Pendergast's Retaliation: A True Cold Case File

By Carolyn Clyde Dolan and Shirley Clyde McCullough

"Uncle Reid committed suicide!" Shirley read from an article found in Mother's genealogy records. We looked at each other in amazement as I shouted, "Mother, what happened to Uncle Reid?"

A compelling true drama of political corruption, voter fraud and murder focusing on the 1932 Pendergast era in Kansas City, Missouri. Uncle Reid was a courageous and political figure who dared to take on the Pendergast machine!

Did Uncle Reid commit suicide or was he another victim of the political machine? Did he uncover ties to the mob and corruption? Did he pose a threat to Tom Pendergast's political machine?

Who was the unknown woman in Uncle Reid's life that appeared shortly before his death and disappeared right after he died? Was she a part of a plot against Uncle Reid?

We discovered at the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department that suicide records are not kept and that the coroner in 1932 was a Pendergast elected official. No police or coroners records and no living relatives made our quest for answers frustrating.

Watch for many twists and turns.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 23, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456767990

Carolyn Clyde Dolan

Shirley Clyde McCullough was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She has lived in the Shawnee Mission, Kansas area most of her life. A graduate of Shawnee Mission North High School, Shirley worked for the United States Post Office for over ten years. In 1985, she began work at the Johnson County Library. Currently, she is a Circulation Clerk at Corinth Library. Assisting the public at a very busy library is a joy for Shirley. Her interest in genealogy is relatively new. The news about her Uncle's death encouraged her to learn more about her extended family. Living in Prairie Village, Kansas, with her husband, Bill, Shirley has two sons--Robert and Drew, and one grandson, Jordan. Carolyn Clyde Dolan lectured to law enforcement officials, college and grade school students, nurses and doctors on the topic of "Understanding the Victim and Victim Survivors Rights" following the death of her stepson in 1979. While attending Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas, Carolyn was appointed to the Governor's Crime Prevention Committee. She is a past member of Kansans for Effective Criminal Justice and the Kansas Division of the International Association for Identification. Carolyn presented several workshops for Law Enforcement Officers throughout the State of Kansas and in conjunction with the Kansas Bureau of Investigations on "How to Promote Citizens Involvement in Neighborhood Watch." Currently Carolyn is Vice-Regent of her local chapter of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. For 2011-2012, she is President of the Northeast Kansas Regents Round Table, Kansas Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. Carolyn has an A.A. Degree from Johnson County Community College. She is married and has one daughter and one grand-daughter.

Book preview

PENDERGAST’S RETALIATION

A True Cold Case File

Carolyn Clyde Dolan, Shirley Clyde McCullough

missing image file

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© 2011 Carolyn Clyde Dolan, Shirley Clyde McCullough. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 5/18/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4567-6799-0 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4567-6800-3 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011908108

Printed in the United States of America

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them..

Table of Contents

List of Photographs

1: Discover Suicide!

2: The Cold Case Unit

3: Was It Really ‘Suicide’?

4: Our Quest for Answers!

5: The Pendergast Connection

6: Uncle Reid, Politics, Pendergast!

7: Voter Fraud and Corruption!

8: Probate Records Arrive!

9: Railway Mail Service & Politics

10: Police Corruption & Lazia

11: The Gun!

12: Prostitution & Mary’s Role?

13: Our Findings

14: Pendergast’s Retaliation!

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

Resources

About the Co-Authors

List of Photographs

COVER PHOTOGRAPH

UNION STATION, circa 1920 Kansas City, Missouri Public Library, Missouri Valley Special Collections. Photograph: b/w Union Station. Barcode Number 10001596.

UNCLE REID LATTA, circa 1913-1920

AUNT MYRTLE and unidentified woman in front of the Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. June 1913

UNCLE REID, Aunt Myrtle and unidentified couple, Washington, D.C. June 1913

1908 Main Street, Pendergast’s Office was in the yellow brick building. Notice the Monroe Hotel next door. Photo taken September 2010.

1908 Main Street, frontal view. Taken September 2010

UNCLE REID and his dog, Council Bluffs, Iowa

HARVEY HOUSE Restaurant located inside Union Station, Kansas City, Missouri September 2009

AUNT MYRTLE taken 1900 when she lived at the boarding house in Kansas City, Missouri

THE SIX SISTERS family photo taken circa 1895-1900 Ft. Scott, Kansas

GRANDMOTHER SAREPTA and Aunt Myrtle, Council Bluffs, Iowa, circa 1910

MYRTLE circa 1920

COMMERCIAL CLUB of Council Bluffs, Iowa Uncle Reid is standing in the back row circa 1910-1915

UNCLE REID with his derby hat, Council Bluffs, Iowa circa 1920

AUNT MYRTLE’S Fidelity Bank Book 1923-1930

UNCLE REID and Aunt Myrtle taken in Atlanta, Georgia during their trip to the Railway Mail Service 7th Annual Convention June 1909

3819 Bales Avenue Uncle Reid’s home. Notice the relationship of Uncle Reid’s bedroom to the driveway of the neighbor next door. Photo taken 2009

FAMILY Photo taken Thanksgiving Day 1914 at Aunt Bertha’s house in Ft. Scott, Kansas. From left: Myrtle, George, Grace, Grandmother Sarepta, Reid, Bertha, Rose, Inez, Ross and Nell, with grandchildren seated in front

FAMILY photo Taken at Peck’s Villa, Ft. Scott, Kansas 1916. Left to right: Milton, Grandmother Sarepta, Bertha, Nell, Myrtle and Reid. Eddie, Hester and Alva.

FAMILY photo taken beside home in Ft. Scott, Kansas built by Milton circa 1910-1915. Uncle Reid is the second man from the left. Aunt Myrtle is the first seated woman on the right in the front row next to Grandmother Sarepta.

UNCLE REID’S home at 3819 Bales Avenue showing the relationship of the chimney to his bedroom. Photo taken 2009

FAMILY photo taken in 1917 at Ft. Scott, Kansas. Top Row: Myrtle, Rose, George, Grace, Ross. Middle Row: Nell, Bertha, Grandmother Sarepta with Uncle Reid’s hand on her head, Clarence holding Howard and Inez holding Ross, Jr. Front Row: Eddie, Alva, Helen, Alice and another Helen.

UNION STATION Kansas City, Missouri. Clock View. Taken September 2010.

UNION STATION showing the skyline of Kansas City, Missouri in the background. Taken September 2010

missing image file

Uncle Reid Latta, circa 1913-1920

1: Discover Suicide!

It was a cloudy, rainy Saturday morning on September 1st when Shirley and I pulled up in front of our childhood home. We have a tradition of taking mother, Elma, out to lunch every Saturday. It is precious time filled with memories of the past and a time to build new memories for the future.

We drove down to the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. The Rozzelle Court at the Nelson-Atkins Museum is a family favorite place to dine. It’s designed in the dramatic style of a 15th Century Italian courtyard, located in the center of an art gallery, surrounded by beautiful statues and fine works of art. The sound of the water splashing in the enormous, pale pink, marble fountain in the center of the courtyard creates a very soothing atmosphere.

Mom, I’ve been working on Grandfather Beachum and Grandmother Sarepta’s family history. So far, I’ve found information about all of their eleven children, except Aunt Myrtle. I said, hoping that Mother would be able to fill in some of the gaps.

You and Shirley need to check the old trunk in the attic to see what you can find about Aunt Myrtle and Uncle Reid. There’s information in the old family Bible that may be helpful. Mother suggested. I’m so glad that you are working on this project. Mother continued.

Today would be a good day, I stated. Let’s see what we can find. Shirley said. When we were leaving the gallery, the weather changed from rain to just a light drizzle.

Arriving at the house, it began pouring down rain with bright flashes of light and loud claps of thunder. You girls picked a fine time to be hunting around in the attic! Mom stated, as the lightning flashed again. When we climbed the steps to the large stone front porch, the ground vibrated from the thunder.

Once we got inside the front door, we shook the rain off of our umbrellas and headed for the attic. The attic door squeaked as we opened it. As we climbed the stairway, all sorts of memories came flooding back.

In the northwest corner of the attic stood the old cream-colored camelback trunk with black leather straps, the hinges were rusted and we had a difficult time getting it open. Creaking as it opened, inside we noticed the cream-colored paper lining sprinkled with tiny pink rosebuds.

Check out the maroon velvet box in the trunk, Mom shouted from the bottom of the stairs. "It’s filled with photographs; perhaps you’ll find something that will