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| 715 N 11th St, St Louis, MO 63101, USA (Saint Louis, Missouri)
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| Information |
The Crime
A murder ballad was born at this location on a Monday, October 6, 1890. A fight erupted at the Charles Starkes Saloon and police quickly responded and attempted to take the perpetrators in to custody. When a gunfight ensued, other officers were forced to rush to the scene to provide back up. One of those officers was Patrolman James Brady. Before the shootout was over and the suspects in custody, he would be hit by gunfire and die. Harry Duncan was arrested for his murder and he would be tried, convicted and later hanged for the crime.
Duncan and Brady
Most people point to the events of that day as the basis for the murder ballad, Duncan and Brady. In the ballad, Duncan serves as the bartender for the saloon and Brady enters wearing his police badge and tells Brady he is under arrest. In response, Duncan guns him down.
Duncan, Duncan was tending the bar
In walked Brady with a shining star
And Brady says, "Duncan you are under arrest!"
And Duncan shot a hole in Brady's breast
It is believed that the murder ballad (if not the crime itself) was in retaliation of police harassment against African Americans in this general area (the red light district) of St. Louis. In some versions, the murder of Brady is a cause for celebration, while others mourn his loss. In varied versions, Brady is known as King Brady and contains the line early on that Brady "is going to shoot somebody just to see him die," which may have very well been the inspiration for a similar line in Johnny Cash's later song, Folsom Prison Blues. Most versions depict Brady as a corrupt officer with later versions attributing this to the fact that "he's been on the job too long."
Harry Duncan
As stated, Duncan was arrested for the crime and subsequently convicted and sentenced to death. He reportedly claimed his innocence and insisted that the person who killed Brady was actually the owner of the bar, Charles Starkes. He filed a series of appeals that took his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where he was represented by Walter Moran Farmer, one of the first African American lawyers to argue a case before the Court. His case was dismissed and he was subsequently hung on July 27, 1894 in Clayton County, Missouri. He is buried in nearby Frieden Cemetery. |
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| Related Sites |
Origins: Duncan and Brady
A discussion thread at The Mudcat Cafe behind the history of the murder ballad, Duncan and Brady. |
Find A Grave: William Henry Harrison "Harry" Duncan
Find A Grave's entry for William Henry Harrison "Harry" Duncan, the man behind the murder ballad, Duncan and Brady. |
Officer Down Memorial: Patrolman James Brady
The Officer Down Memorial Page's entry for James Brady, an officer that was killed in St. Louis in 1890. The crime became the basis for the murder ballad, Duncan and Brady. |
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| Similar Destinations |
| Frieden Cemetery, St. Louis, MO |
| Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Wayland Wood |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| Blog: The Origins of Duncan and Brady (10/06/08) |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Folk Music: A Regional Exploration (Greenwood Guides to American Roots Music) |
Stagolee Shot Billy |
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