Extracted from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, MO)
Saturday, May 20, 1922

BOASTING OF FINE SHOTS IN KILLING POLICEMENT LEADS TO THREE ARRESTS

Charles Merrell, 21, Former Convict, Taken as Result of Talk Before Woman; Two Others in Custody Are Hugh Pinkley, Ex-Convict, and Robert Manly, Garage Owner.

HOLDUP OF PACKING BRANCH DESCRIBED

Patrolmen Michael O'Connor and Bernard C. Mengel Lost Lives in Shooting at Morris & Co. Office at 3000 South Broadway.

Boasts alleged to have been made of the “pretty shooting” he did when Patrolmen Michael O'Connor and Bernard C. Mengel were killed April 22 by robbers, who held up the Morris & Co. packing plant branch office at 3000 South Broadway, resulted in the arrest yesterday of Charles Merrell, 21 years old, an automobile mechanic, and former convict, of 1329 North Vandeventer avenue.

Hugh Pinkley, a former convict, known as “Pinky,” 33 years old, of 208 Exchange avenue, East St. Louis, and Robert A. Manly, 28 years old, of 3934 North Florissant avenue, proprietor of a garage at 3144 Eastern avenue, where Merrell has been employed, also were arrested.

The arrests were made by Detective Sergeant Collard and detectives of the Newstead Avenue Station, on information given them by a woman who says she heard Merrell boasting of the “fine shooting” that he did and the two “pretty shots” that he made in the Morris job.

Chief of Detectives Hoagland made public today a statement which he said was made to him by Manly in the presence of Circuit Attorney Sidener, in which he says he drove the other two to the Morris office without knowing what they intended to do, and he drove them away after the robbery and the killing of the two policemen. Both Hoagland and Sidener denied that force was used in eliciting the statement from Manly.

The three men, according to Manly's statement, drove from Manly's garage in Manly's car to Page avenue, near Spring avenue, where they changed to the green Paige car which was used in the robbery. With Manly driving, they went to the vicinity of the Morris plant. Before they reached it, there was some discussion as to who should go inside. Merrell insisted that two go in. Pinkley demurred, but when the maching drew up in front of the office and Merrell jumped out and called to Pinkley to “come on,” Pinkley followed and entered the office a few feet behine Merrell.

Two Policemen Killed.

The shooting began almost immediately, with both Merrell and Pinkley firing at the policemen, who unexpectedly had interrupted the holdup.

Manly had driven to the next corner and turned and, returning, had stopped in front of the office, with his engine running.

Merrell and Pinkley ran out and Merrell leaped into the front seat and Pinkley into the back seat. Merrell ordered Manly to drive west “up that street and step on it.” One shot was fired at the car as it drove away. The robbers did not fire from the car. As they drove away Merrell, referring to his own marksmanship, said, “that was pretty shooting.”

The street up which they drove, the police have determined, was Pestalozzi. Their flight was in a zigzag northeast direction.

Changed From Caps to Hats.

They had gone four or five blocks when Pinkley complained that he had been shot and rubbed his right leg, indicating where he had been wounded. When he was arrested a scar was found where a bullet had apparently grazed his right shin bone. A bullet hole was found in the gabardine which he is alleged to have worn. Pinley says he got the scar in an automobile accident.

A few blocks from the scene of the robbery and double murder, Merrell told Pinkley to throw out the caps they had worn in the robbery. This was done and they put on the hats they had left in the machine. The caps were found by the police the next day.

They drove to Page avenue, where Manley's car had been left, and Manley changed to his own car and drove back to his garage. The two others drove the Paige car to the 4300 block on Evans avenue, where it was abandoned and later found by the police.

Lost $35 or $40.

Merrell told the two others that he got only between $35 and $40 in the robbery.

Manly said Merrell twice tried to get him to go out into the county. Once Merrell said he was going to have some target practice. He did not go because he feared he was to be made the target.

Manly, after making the statement, said he was glad to get it off his mind. He said that he had been wanting for some time to tell everything, and when Detective-Sergeant Girard was in his garage last Monday came near telling him all about it.

He was in the hospital corps during the war, but did not get overseas until the fighting was over. The other two were not in the war.

Pinkley had been arrested previously on suspicion in the Morris job, but was not identified.

Witnesses of the robbery and killing looked at the three prisoners last night, but were unable to identify them.

Several associates of the men were arrested and are held for questioning, but they are not supposed to have been implicated in the robbery and murders.

Merrell was arrested yesterday at his home and Manly and Pinkley at Manly's garage.

Hoagland and Sidener Deny Use of Force or Coercion.

Chief of Detectives Hoagland and Circuit Attorney Sidener were asked by Post-Dispatch reporters if any force or abuse had been resorted to in obtaining the statement. They said that such was not the case.

“I went to Police Headquarters about midnight in order to satisfy myself that no coercion or abuse had been used by the police to obtain the confession,” said Circuit Attorney Sidener. “I took the man aside from the policemen and told him who I was, and that he didn't have to sign the confession if he didn't want to. I asked him if abuse or coercion had been used. His answer was, ‘I am making this confession of my own free will in order to get it off my mind. I've been thinking about this thing ever since the day it happened.’”

Chief of Detectives Hoagland said: “No coercion or force was used in obtaining these confessions. We went so far as to warn the prisoners of their rights in the matter. We told them the case was a most serious one and that they could make a statement if they cared to or could refuse to make one. They were given to understand that they didn't have to confess unless they desired.”

Police records show that Merrell was sent to the Missouri Penitentiary on Aug. 11, 1920, for a two-year term for stealing an automobile in Scotland County, and was discharged Nov. 6, 1921. He was previously arrested Dec. 9, 1919, with two others, at 4053 Olive street, in possession of a machine stolen in Galesburg, Ill., and was charged with violation of the Dyer act, but the case was dismissed in the Federal Court here the following month on account of his youth.

Pinkley was sentenced in October, 1918, by a jury in Circuit Court in St. Louis, to five years' imprisonment for stealing an automobile from Frank Dubinsky of 5742 DeGiverville avenue, and was released on Nov. 30 last. The Bertillon record adds that he had served a term in the penitentiary at Pontiac, Ill., and had been arrested in Illinois eight times on various charges, including arson, between 1913 and 1918.

$3350 in Rewards Offered for Slayers.

Rewards for the arrest and conviction of the slayers of Policement Mengel and O'Connor total $3350, with a possible addition of $500 if the Board of Aldermen passes a special ordinance now pending. The Police Department offers $2000, the St. Louis Automobile Dealers' Association, $500; the Laclede Council of the Knights of Columbus, $100, and the South Side Trust Co. offers $250 for each of the robbers.