and three women were taken into custody, along with a professional opium pipe, extra bowls, a large quantity of the drug, whiskey, beer, and wine, all being confiscated by the officers. (9)
When approached by news hounds on November 23, 1909, Mayor Borchers admitted that through complaints from unhappy wives and mothers, he was aware of nine establishments in the city where professional gambling was taking place. Four had recently been raided by police, with the confiscation of paraphernalia at three.
The mayor expressed his displeasure with the fact that he seemed to always be the one taking the information to the police, rather than the patrolmen gathering the information through observation on their beats. When questioned, Borchers admitted he was becoming frustrated that he seemed forced always to take the initiative in vice enforcement. (10)
Subsequently, the mayor began to make "heads roll" at the police department the following day. Officer John J. Pearse, a four and one half year veteran of the force, was suspended by Chief Mason. Officer Besalki was assigned to assume Pearse's beat.
Rumors flew that three more would be kicked off the force in coming days. Officers Vording and Peel were said to have been found sleeping in a livery stable a few nights previous, and Officer Powell was alleged to have allowed some gamblers to escape arrest.
The only reason provided for the suspension of Pearse was that he and Officer Wilson (on the adjacent beat) were having difficulty getting along and the mayor believed the primary source of that conflict was Pearse's fault. In a shocking statement to the press by a usually reserved and dignified William Mason, the chief was asked about his knowledge of the Pearse-Wilson
____________________
(8) The Decatur Review, May 25, 1909
(9) The Decatur Review, November 6, 1909
(10) The Decatur Review, November 23, 1909
dispute. Mason said he was aware of their problems and added, "About half the men on this police force aren't worth....," but he caught himself and refused further comment. (11)
On December 9, 1909, newly-appointed Chief Roy Bendure made his first formal address to the Decatur Police Department. In the presence of Mayor Borchers, Bendure told the men he expected them reporting for work with their uniforms cleaned, pressed, and brushed. Their buttons and stars were to remain polished and their firearms were to be well maintained.
Each man was expected to read and learn the city ordinances and criminal laws of the State of Illinois. This was startling news to the officers, as none of them had ever been mandated to read and learn the law. Officers were taught everything they knew by making mistakes or observing other more senior officers in action.
Bendure told the officers they would also be expected to immediately begin learning the names of everyone on their beats. They were to accomplish this in a non-offensive manner, little by little. In a few months, Bendure said he would be accompanying the men on their beats and would expect them to be able to call everyone they see by name.
The plainclothes officer would be expected to make daily visits to the junk dealers and pawn shops in town. A complete record of stolen property would be maintained at headquarters and the plainclothesman was expected to have that list handy to compare with the inventory of the shops.
A record was to be kept of each man's star number and cell key number. These were expected to be turned in when a man left the service. Each man was advised to enforce all the ordinances and laws to the letter. There would be no excuse for negligence, warned Bendure, since each officer was required to read the laws and ordinances for himself.
Ending the meeting, Mayor Borchers told all the officers they would remain on the force and have a secure position under his administration if they performed their duties as outlined by the chief. That same day, Bendure appointed William H. Mays to the force, as health officer, to take Cross' place. (12)
The very next day, Officer J.T. "Dick" Peel, a two and a half year veteran of the department,was suspended by Mayor Borchers. An hour before the suspension, G.W. Elmore was sworn in as a member of the department to take Peel's place. The only comment Borchers would make about the reason for Peel's suspension was that he "had failed to deliver the goods" and he was incompetent.
Chief Bendure published his list of 19 regulations for the department that day. In addition to those he had already informed the officers of at their initial meeting; Bendure told the officers that all bulletins and important information would be placed daily in a large book at the main desk at headquarters. All officers were expected to examine the book and read the bulletins. They were required to sign off after having read them.
Officers were forbidden from smoking in the public eye while on duty, and were expected to act and be on call even when off-duty. In addition, each officer would be required to make written reports of all crimes and accidents that occurred on his beat during his tour of duty.
Officers were required to report to the desk sergeant at least once each hour, attend all fires in their beats and assist the firemen, and report all defects in sidewalks, gratings over basements, or obstructions in the streets and alleys.
____________________
(11) The Decatur Review, November 24, 1909
(12) The Decatur Review, December 10, 1909
Bendure told his officers to keep their weapons concealed, although close at hand. Displaying the weapon, said the chief, indicates the weapon is the foundation of the officer's power. Bendure said the officer's power was in the law, not his weapons.
Officers were warned to act officially only in criminal matters and not to become involved in civil disputes except as necessary to preserve the peace. Officers were strictly forbidden from accepting tips, fees for services, or rewards in exchange for doing their duty. Any personnel found committing a violation of any of Bendure's rules was subject to immediate dismissal. (13)
On December 14, 1909, Mayor Borchers announced that he had filed formal charges against both J.T. Peel and Oscar Cross for incompetency. There had been some talk of a hearing for the officers on the charges, but the law required nothing of the kind.
It was rumored that the dismissals were going to bring up a strenuous fight in the council. The mayor's constant opponent, Alderman Oldridge, was contacted for his comments. Oldridge said his vote was to remove the mayor and keep Officer Cross. If anyone was incompetent and had failed to do the things they had promised or sworn to do, it was Borchers, according to the alderman. Cross had never done anything to justify the mayor's action in his 17 year tenure with the department. He was a good man, and according to Oldridge did not deserve dismissal. (14)
During the summer of 1910, citizens anxiously awaited the arrival of "flying machines" in Decatur. The air show was to be staged at the Downing Race Track (the area now known as Hess Park). Ex-officer Oscar Cross had been hired by the track manager to take charge of security for the show.
Due to the size of the anticipated crowd, Cross was authorized to hire 40 to 50 men for the task. He had already enlisted former officers Peel, Dunnigan, R.E. Pound, Vording, and Richardson. The show was held on July 17 and 1,500 persons turned out to watch the flights of three separate bi-planes. (15)
On a humorous note, on the morning of August 13, 1910, 17 ex-Decatur police officers, discharged during the Borcher's administration, gathered for a picnic. In rigs and in groups around the Transfer House, nearly 50 persons watched the ex-officers, accompanied by their wives and families, board a big Hamman auto truck and disappear over the hill of West Main Street on their way to Moffett's lake for an all day picnic.
"Take care of Brant and Petty," called the bystanders as the group drove off, "and don't let Lynch and Koeppe get to fighting; don't tease Pound; and keep Peel away from the horses' heels."
The big truck passed the number one fire house on Main Street and the firemen were out in front to wave goodbye to all the "ex-stars". Although 17 left together for the picnic site, John Stober and Deputy Sheriff Dan Sullivan were expected to get away later in the day and join them.
A list of those in attendance was: Riney Schwartz (merchant policeman), Amos Imboden, Bob Pound, Brant, Peel, Wheeler, Lynch, Vording, Hayes, Miller, Clements, Koeppe, Dayton, Richardson, Powell, Petty, and Gresley.
____________________
(13) The Decatur Review, December 12, 1909
(14) The Decatur Review, December 14 1909
(15) The Decatur Review, July 12 & 17, 1910
Ex-officer Richardson went out early with the "commissary" all iced down. He was to guard the supply until the remainder of the old force arrived. Each member of the "Borcherized" force was mandated to get up and make a speech as to "Why I Got Fired".
George Brant, weighing in at 250 pounds, was the feature of the day's program and served as the mascot. He had the entire crowd laughing from the time he first came into view coming up South Main Street wearing "that blue serge cap" that was "sixteen sizes too small", and his blue serge peg-tops, rolled up at the bottom, college style, "fitting him like the paper on the wall". The ensemble was topped off with that famous "Brant smile" that kept everyone smiling the rest of the day.
The ex-officers were asked what they intended to do about employment. All of them said they supposed they would eventually look for some work, but the first order of business on that day was to relax. (16)
On May 6, 1911, Chief of Police Koeppe announced 26 appointments to the police force: Alfred A. Petty would serve as captain or assistant police chief:
POLICE ASSIGNMENTS
DAY FORCE
I.W. Fribourg - Desk Sergeant
John Dayton - Plain Clothes
Charles Price - Plain Clothes
Clayton Clements - Patrol Wagon Driver
William Harding - Plain Clothes Health Officer
Amos Imboden - Plain Clothes License Man
Alva Scroggin - Patrolman, Transfer House
John Welty - Patrolman, Water Street
Dan Martin - Patrolman, Franklin Street
John Glasgow - Patrolman, Levee
John Stephens - Patrolman, Levee
W.Leonard Brummitt - Patrolman, Jasper Street
NIGHT FORCE
Tim Collins - Desk Sergeant
Wm .Manse Park - Plain Clothes
George McDaniels - Plain Clothes
Charles S. Kemp - Patrol Wagon Driver
Mark Donahue - Patrolman, Levee
Adolph Schepper - Patrolman, Levee
James T. Peel - Patrolman, Jasper Street
John H. Stone - Patrolman, Franklin Street
William Lewschinski - Patrolman, Water, north of Wabash
John W. Pound - Patrolman, northeast Decatur
O.B. Wilson - Patrolman, Transfer House
As dictated by Shade, each of the men was at least five feet nine inches tall and well built. Charles Price was said to be "the best looking man on the force". The men were picked without regard to politics. (17)
____________________
(16) The Decatur Review, August 13, 1910
(17)The Decatur Review, May 6, 1911
The following day after the big announcement, J.T. Peel had turned the job down and Schepper had failed to qualify. It was unknown who would be named to take their places. Also, the council fixed the men's pay at $840 per year and advised all city employees they were expected to pay their bills on time and maintain a good credit rating. (18)
On July 14, 1912, former Decatur police officer James T. "Dick" Peel died at 3:35 a.m. in St. Mary's Hospital. Peel was 46 years of age and had served on the force from 1906 until 1909. It was believed peritonitis had been the cause of death. Peel had suffered from stomach trouble for some time, but his condition had worsened in the days just prior to his death. (19)
____________________
(18) The Decatur Review, May 7, 1911
(19) The Decatur Review, July 15, 1912
THE ABOVE INFORMATION WAS COMPILED BY RETIRED DECATUR POLICE CHIEF MARK BARTHELEMY.
THE INFORMATION WAS HARVESTED FROM DAILY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AS PUBLISHED BY THE SOURCES CITED IN THE FOOTNOTES.
The record at Greenwood, in the case of James Thomas "Dick" Peel, shows that he was moved to Mt. Auburn Cemetery in ~1926. The record also has him shown as James "E" Peel. A copy of the page from Greenwood is attached to this memorial.
A gentleman named Mark D. Barthelemy, who is the historian for the Decatur Police Department, sent me a written history of James Peel and I have attached it below.
Mr. Barthelemy and I firmly believe that James named his son, Oscar Mason Peel, after Oscar Cross and William Mason. Both men were highly revered and respected in the Decatur community during that time. William Mason served for a total of 21 years on the Decatur Police Department commencing in the 1880s through the early 1900s (off and on depending on who the mayor was at the time). Mr. Mason had been a Captain in the union army during the Civil War and was highly decorated. 17 of his 21 years service was as the chief of police.
FROM THE HISTORY OF THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Service of James Thomas "Dick" Peel
As was customary, Decatur, Illinois,was requested to loan several police officers to the city of Springfield, the state capital,for security at the state fair each year. This particular request, received on September 29, 1906, required the chief of police to appoint several special officers to work in the city while more experienced men were sent to the state capitol.
Officers Petty, Pound, Joe Powell, John Stober, John Williamson, and J.F. Eskridge (the latter four being special appointees) were sent to the fair. Officer Charles Dunnigan had a foot abscess which had forced him on leave.
With the above regular officers on loan, Chief Albert appointed Reverend F.B. Jones and J.T. "Dick"Peel to the force as special officers to fill in. Jones was said to be over six feet tall and weighed 225 pounds, with a large chest and shoulders. The chief was unable to find a uniform to fit him, so the clergyman walked the street in plainclothes, undetectable to the public as an officer, except for the club he carried in his hand. (1)
The newly elected city council members took their seats on May 6, 1907. Mayor McDonald nominated his slate of officers and his new chief, Albert H. Cope. Cope, who was a Decatur businessman and had held several city positions over the years but never on the police department, was strongly opposed by the aldermen.
The saloon men lobbied hard against Cope, as they feared he would be a man that would "clamp the lid down tight" on vice operations. The saloon keepers had a strong lobby with their aldermen and Cope was not accepted by the council. It was voted to hold all the police appointments over to the following week's meeting. (2)
At the following council meeting on May 13, all police appointments were accepted by the council, but Cope was turned down by a 12 to 2 vote. Although there was no police chief, the following appointments were confirmed: Herman Koeppefor Captain, Officers: Oscar Cross, Clayton Clements, Robert Pound, John Glasgow, John Dayton, John J. Pearse, Frank Vording, Charles Dunnigan, George Brant, Frank Gresley, J.T. "Dick" Peel, Charles Shadrick "Shad" Kemp (an African-American), A.A. Petty, Richard Moran, D.E. Baucom, Frank Hays, Carl Besalki, Joe Powell, Frank Lynch, and John Welty. (3)
An article appearing in the Decatur Daily Review on June 9, 1907, indicated that juvenile justice was becoming a concern for the Decatur Police Department. With the city's population in excess of 30,000, the number of juvenile offenders was multiplying faster than the number of adult offenders.
At that time, there was no juvenile court, but the matter was being discussed. It was proposed that if such a court were established for the city, Justice of the Peace J.H. McCoy would be named to preside. Officer "Dick" Peel, who seemed to take an ardent interest in youngsters and had a vast self-made knowledge of children's names and backgrounds, would be the logical choice for juvenile officer. (4)
At the council meeting of May 10, 1909, Mayor Borchers nominated J.C. Lyons and A.H. Cope for the top police positions. The vote was eight to six to lay the appointments over for a week.
____________________
(1)The Decatur Daily Review, September 29, 1906
(2)The Decatur Review, May 7, 1907
(3)The Decatur Review, May 14, 1907
(4)The Decatur Review, June 9, 1907
The aldermen had no real problem with Lyons, but there were two problems with Cope. One, he was said to be a candidate for sheriff. The aldermen feared he would use the captaincy to further his campaign for that office. Secondly, Cope was a republican and it was obvious the east-side city democrats would not tolerate this. The aldermen let it be known indirectly that all of the mayor's appointments would be held up until he agreed to their demands of two men from each ward being included in his appointments.
Speculation ran unchecked on this issue. Borchers was obviously insistent on having his way with selection of the police, yet the aldermen refused to budge. One avenue Borchers might pursue would be to dismiss all the current officers on the force and appoint special officers of his choosing in their places. Borchers could dismiss any officer for "cause", if presented in writing and aired before the council.
It would take a vote of at least 10 aldermen in favor of retaining the officer charged to keep him on the force. Borchers had more than four sympathizers among the aldermen, so he knew this plan would work. It was later learned from the city attorney, however, that if this avenue was pursued, Borchers would be forced to re-appoint all the special officers at each council meeting, thereby bogging the process down in bureaucracy. The city attorney also feared there would be problems in paying the men for their work. (5)
The controversy over Borcher's police appointments began to heat up with the city council meeting of May 17, 1909. The aldermen once again voted against Lyons and Cope for chief and captain, this time with a vote of nine to five.
Alderman Oldridge alleged he would never vote for Cope because when Cope was up for chief several years prior, Cope had told him he would allow the city to run "wide open". With this announcement, other aldermen began to questions Borcher's judgment in appointing Cope. Other aldermen said they would not vote for him until they personally had a chance to question Cope in the matter.
During the discussion, the aldermen decided to add one additional position to the police force. It was deemed another plainclothesman was needed on the night force. In the final business of the council meeting, the city fathers rented space in the courthouse for another year at the cost of $1,200. (6)
On May 18, 1909, tired of the bickering and public embarrassment, James Lyons withdrew his name from contention for the chief's job. Lyons said he had originally agreed to take the job and surrender operation of his real estate firm to another man for the following two years. Since the delay in the confirmation had taken place, the substitute had been offered another job and Lyons now had no one to watch over his business interests.
Sadly, all of the aldermen said they had absolutely nothing against Lyons for chief. They believed him an honest, hard-working and ethical man that would do an excellent job in the position. It was "a matter of principal" with the mayor, the aldermen claimed.
Cope subsequently withdrew his name from contention for captain also. Speculations began that Mayor Borchers would probably fire all but six men currently on the force, and appoint special officers for the remaining 17 positions.7
At the following council meeting on May 24th, Borchers named former police captain Dan Myers for chief and Sergeant John Welty for the position of night captain. The mayor also announced
____________________
(5) The Decatur Review, May 11, 1909
(6) The Decatur Review, May 18, 1909
(7)The Decatur Review, May 18, 1909
that he would hold over the appointments of Sergeant Dunnigan, Officers Vording, Clements, Peel, Pearse, and Kemp. He followed by naming 15 new men to the force.
The usual eight to six vote by the aldermen blocked all of the appointments and laid the business over for a week. The aldermen did pass a resolution to add the 23rd position to the police force. Borchers used his temporary "special officer appointment powers" to name one of his recommended new officers, Noah C. Davis, to the vacancy created by D.E. Baucom's resignation. (8)
With the national emphasis on liquor control in 1909, it appeared thrill-seekers were turning to narcotic drugs for entertainment. Earlier in the year, cocaine had become a regulated drug, dispensable only by pharmacists through doctor's prescription. The drug had been labeled as one of the most abused and dangerous drugs in modern society.
On November 5, 1909, Decatur police made their first documented drug raid. Officer Brant, while on patrol, observed a number of persons entering the doorway to an upstairs room on his beat. The officer went into a business located below the room the persons would have been going to. From there, Brant could hear a good deal of commotion, leading him to believe there was some sort of party taking place.
The officer notified headquarters and Chief Mason, Officers Welty, Elliott, Peel, Besalki, and Deputy Sheriff Dan Sullivan arrived to assist. Knocking on the door, someone inside opened and the officers had the necessary evidence plainly in sight to enter and arrest the occupants.
The room was described as "an opium joint" equal in every detail to those found in the Chinese dens of San Francisco. Seven men and three women were taken into custody, along with a professional opium pipe, extra bowls, a large quantity of the drug, whiskey, beer, and wine, all being confiscated by the officers. (9)
When approached by news hounds on November 23, 1909, Mayor Borchers admitted that through complaints from unhappy wives and mothers, he was aware of nine establishments in the city where professional gambling was taking place. Four had recently been raided by police, with the confiscation of paraphernalia at three.
The mayor expressed his displeasure with the fact that he seemed to always be the one taking the information to the police, rather than the patrolmen gathering the information through observation on their beats. When questioned, Borchers admitted he was becoming frustrated that he seemed forced always to take the initiative in vice enforcement. (10)
Subsequently, the mayor began to make "heads roll" at the police department the following day. Officer John J. Pearse, a four and one half year veteran of the force, was suspended by Chief Mason. Officer Besalki was assigned to assume Pearse's beat.
Rumors flew that three more would be kicked off the force in coming days. Officers Vording and Peel were said to have been found sleeping in a livery stable a few nights previous, and Officer Powell was alleged to have allowed some gamblers to escape arrest.
The only reason provided for the suspension of Pearse was that he and Officer Wilson (on the adjacent beat) were having difficulty getting along and the mayor believed the primary source of that conflict was Pearse's fault. In a shocking statement to the press by a usually reserved and dignified William Mason, the chief was asked about his knowledge of the Pearse-Wilson
____________________
(8) The Decatur Review, May 25, 1909
(9) The Decatur Review, November 6, 1909
(10) The Decatur Review, November 23, 1909
dispute. Mason said he was aware of their problems and added, "About half the men on this police force aren't worth....," but he caught himself and refused further comment. (11)
On December 9, 1909, newly-appointed Chief Roy Bendure made his first formal address to the Decatur Police Department. In the presence of Mayor Borchers, Bendure told the men he expected them reporting for work with their uniforms cleaned, pressed, and brushed. Their buttons and stars were to remain polished and their firearms were to be well maintained.
Each man was expected to read and learn the city ordinances and criminal laws of the State of Illinois. This was startling news to the officers, as none of them had ever been mandated to read and learn the law. Officers were taught everything they knew by making mistakes or observing other more senior officers in action.
Bendure told the officers they would also be expected to immediately begin learning the names of everyone on their beats. They were to accomplish this in a non-offensive manner, little by little. In a few months, Bendure said he would be accompanying the men on their beats and would expect them to be able to call everyone they see by name.
The plainclothes officer would be expected to make daily visits to the junk dealers and pawn shops in town. A complete record of stolen property would be maintained at headquarters and the plainclothesman was expected to have that list handy to compare with the inventory of the shops.
A record was to be kept of each man's star number and cell key number. These were expected to be turned in when a man left the service. Each man was advised to enforce all the ordinances and laws to the letter. There would be no excuse for negligence, warned Bendure, since each officer was required to read the laws and ordinances for himself.
Ending the meeting, Mayor Borchers told all the officers they would remain on the force and have a secure position under his administration if they performed their duties as outlined by the chief. That same day, Bendure appointed William H. Mays to the force, as health officer, to take Cross' place. (12)
The very next day, Officer J.T. "Dick" Peel, a two and a half year veteran of the department,was suspended by Mayor Borchers. An hour before the suspension, G.W. Elmore was sworn in as a member of the department to take Peel's place. The only comment Borchers would make about the reason for Peel's suspension was that he "had failed to deliver the goods" and he was incompetent.
Chief Bendure published his list of 19 regulations for the department that day. In addition to those he had already informed the officers of at their initial meeting; Bendure told the officers that all bulletins and important information would be placed daily in a large book at the main desk at headquarters. All officers were expected to examine the book and read the bulletins. They were required to sign off after having read them.
Officers were forbidden from smoking in the public eye while on duty, and were expected to act and be on call even when off-duty. In addition, each officer would be required to make written reports of all crimes and accidents that occurred on his beat during his tour of duty.
Officers were required to report to the desk sergeant at least once each hour, attend all fires in their beats and assist the firemen, and report all defects in sidewalks, gratings over basements, or obstructions in the streets and alleys.
____________________
(11) The Decatur Review, November 24, 1909
(12) The Decatur Review, December 10, 1909
Bendure told his officers to keep their weapons concealed, although close at hand. Displaying the weapon, said the chief, indicates the weapon is the foundation of the officer's power. Bendure said the officer's power was in the law, not his weapons.
Officers were warned to act officially only in criminal matters and not to become involved in civil disputes except as necessary to preserve the peace. Officers were strictly forbidden from accepting tips, fees for services, or rewards in exchange for doing their duty. Any personnel found committing a violation of any of Bendure's rules was subject to immediate dismissal. (13)
On December 14, 1909, Mayor Borchers announced that he had filed formal charges against both J.T. Peel and Oscar Cross for incompetency. There had been some talk of a hearing for the officers on the charges, but the law required nothing of the kind.
It was rumored that the dismissals were going to bring up a strenuous fight in the council. The mayor's constant opponent, Alderman Oldridge, was contacted for his comments. Oldridge said his vote was to remove the mayor and keep Officer Cross. If anyone was incompetent and had failed to do the things they had promised or sworn to do, it was Borchers, according to the alderman. Cross had never done anything to justify the mayor's action in his 17 year tenure with the department. He was a good man, and according to Oldridge did not deserve dismissal. (14)
During the summer of 1910, citizens anxiously awaited the arrival of "flying machines" in Decatur. The air show was to be staged at the Downing Race Track (the area now known as Hess Park). Ex-officer Oscar Cross had been hired by the track manager to take charge of security for the show.
Due to the size of the anticipated crowd, Cross was authorized to hire 40 to 50 men for the task. He had already enlisted former officers Peel, Dunnigan, R.E. Pound, Vording, and Richardson. The show was held on July 17 and 1,500 persons turned out to watch the flights of three separate bi-planes. (15)
On a humorous note, on the morning of August 13, 1910, 17 ex-Decatur police officers, discharged during the Borcher's administration, gathered for a picnic. In rigs and in groups around the Transfer House, nearly 50 persons watched the ex-officers, accompanied by their wives and families, board a big Hamman auto truck and disappear over the hill of West Main Street on their way to Moffett's lake for an all day picnic.
"Take care of Brant and Petty," called the bystanders as the group drove off, "and don't let Lynch and Koeppe get to fighting; don't tease Pound; and keep Peel away from the horses' heels."
The big truck passed the number one fire house on Main Street and the firemen were out in front to wave goodbye to all the "ex-stars". Although 17 left together for the picnic site, John Stober and Deputy Sheriff Dan Sullivan were expected to get away later in the day and join them.
A list of those in attendance was: Riney Schwartz (merchant policeman), Amos Imboden, Bob Pound, Brant, Peel, Wheeler, Lynch, Vording, Hayes, Miller, Clements, Koeppe, Dayton, Richardson, Powell, Petty, and Gresley.
____________________
(13) The Decatur Review, December 12, 1909
(14) The Decatur Review, December 14 1909
(15) The Decatur Review, July 12 & 17, 1910
Ex-officer Richardson went out early with the "commissary" all iced down. He was to guard the supply until the remainder of the old force arrived. Each member of the "Borcherized" force was mandated to get up and make a speech as to "Why I Got Fired".
George Brant, weighing in at 250 pounds, was the feature of the day's program and served as the mascot. He had the entire crowd laughing from the time he first came into view coming up South Main Street wearing "that blue serge cap" that was "sixteen sizes too small", and his blue serge peg-tops, rolled up at the bottom, college style, "fitting him like the paper on the wall". The ensemble was topped off with that famous "Brant smile" that kept everyone smiling the rest of the day.
The ex-officers were asked what they intended to do about employment. All of them said they supposed they would eventually look for some work, but the first order of business on that day was to relax. (16)
On May 6, 1911, Chief of Police Koeppe announced 26 appointments to the police force: Alfred A. Petty would serve as captain or assistant police chief:
POLICE ASSIGNMENTS
DAY FORCE
I.W. Fribourg - Desk Sergeant
John Dayton - Plain Clothes
Charles Price - Plain Clothes
Clayton Clements - Patrol Wagon Driver
William Harding - Plain Clothes Health Officer
Amos Imboden - Plain Clothes License Man
Alva Scroggin - Patrolman, Transfer House
John Welty - Patrolman, Water Street
Dan Martin - Patrolman, Franklin Street
John Glasgow - Patrolman, Levee
John Stephens - Patrolman, Levee
W.Leonard Brummitt - Patrolman, Jasper Street
NIGHT FORCE
Tim Collins - Desk Sergeant
Wm .Manse Park - Plain Clothes
George McDaniels - Plain Clothes
Charles S. Kemp - Patrol Wagon Driver
Mark Donahue - Patrolman, Levee
Adolph Schepper - Patrolman, Levee
James T. Peel - Patrolman, Jasper Street
John H. Stone - Patrolman, Franklin Street
William Lewschinski - Patrolman, Water, north of Wabash
John W. Pound - Patrolman, northeast Decatur
O.B. Wilson - Patrolman, Transfer House
As dictated by Shade, each of the men was at least five feet nine inches tall and well built. Charles Price was said to be "the best looking man on the force". The men were picked without regard to politics. (17)
____________________
(16) The Decatur Review, August 13, 1910
(17)The Decatur Review, May 6, 1911
The following day after the big announcement, J.T. Peel had turned the job down and Schepper had failed to qualify. It was unknown who would be named to take their places. Also, the council fixed the men's pay at $840 per year and advised all city employees they were expected to pay their bills on time and maintain a good credit rating. (18)
On July 14, 1912, former Decatur police officer James T. "Dick" Peel died at 3:35 a.m. in St. Mary's Hospital. Peel was 46 years of age and had served on the force from 1906 until 1909. It was believed peritonitis had been the cause of death. Peel had suffered from stomach trouble for some time, but his condition had worsened in the days just prior to his death. (19)
____________________
(18) The Decatur Review, May 7, 1911
(19) The Decatur Review, July 15, 1912
THE ABOVE INFORMATION WAS COMPILED BY RETIRED DECATUR POLICE CHIEF MARK BARTHELEMY.
THE INFORMATION WAS HARVESTED FROM DAILY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AS PUBLISHED BY THE SOURCES CITED IN THE FOOTNOTES.
Gravesite Details
Mausoleum was torn down in 1926 and bodies moved.
Family Members
Parents
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
