| Address |
| Saint Louis, Missouri, United States |
| |
| Information |
212 Targee Street
This spot marks the relative location of an apartment complex that stood at 212 Targee Street in Saint Louis, Missouri. It was at this location that Frankie Baker shot and killed 17-year old Allen Britt on October 16, 1899. The murder was one of two crimes thought to be the basis for the murder ballad, Frankie and Albert, though the song had several of the facts wrong. That song changed overtime to the more well known name, Frankie and Johnny, which has inspired movies and books ever since.
The True Story
There are actually several counts of what transpired in the apartment on October 16, 1899. Of all the facts available, a couple things are clear. Frankie Baker fired one shot (not stabbed as some stories have it) that mortally wounded Allen Britt and he died three days later at St. Louis' City Hospital. Whether it occurred over another an affair that Britt was having with a girl named Alice Pryor or Nellie Blye is debatable.
As the song says, legend dictates that "Frankie and Johnny were lovers," and they very well could have been. Baker had even stated so in interviews before her death. According to her, she was aware that Britt was seeing a girl by the name of Alice Pryor, but she did not want it to bother her. In fact, she was far more concerned with the beatings that she said she undertook at the hands of Britt.
That fateful night, Britt returned home after a night out on the town and immediately threw a lamp at her while she slept. He demanded to know why she was sleeping in that particular bed and she said she was not feeling well and wanted to get some air. According to her, he then pulled out a knife and started to cut her. After a struggle, she reached beneath her pillow and produced a pistol (a Harrington & Richardson .38 and not a .44 according to Baker) and shot him one time. The shot would prove to be fatal.
In other interviews, she reportedly said that what started it all is that he flew into a rage after she asked him where he had been. In an interview with Time in 1938 (see external links), she said that they were not lovers, but that he broke into her room that night with another woman and refused to leave. Regardless, she was arrested and a coroner's jury immediately stated that the killing was self-defense and justifiable. She was still required to stand trial before a judge, but was acquitted there as well. The book The Rose & The Briar quotes Baker as saying, "I ain't superstitious no more, because I went to trial on November, Friday, 13, 1899 and the bad luck omens didn't go against me."
The Location Today
The apartment complex has long been torn down and the street renamed. It is believed that the Kiel Opera House now stands in its former location. The Opera House was built in 1934 and was attached to the Kiel Auditorium. In 1992, the Auditorium was torn down to make way for a new arena for the NHL team, St. Louis Blues. As part of the agreement to tear down the Auditorium, the Kiel Center Partners also agreed to renovate the Opera House. Minor repairs were done, but complete renovation never happened. The Opera House still sits unused to this day. |
| |
| GPS Interface |
Save Waypoint to Garmin Device.
|
|
| |
| User Trips |
| There are no user trips associated with this location. |
| |
| Related Sites |
Wikipedia: Frankie and Johnny
Wikipedia's entry for the murder ballad Frankie and Johnny. |
NPR: Revisiting the Ballad 'Frankie and Johnny'
Recounts the history of the murder ballad, Frankie and Johnny via an audio of the radio show Morning Edition on November 24, 2004. |
Frankie and Johnny - Historical Basis
Historical basis for the murder ballad, Frankie and Johnny, presented by The Mudcat Cafe. |
Time Magazine: Frankie and Johnny
Time Magazine article from May 2, 1938 about the origins of the murder ballad, Frankie and Johnny, including accounts by Frankie Baker. |
| |
| Similar Destinations |
| St. Peters Cemetery, Normandy, Missouri |
| The Royal Palm Hotel |
| Missouri State Capitol |
| |
| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| Blog: The Origins of Duncan and Brady (10/06/08) |
| Blog: Frankie and Johnny Were Sweethearts (10/16/08) |
| |
| Available from Amazon.com |
The Rose & the Briar: Death, Love and Liberty in the American Ballad |
The Rose & the Briar: Death, Love and Liberty in the American Ballad |
The Saga of Frankie and Johnny |
The Truth about Frankie and Johnny and Other Legendary Lovers who Stalked the American Scene |
| |
