THE MOST POPULAR MAN IN THE CITY OF EVANSTON - Mayor James R. Smart

Mayor James R. Smart

A few months ago I told the story of Evanston mayor Harry Putnam Pearsons.  While doing the research for that article I came upon an interesting quote:

Harry Pearsons succeeded Evanston Mayor James R. Smart.  At a celebratory dinner after Pearsons' election in April of 1915, Smart told the crowd an interesting story:

"You may not know, that we have a father of two mayors here in Evanston.  I was an orphan when I came to this country and I worked for Harry P. Pearsons, Sr. for nineteen years.  I was fourteen when I began and he was all the father I had."

I went on to say, "Mayor James Smart had an interesting life and will be a future subject of this blog."  So, this month I will tell you the interesting story of Evanston's seventh mayor, James R. Smart.

James Russell Smart was born November 26, 1871 in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  His parents were Alexander Smart (1834-1876) and Mary Anderson (1839-1907).  Alexander Smart was a Colliary Manager by trade.  A colliary manager is one who manages a coal mine.  Alexander Smart married Mary Anderson June 27, 1865 in Rutherglen, Lanark, Scotland.  The groom was thirty years old; the bride was twenty-six.  

The Smarts were blessed with five children:  Martha Hamilton Smart (1866-1948), Alexander Smart (1868-1908), Adam Anderson Smart (1870-1875), James Russell Smart (1871-1929) and Christopher Smart (1873-1874).

Two of their sons, Adam and Christopher died in infancy in Scotland.  Their burial sites are unknown.

Alexander Smart (the father) died March 22, 1876 in the Old Stone Cottage in Rutherglen.  He was forty-one years old.  He was buried in the Rutherglen Old Parish Cemetery:

Shortly after after Alexander's death in 1876, Mary Smart packed up her three remaining children and moved to America.  They first settled in Piper City, Ford County, Illinois.  They were familiar with the area because Mrs. Smart's brother Christopher had lived there for some time. 

The 1880 US Census finds the Smarts living in the Village of Roberts, Ford County, Illinois.  The family consisted of:  Mary (41 years old), and children Mattie (14), Alexander (12) and Jimmie (8).  Mary listed her occupation as "Keeping House" and the children were "At School."  Mary supported herself and her family by cleaning other peoples' homes.

In 1891 the family moved to Chicago to better enable the children to find work.  In 1893 the Smarts all became Naturalized American Citizens.  In 1894 they finally landed in Evanston, living at 1017 Ayars Place (now Garnett Place). A multi-family home built in 1899 occupies that plot today.  The Smarts were staunch Scots-Presbyterians and were members of the Second Presbyterian Church in Evanston.

Smart's first occupation was as Cashier of the Pearsons-Taft Land Credit Company of Chicago.  

In 1895 the Smarts moved to 529 Lee Street in Evanston.  That address no longer exists on Lee Street.

In 1897 the Smarts moved to 936 Hinman Avenue in Evanston.  Newer condominiums occupy that spot today.

On September 7, 1899 James Smart married Harriett Grace "Hattie" Burdsal in Evanston.  The groom was twenty-eight; the bride was twenty-nine.

Harriett Burdsal was born January 7, 1869 in Illinois to John Wesley Burdsal (1837-1913) and Jane Elizabeth "Jennie" Wilson (1838-1911).  J. W. Burdsal was a wholesale grocer by trade.  The Burdsals had been married in 1864 and had four children:  Henry D. (1867–1888), Hattie Grace (1869–1918), George Bacon (1873–1926), and John Wilcox (1875–1939).

The 1900 US Census found the newlyweds living at 936 Hinman Avenue in Evanston.  The family consisted of James R. Smart (27 years old), wife Grace (30) and Smart's mother Mary (60).  Grace's parents John and Jennie Burdsal lived just a few doors away at 1004 Hinman.  James and Grace said they had been married less than one year, and Grace said she had not given birth to any children.  James' mother said she had given birth to five children, three of which were still alive in 1900.  Grace said she was born in Illinois.  James and his mother were born in Scotland, but both were naturalized citizens.  James reported his occupation as "Clerk in a Bank."  He was in fact employed by the City National Bank of Evanston.  He said they owned their home, and that they did not have a mortgage.  All of them, of course, said they could read, write and speak English.

In 1902, James Smart and his wife moved to an apartment at 510 Lee Street in Evanston:

510 Lee Street, Evanston, Illinois

James Smart eased into his political career slowly.  In 1903 it was reported that he was elected Treasurer of the Third Ward Republican Club of Evanston.  In 1904 Smart was a delegate to the Cook County Republican Convention.  Late in 1905 he was elected Treasurer of the newly formed Civic Federation, and a commissioner of the First Park District of  Evanston.

On October of 1905 Smart resigned from the land credit company to form a partnership with William E. Mason in the real estate business called (of course) Mason & Smart.  Both Mason and Smart were also officers of the City National Bank of Evanston.

In 1907 Smart was elected Vice President of the Evanston Businessman's Association. 

James Smart's mother Mary Anderson Smart died in Evanston on December 5, 1907.  She was sixty-eight years old.  Here is her obituary from The Evanston (IL) Press - December 07, 1907:

She was interred in the Smart family plot at Rosehill:

Happier news occurred on February 6, 1908 when James and Grace Smart's daughter Jean Mary Smart (1908-1996) was born in Evanston.  

Another loss to the family happened when James Smart's brother Alexander Smart died suddenly in Muskogee, Oklahoma on February 16, 1908.  He was only forty years old.  Here is the story from the Muscogee (OK) Times-Democrat from February 17, 1908:

His body was returned to Chicago and he was interred in the Smart Family Plot at Rosehill Cemetery:

The 1910 US Census finds the James Smart family living at 1003 Hinman Avenue in Evanston:

1003 Hinman Avenue, Evanston

The family consisted of:  James R. Smart (38 years old), wife Grace (41), daughter Jean (2), James' sister Martha (44) and  servant Emily Tornstenson (21).  James and Grace reported that this was the first marriage for each of them, and that they had been married for ten years.  Grace said she had given birth to one child, and that child was still alive in 1910.  James said he was a Naturalized US citizen and that he had come to the US in 1875 (it was actually 1876).  James listed his occupation as "Real Estate Agent."  His sister Martha was "Superintendent of a Maternity Hospital."  Lastly, they reported that they were renting their home.  

In the Evanston Municipal Election of April 4, 1911, James R. Smart was elected alderman of the Third Ward.  Mayor Joseph E. Paden was reelected by a 68 vote margin.  At that time, the Smarts were living at 926 Judson Avenue in Evanston:  

926 Judson Avenue, Evanston

In the Evanston Municipal Election of April 1, 1913 James R. Smart was elected the seventh mayor of the City of Evanston, defeating his opponent Charles S. Wallace by a two-to-one margin.  Here are the particulars from the Chicago Inter Ocean from April 2, 1913:

Mayor Smart was Evanston's chief executive during a time of relative peace and prosperity.  That is not to say that there weren't issues of concern, but before the outbreak of World War I issues that had caused concerns then, were not even mentioned during the war years.  One of Mayor Smart's first pronouncements was the enforcement of a strict 9:00 pm curfew for Evanston's youth as reported by the Chicago Tribune on May 1, 1913:

The mayor had originally planned to have the strict curfew only apply to boys, but he was ultimately convinced that sending the girls home by 9pm was just as important.

Another issue that Mayor Smart felt was of critical importance to the residents of Evanston was the elimination of squirrels as outlined in the Chicago Inter Ocean from September 17, 1913:

As a 57 year resident of Evanston I can assure you that the attempt to rid Evanston of its squirrel population failed miserably and there are likely more squirrels there today than there were in 1913.

There were other issues important to Smart, and to Evanstonians.  Mayor Smart instituted fire drills in Evanston schools.  He was also very interested in reclaiming and developing  Evanston's lakefront.  At that time parts of the lakefront were being used as garbage dumps and Smart took steps to have them redeveloped as public parks.

But the issue that took up most of Mayor Smart's time and energy during his administration was labor unrest and the reorganization of the Cook County Transit systems.  The events of 1913 were characterized by the reorganization of transit companies and a massive, violent streetcar strike in nearby Indianapolis that heavily involved Chicago area-based resources.

Hundreds of newspaper stories were written about the transit issues of the time in local Evanston newspapers, Chicago papers and nationwide.  Rather than trying to pick out the articles that would best inform you of what took place I will instead summarize the issues and Smart's actions to minimize any breaks or reduction in Evanston transit services.  

During Smart's first year as mayor, the transit landscape in Evanston changed significantly. In August 1913, the County Traction Company was split due to financial and operational restructuring. This resulted in the birth of the Evanston Traction Company (later Evanston Railways).  This split was intended to localize service and improve the efficiency of the "Evanston-to-Broadway" lines. Smart’s administration had to oversee the franchise agreements and service standards during this corporate hand-off.

While Evanston itself didn't see a total transit shutdown in 1913, the Chicago area became the primary "hub" for strikebreaking activities during the Indianapolis Streetcar Strike of 1913.  When Indianapolis streetcar workers struck for union recognition in October 1913, the transit companies hired hundreds of professional strikebreakers specifically from agencies in Chicagoland.

Mayor Smart’s primary concern during this era of labor unrest was maintaining Evanston’s reputation as a safe, orderly suburb.  While Chicago often dealt with violent picketing, Smart focused on:

1.  Police Vigilance: Ensuring that the transit lines connecting Evanston to Chicago remained operational and that local "sympathy strikes" did not disrupt commuters.

2.  Infrastructure Protection: Protecting the newly reorganized Evanston Traction Company assets from the vandalism that was common in surrounding areas during labor disputes.

The Indianapolis Transit Strike and its offshoots ended November 7, 1913.  Mayor James R. Smart’s ability to navigate the 1913 reorganization without a single day of lost service was considered one of the quiet successes of his tenure.

Another issue addressed by Mayor Smart was the establishment of a Bureau of Public Safety that would incorporate the Health Department.  Mayor Smart was in favor of stricter enforcement of cleanliness and safety laws concerning grocery stores and the so-called milk stores that were the precursors of today's convenience stores.  The mayor ran into problems because none of Evanston's doctors were willing to act as the Commissioner of Public Health but they were also not willing to be under the jurisdiction of a so-called "layman." 

The Emerson Street YMCA, located at 1014-1016 Emerson Street in Evanston, officially opened its doors on July 5, 1914.

Its opening was a major milestone during the administration of Mayor James R. Smart. The dedication ceremony was attended by over 450 people, with hundreds more reportedly waiting outside to celebrate what would become the cultural and social heart of Evanston’s Black community for the next 60 years.

Evanston being Evanston, it was determined that it was necessary to censor movies so its citizens would not be led astray by the wiles of Hollywood.  However Evanston as not willing to piggy-back on Chicago's censors, it had to have its own:

Chicago Inter-Ocean - 25 Jan 1914

It was ultimately determined that three censors were not sufficient, so the Board was significantly enlarged with the addition of ten new members and four alternates:

Chicago Inter Ocean - 01 Feb 1914

In early 1915 Mayor James R. Smart decided to not be a candidate for reelection.  The main reason was the illness of his wife, Hattie Burdsal Smart.  

At the beginning of this article I quoted then former Mayor Smart who made the following comment at a celebration for his successor as mayor, Harry Putnam Pearsons:

"You may not know, that we have a father of two mayors here in Evanston.  I was an orphan when I came to this country and I worked for Harry P. Pearsons, Sr. for nineteen years.  I was fourteen when I began and he was all the father I had."

As nice as that comment is, it is not 100% accurate.  Yes, James Smart did go to work for Harry Pearsons' father Harry Alonzo Pearsons when he first came to Chicago.  Pearsons was one of the principals of the Pearsons-Taft Land Credit Company.  But James Smart was not an orphan.  His father died back in Scotland in 1876 but his mother was quite alive in 1891 when she brought the family to Chicago.  Smart's mother did not die until 1907.  Furthermore, James Smart was fourteen in 1885.  In 1885 he was living with his mother and siblings in Roberts, Illinois.  They did not move to Chicago until 1891 (when he was twenty) and Evanston until 1894 (when he was twenty-three).  Again, a nice story but probably not 100% true.

On March 20, 1918, Harriett Grace Burdsal Smart died at her home in Evanston.  She was forty-nine years old and had been ill for four years.  Her extended illness was one of the reasons Mayor Smart decided not to run for reelection.

Here is her Obituary and Death Notice, both from the Chicago Tribune of March 21, 1918:

She was, of course, buried in the Smart Family Plot at Rosehill:

On June 19, 1919 James R. Smart married Miss Bertha Elinor Buffington (1879-1965) of Evanston.  The groom was forty-seven years old; the bride was forty.  It was the first marriage for Miss Buffington.

Bertha Elinor Buffington was born June 8, 1879 in Independence, Kansas to Abraham Buffington (1837-1918) and Susan Ann Pettit (1848-1891).  Abraham Buffington was a Farmer by trade.  Abraham and Susan had married October 16, 1864 in Stark County, Illinois.  In addition to Bertha, they had another daughter Mary/Mrs. Joe Marquand (1875-1943) and a son Culver W. "Cully" (1885-1975).

The 1920 US Census for James Smart and his bride shows that they were living at 510 Lee Street in Evanston.  This is the same building where James Smart had lived with his late wife from 1902-1905.  The family consisted of James R. Smart (48 years old), wife Bertha B. (40), daughter Jean M. (11) and James' sister Martha Smart (53).  

James and Martha Smart reported that they had come to the US in 1876, and had become Naturalized Citizens in 1893.  All of them, of course could read and write and speak English.  James reported his occupation as "Junior Partner in a Real Estate Firm," and Martha reported her occupation as a "Private Nurse for Families."  Lastly, they indicated they were renting their home.

James R. Smart down-played his occupation as "Junior Partner for a Real Estate Firm."  He was one of the founders of the Smart & Golee Real Estate firm he formed with Christian Golee in 1921, as a successor to Mason & Smart.  Smart was also an officer of the Evanston Trust & Savings Bank, as was Golee.

In 1922 James and Bertha Smart bought a house at 740 Michigan Avenue in Evanston:

740 Michigan Avenue, Evanston

In the summer of 1927, James Smart made a trip back to his native Scotland.  With him was his wife Bertha, his daughter Jean and his sister Martha.  After their trip, they returned to the US aboard the SS California, from Glasgow on September 17, 1927 to New York, arriving on September 26, 1927.

The circumstances surrounding the death of James R. Smart are unusual, to say the least.  In July of 1929, Smart along with his wife Bertha and daughter Jean went on a vacation to the Minnesota lake country.  On July 30, 1929 in the train on the way back home to Evanston, James Smart died of a heart attack.  He was fifty-seven years old.  Here is his obituary from the Chicago Tribune of July 31, 1929:

This is from the Roberts (IL) Herald also from July 31, 1929:

This is from the Paxton (IL) Herald from August 08, 1929:

James R. Smart was buried in the Smart Family Plot at Rosehill Cemetery:

Mayor James R. Smart - The Most Popular Man in the City of Evanston - may he rest in peace.

THE REST OF THE STORY:

BERTHA BUFFINGTON SMART:  Mayor Smart's second wife, Bertha Buffington Smart never remarried,  She retired to San Diego, California where she died on July 6, 1965.  She was eighty-six years old.  Here is her Death Notice from the Chicago Tribune of July 7, 1965:

She is buried in the Smart Family Plot at Rosehill:

JEAN MARY SMART:  Jean Smart, the daughter of Mayor Smart and his first wife Hattie, died in San Diego, California on October 17, 1996.  She was eighty-eight years old.  Here is an obituary posted to ancestry.com by a relative:

SMART -- Jean Mary, died Thursday evening, October 17, 1996. She was 88 years old. Miss Smart was born in Evanston, Illinois. After graduating from Smith College, she joined the American Red Cross and moved to San Diego in 1944. She was a long-time resident of Point Loma. Dodie Rotherham Executive Director of the Red Cross in San Diego said, "Jean was a wonderful member of our Red Cross community. After retiring, she supported the Red Cross with both gifts and many hours of dedicated service".

Miss Smart's closest surviving relative is Dr. Dorothy Akin Jens, a cousin from South Carolina.

Services will be held Monday, October 28, 1996 at 11:00 a.m. at Point Loma Presbyterian Church . The family suggests gifts to either the San Diego-Imperial Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross or Point Loma Presbyterian Church.

Here is her Death Notice from the Chicago Tribune from October 23, 1996:

She is buried with her parents at Rosehill:

THE BRUTAL MURDER OF George L. Shea

I currently manage over 35,000 memorials on Find a Grave.  25,000+ of the memorials are ones I created, the remainder were created by others who may have died or just didn't want to look after them any more.  Every day I check my favorite cemeteries to see if any memorials are up for transfer.  One of my favorite cemeteries is Hollywood Forever, in Hollywood, California.  Recently a memorial from Hollywood Forever became available for transfer:

After I had it transferred to me I decided to check further into the Cause of Death of George Shea.  When a young person dies I am always curious as to what happened.  Was it an accident, or a disease?  When I checked Newspapers.com for George Shea and 1916, here's what I found:

The San Diego (CA) Sun - 21 Apr 1916

The story was about a 25 year old waiter named George L. Shea who was living at the Santa Rita Hotel in San Diego.  His body was found by Night Police Officer L.A. Lusk in the weeds behind the Benbough Furniture Company, on Arctic near E Street in San Diego.  Arctic Street is now Kettner Boulevard.

Officer Lusk found a man's hat and signs of struggle on the sidewalk and examining the trampled weeds, found Shea's body lying about twenty feet back.

I don't know why this story particularly affected me, but I decided to look further into it and see if the murderer was ever brought to justice.

Before we look further into the brutal murder of George Shea, let's see what we can "dig up" about him.

George L. Shea was born in Maine in January of 1887.  His parents were Daniel Shea (1861-1914) and Mary Margaret O'Malley (1861-1892).  Daniel and Margaret were married September 9, 1882 in Dumfries, Charlotte, New Brunswick, Canada.  They had a total of five children:  Mable/Mrs. John Young (1883-1919), May Edith/Mrs. Karl F. Brehme (1885-1968), George (1887-1916), Jane Ella/Mrs. Eugene E. Clark (1888-1947) and Thomas (1891-1892).  

George's father Daniel Shea worked for the Maine Central Railroad and the Canadian Pacific Railroad.  He started as a Fireman, and worked his way up to being a Locomotive Engineer.

George's mother, Mary Margaret O'Malley Shea died in 1892 in Vanceboro, Maine.  She was thirty-one years old.  She was buried in the Catholic Section of the Vanceboro Cemetery in Vanceboro, Maine:

The 1900 US Census shows the Shea Family living in the Town of Vanceboro, Maine.  The Census Enumerator spelled their last name "Shay."  The family consisted of: Daniel (38 years old and Widowed), Mable M. (17), May E. (14), George L. (13), Jennie E. (11) and Sarah Shay, Daniel's mother (85).  Sarah said she had given birth to one child, and that child was still living in 1900.

Daniel listed his occupation as "R. R. Fireman," the children were all "At School" and Daniel's mother did not list an occupation.  They could all read and write, and they rented the house where they were living.  Daniel, Mable and May were all born in Canada.  They told the Enumerator that they emigrated to the United States in 1887.  For the purposes of the 1900 Census they were Resident Aliens.

Daniel Shay married again on July 12, 1902 in Winn, Maine to Charlotte "Lottie" Orr (1866-1930).

The 1910 US Census finds Daniel Shea living in Mattawamkeag, Maine with his wife and daughter Ella,  George is no longer living with them.  George Shea shows up in the 1910 Census in Tacoma, Washington as a Lodger at 4821 Warner Street.  4821 South Warner Street is now in the middle of the Tacoma Cemetery; North Warner Street ends at 37th Street.  George listed his occupation as "Waiter."  He also said he had been out of work for six weeks during 1909. 

The 1910 Tacoma City Directory shows George living at 1330 1/2 South C Street in Tacoma.  That plot is now part of the University of Tacoma and no longer exists as a specific address.

George Shea registered to vote in 1912.  He was living in Los Angeles at the time, at 705 1/2 S. Broadway.  His occupation was "Waiter" and his party affiliation was "Republican."  The State Theater Building, built in 1921 occupies that spot today.

The 1914 City Directory for San Diego shows George Shea as a "Waiter" at the "Palace Cafe:"

The Palace Cafe was said to the the "Handsomest, High Class Cafe in the West."

The next time George Shea's name appears in print is in the Long Beach (CA) Telegram and Daily News from August 23, 1915:

George Shea registered to vote in San Diego in 1916.  He reported his address as the "Hotel Dorm" but I could not find a hotel by that name in San Diego in 1916.  If it was a hotel dormitory, the hotel name was not listed.  He still listed his occupation as "Waiter" but now he registered as a Democrat.

That brings us to the fateful night of Friday, April 21, 1916.

If you have a weak stomach you should probably skip the next section.

According to newspaper accounts, George Shea's murder was particularly brutal.  One referred to his body as "fiendishly mutilated."  Another account said, "His head terribly beaten with a heavy paving brick, and his clothes ripped and torn, hanging in shreds and covered with blood..."  It was suggested that "Shea was hit while walking along the sidewalk and that thereupon he fell and knocked one of his teeth out.  The theory is that Shea, while still alive, was taken into the weeds and clubbed to death with the paving brick and possibly robbed."

He was last seen at 11:30 pm Thursday night under the influence of liquor.  Whether he was with a companion or not is unknown.  

The San Diego Union newspaper reported on April 22, 1916 that the George Shea murder case was proving difficult to solve:

The San Diego Union from the next day reported that a "Ring of Degenerates" had been uncovered:

San Diego (CA) Union - 23 Apr 1916

"The belief of the police (was) that the killing was done by a frenzied degenerate...but revealed no fact that bore directly on the case in hand."

One has to remember that George Shea's murder took place in 1916.  We are so used to watching TV shows like "Forensic Files" that we can't comprehend that there was a time when murders were very hard to solve unless the killing was done by a close relative or friend of the deceased - which did not seem to be the case in the George Shea murder.  In fact, in the US they only started using fingerprints as evidence in 1892.

The Inquest into the murder of George Shea was scheduled for April 24 but newspapers reported that "Unless unforeseen developments take place, no fact concerning (Shea's) assailant or assailants can be revealed by the police."

The Inquest determined that George Shea was murdered by "party or parties unknown."  One new piece of evidence was presented - a heavy iron bolt, blood spattered and more than a foot in length.  After the Inquest, the body of George Shea was released to his family - specifically to John Young, Shea's brother-in-law (Mable's husband) from Los Angeles.  

On April 25, the day after the Inquest, newspapers reported that five suspects had been arrested in the George Shea murder case.  One was released, but four remained in custody.  They were: Felix Gilmartin (31) a "clubman," Thomas Coburn (36), a "gambler," C. L. Harris, a "waiter," and James Donovan. a "jockey."

Harris was in serious condition from injuries he could not satisfactorily explain; Coburn was seen in an altercation with George Shea after midnight on the morning of the murder; Gilmartin was Coburn's roommate, although police had not uncovered any direct connection between him and Shea; and Donovan was arrested near Tijuana on suspicion.

George Shea's funeral was held on April 25, 1916 from the parlors of Cunningham and O'Connor in Hollywood with interment at Hollywood Forever.  Here is his Death Notice from the San Diego Union from April 24, 1916:

The San Diego Union - 24 Apr 1916

Here is his Death Notice from the Los Angeles Times from April 25, 1916:

The Los Angeles Times - 25 Apr 1916

  

Some of the newspaper accounts of the George Shea murder were quick to point out his shortcomings, such as his drinking.  It was almost as if they implied that Shea deserved what he got.  Not everyone was so unkind.  This is from the Escondido (CA) Times-Advocate of April 28, 1916:

"A quiet and gentlemanly young man."

On April 26 there was another arrest in the Shea case, and by April 30, it too led nowhere:

San Diego (CA) Union - 30 Apr 1916

As the days went by, the trail of the murderer of George Shea grew colder.  The San Diego Evening Tribune reported on May 3, 1916 that police were now looking for an unidentified Negro.  The Negro was said to be "Leering at women and children and causing consternation wherever he appears." 
 

On May 7, 1916 the San Diego Union newspaper reported on an attempted murder that had many similarities to the murder of George Shea:

After this lead also went nowhere, the investigation ground to a stop.  Every lead had been followed up on the police and every lead led nowhere.  George Shea's name was not even mentioned in the newspaper until September 11, 1916, five months after his murder:

San Diego Evening Tribune - 11 Sep 1916

Believe it or not, the article above is the last time the murder of George Shea was mentioned in any newspaper.  It appears that the case just ended - unsolved.  I researched extensively and could find nothing further that mentioned George Shea.  I even turned to Mike Kelly, the researcher nonpareil who also was unable to find anything more written about the murder of George Shea.

I examined lists of cold case homicides, but 1916 was just too far back to show up on most of the lists.  I even found a man named James Stewart (not that one) who investigates cold case homicides in the San Diego area.  He responded that he did a fair amount of research on the 1910s but he never ran across the George Shea case.  Another dead end. 

As I prepared to finish this article by reporting that the murder of George Shea remained unsolved 110 years after it happened I stumbled upon information that changed everything. 

In doing genealogy research, if you hit a brick wall they tell you to start over and review everything you know about the person.  I did that for George Shea.  As I mentioned above, there is no mention about the murder of George Shea after September of 1916.  However, the Pasadena Star News from January 29, 1919 reported something interesting:

George Shea was murdered April 21, 1916.  The Pasadena paper in January of 1919 referred to the "Killing of "Robert" Shea three years before."  

The San Diego Evening News from the same date reports even more information about the murder of "Thomas Shea:"

George Shea was a waiter and he was murdered on "Arctic near E Street" which could be "near the foot of F Street."  There are too many coincidences - this has to be referring to the murder of George Shea.

Here's the Los Angeles Evening Express again from January 29, 1919:

Shaffer said that he couldn't remember whether or not he had murdered George/Thomas/Robert Shea but it is very possible he killed Shea without ever knowing his name.  

Newspapers reported Shaffer was a "degenerate."  On April 22, 1916 San Diego papers reported that Shea's murder was "the work of degenerates."

Lacking any additional information I think it is safe to say that George Shea was murdered by Allen C. Shaffer.  So then was Shaffer convicted and sent to jail for the rest of his natural life?  No.

On January 30, 1919 the Los Angeles Evening Express reported that:

So then, can we report that Shaffer was convicted in a military court and sent to the brig for the rest of his natural life?  No.

The San Diego Police Department's way of dealing with Allen Schaffer was to turn him back over to the Army.  The Army's way of dealing with Allen Schaffer was to turn him back over to us - by means of an Army Discharge:

Looking at the records above, Albert Shaffer received an Honorable Discharge whereas the record for Allen C. Shaffer just says "Discharge May 31, 1919 by order of the Secretary of War."

It appears that Allen C. Shaffer's past misdeeds finally caught up with him.  Here is his record from San Quentin Prison in California:

On May 23, 1919 he was convicted of Second Degree Murder and sentenced to 10 years to Life in Prison.

Chester Allen Shaffer, whose real name was Allen C. Shaffer, died in prison on April 23, 1926:

He was buried in the San Quentin Prison Cemetery, Plot #255.  The graves in the San Quentin Prison Cemetery were marked with wooden markers or crosses with the prisoner's inmate number instead of name.  The Cemetery is no longer used and back in the 1980s any grave markers that had not been destroyed by fire, theft or time were removed.

It is unfortunate that neither Allen C. Shaffer nor anyone else was ever convicted of the murder of George Shea.  But justice ultimately prevailed and Shea's murderer was sent to prison for other murders he had committed.  In 1926 Shaffer went in front of the Great Judge we will all someday face.

One of the reasons I started this blog back in September of 2011 was so the people I profiled would not be forgotten.  George Shea was certainly one of those.  Even his murder fell through the cracks.  So, let's not forget the man whose life brutally ended on April 21, 1916.

George Shea - a quiet and gentlemanly young man - may he rest in peace.