Chicago Obsolete Retired Police Badge - Carter H. Harrison Medal 1906 - 2 Photos
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:2862177 |
I am selling these items for my brother-in law. His Great grandfather was William Mc Geoghegan who was a decorated Chicago Police Patrolman from 1881 to 1923. His son Anthony F Mc Geoghegan was also a Policeman from 1907 to 1943. (I am selling some of Anthony's items in another auction)
In 1906 William Mc Geoghegan was the Carter H. Harrison Medal Recipient that year for his act of Bravery in 1905. See below for details of his Bravery.
I am selling William Mc Geoghegan's<...br>1 - Retired Badge (pin broken on back)
2 - His Carter H. Harrison Medal from 1906 (His name is engraved on back)
3 - His Billy Club
4 - 2 photos of William Mc Geoghegan. One shows him wearing award medal
5 - Also includes a letter from Chicago PD detailing some facts about William Mc Geoghegan
The Carter H. Harrison and Lambert Tree Medals are granted to sworn members of the Chicago fire and police departments who have performed distinguished acts of bravery in the protection of life or property. The awards are presented in the form of a medal and ribbon bar on an annual basis by trustees of the respective award funds. This award is presently presented to Chicago Police Department sworn members in the form of a ribbon bar, medal and certificate.When introduced, this award was presented as a gold medal. The Carter H. Harrison was awarded to a police department member and the Lambert Tree to a fire department member. Beginning in the early 1900’s, the awards began to rotate yearly between the Fire and Police Department so that neither award is deemed superior to the other.
Patrolman William McGeoghegan
Was awarded the Carter H. Harrison Medal at a special ceremony held in city council chambers on July 6, 1906.
Patrolman William McGeoghegan, of the 19th Precinct, on June 21, 1905, at 3:00 a.m., a boy ran into the 19th
Precinct Police Station and told Desk Sergeant Michael W. Delaney that some parties were burglarizing a butcher shop at 726 West 47th Street.
The sergeant called Officers William McGeoghegan and Michael Jones, detailed on the patrol wagon, and Officer Bartholomew Curtin, lockup keeper, and they all ran down 47th Place to the store which was about two and one-half blocks from the station. Coming directly on 47th Street they saw three or four men run in between two houses just east of the butcher shop. The passageway between these two houses is narrow and dark, but the officers ran in there in pursuit of the parties they saw Officer McGeoghegan was well in the lead and had not gone ten feet in the passageway when the burglars commenced to shoot, one bullet passing through Officer McGeoghegan’s helmet. But he kept on, still in the lead, and another bullet struck him in the mouth. Still in the lead he got close to the burglars in the rear part of the yard, when he was shot in the left arm at the elbow, and one of the burglars struck him on the head with a large iron jimmy, rendering him unconscious. It all happened in less than a minute and the officer had fired five shots from his revolver. The other officers could not shoot in going after Officer McGeoghegan through the passageway for fear of killing him, but they kept on right after him and saved him from being murdered.
Officer Kennedy, of the 19th Precinct, and Officer Patrick O’Malley, of the 2nd Precinct, attracted by the shooting, came to the assistance of the officers and all the officers and the burglars, of whom there were four, exchanged many shots. John Maloney, alias McGrath, and John Ahern were arrested in the yard, and these were convicted of burglary and sent to the penitentiary. Enos Daley and Billy Parker, ex-convicts, escaped, but died later of wounds inflicted upon them at the time. John Maloney, alias McGrath, one of those who were arrested, had received two slight flesh wounds, but he recovered in a short time. The back yard where all
the shooting took place was like a slaughter pen from the blood scattered around, and foot prints of blood were followed by the officers from where the shooting took place to 38th Street and Emerald Avenue, where all traces disappeared.
Officer McGeoghegan was wounded very badly. The bullet through his mouth took a downward course and was cut out of his neck; six weeks afterward a tooth which was carried away by the bullet was cut out of the root of his tongue. The bullet which entered his tongue was cut out from under his arm. The main artery in his arm was severed. His skull was fractured. He was taken to the Provident Hospital, where he lay for many weeks between life and death, but his good constitution and gigantic strength with the best of surgical treatment pulled him through. Officer McGeoghegan’s act of bravery and devotion to duty on the morning of June 21, 1905, in that dark passageway, and in the face of almost certain death, is rarely equaled and never excelled.
(Report of the General Superintendent of Police, 1906)
In 1906 William Mc Geoghegan was the Carter H. Harrison Medal Recipient that year for his act of Bravery in 1905. See below for details of his Bravery.
I am selling William Mc Geoghegan's<...br>1 - Retired Badge (pin broken on back)
2 - His Carter H. Harrison Medal from 1906 (His name is engraved on back)
3 - His Billy Club
4 - 2 photos of William Mc Geoghegan. One shows him wearing award medal
5 - Also includes a letter from Chicago PD detailing some facts about William Mc Geoghegan
The Carter H. Harrison and Lambert Tree Medals are granted to sworn members of the Chicago fire and police departments who have performed distinguished acts of bravery in the protection of life or property. The awards are presented in the form of a medal and ribbon bar on an annual basis by trustees of the respective award funds. This award is presently presented to Chicago Police Department sworn members in the form of a ribbon bar, medal and certificate.When introduced, this award was presented as a gold medal. The Carter H. Harrison was awarded to a police department member and the Lambert Tree to a fire department member. Beginning in the early 1900’s, the awards began to rotate yearly between the Fire and Police Department so that neither award is deemed superior to the other.
Patrolman William McGeoghegan
Was awarded the Carter H. Harrison Medal at a special ceremony held in city council chambers on July 6, 1906.
Patrolman William McGeoghegan, of the 19th Precinct, on June 21, 1905, at 3:00 a.m., a boy ran into the 19th
Precinct Police Station and told Desk Sergeant Michael W. Delaney that some parties were burglarizing a butcher shop at 726 West 47th Street.
The sergeant called Officers William McGeoghegan and Michael Jones, detailed on the patrol wagon, and Officer Bartholomew Curtin, lockup keeper, and they all ran down 47th Place to the store which was about two and one-half blocks from the station. Coming directly on 47th Street they saw three or four men run in between two houses just east of the butcher shop. The passageway between these two houses is narrow and dark, but the officers ran in there in pursuit of the parties they saw Officer McGeoghegan was well in the lead and had not gone ten feet in the passageway when the burglars commenced to shoot, one bullet passing through Officer McGeoghegan’s helmet. But he kept on, still in the lead, and another bullet struck him in the mouth. Still in the lead he got close to the burglars in the rear part of the yard, when he was shot in the left arm at the elbow, and one of the burglars struck him on the head with a large iron jimmy, rendering him unconscious. It all happened in less than a minute and the officer had fired five shots from his revolver. The other officers could not shoot in going after Officer McGeoghegan through the passageway for fear of killing him, but they kept on right after him and saved him from being murdered.
Officer Kennedy, of the 19th Precinct, and Officer Patrick O’Malley, of the 2nd Precinct, attracted by the shooting, came to the assistance of the officers and all the officers and the burglars, of whom there were four, exchanged many shots. John Maloney, alias McGrath, and John Ahern were arrested in the yard, and these were convicted of burglary and sent to the penitentiary. Enos Daley and Billy Parker, ex-convicts, escaped, but died later of wounds inflicted upon them at the time. John Maloney, alias McGrath, one of those who were arrested, had received two slight flesh wounds, but he recovered in a short time. The back yard where all
the shooting took place was like a slaughter pen from the blood scattered around, and foot prints of blood were followed by the officers from where the shooting took place to 38th Street and Emerald Avenue, where all traces disappeared.
Officer McGeoghegan was wounded very badly. The bullet through his mouth took a downward course and was cut out of his neck; six weeks afterward a tooth which was carried away by the bullet was cut out of the root of his tongue. The bullet which entered his tongue was cut out from under his arm. The main artery in his arm was severed. His skull was fractured. He was taken to the Provident Hospital, where he lay for many weeks between life and death, but his good constitution and gigantic strength with the best of surgical treatment pulled him through. Officer McGeoghegan’s act of bravery and devotion to duty on the morning of June 21, 1905, in that dark passageway, and in the face of almost certain death, is rarely equaled and never excelled.
(Report of the General Superintendent of Police, 1906)
