Flint is well known for its modern violent crimes but Flint's history is filled with little known stories that read stranger than fiction. Gruesome murders, weird accidents, and violent deaths. Join us every Thursday as Joe Schipani details some of the odd but true deaths he found in Flint's archives.
Confession of a Convict June 28th, 1923
In mid-1923 Earl Hammer was
released from a prison outside of Michigan and decided to head back to Flint.
In May, he arrived in Toledo, purchased
guns, and robbed a garage in town where he stole a car. From there he headed to
Grand Rapid to meet up with some friends. While in Grand Rapids he spent time
robbing gas stations and grocery stores.
Before his departure to Flint, he
abandoned the car he stole in Toledo and stole a nice sedan. Hoping not to get
caught, he put the Ohio plate from the previous car on the sedan.
Once he arrived in Flint he went
on a robbery spree. He hit Crescent Sporting Goods store on Detroit Street,
where he attacked the owner with a baseball bat; Abaham-Foss sporting goods
store on South Saginaw Street; a gas station on South Saginaw Street, where he
left with fifty dollars; another gas station on Beach Street, escaping with
sixty dollars; and Hubbard Hardware Co. on South Saginaw Street.
Worried about getting caught, he
left Flint for the day and drove to Saginaw to rob another gas station.
That night when he arrived back
in Flint a motorcycle cop, Patrolman Hudson, noticed him speeding on Saginaw
Street near Fourth Avenue.
Knowing he had a lot of stolen
money and guns in his car Earl quickly turned on to Fourth Avenue and kept
turning on different streets trying to lose Hudson.
The chase went on for some time.
Finally Hudson caught up with Earl
on Richfield Road. As Patrolman Hudson was going to cut him off, Earl pulled
out his gun and shot the patrolman three times. One of the shots killed him
instantly. Earl sped off while Patrolman Hudson’s motorcycle crashed and
rolled.
Patrolman Hudson was soon found
by a reporter from the Flint Journal who saw Earl’s car drive away from the
scene.
They gave a description of sedan
to the police which helped them locate it at a boarding house on Stevens
Street.
Detective Bishop slowly
approached the while several officers surrounded it to make sure he didn’t
escape. When he knocked on Earl’s door, he heard another officer yell that he
was trying to escape out a second story window in his room.
Hearing this, Bishop broke down
the door to Earl’s room. Earl quickly grabbed his gun. They struggled. Bishop
was able to divert Earl’s shots. After a long struggle, Earl regained
possession of his gun, but before he could shoot, Bishop got his own gun out of
the holster and shot Earl three times. One of the bullets severed Earl’s spinal
cord leaving him fatally wounded.
Earl was rushed to Hurley hospital
where the doctors said nothing could be done for him.
Earl accepted his fate and asked
the doctor to get a Clergyman, because he wanted to die like a man even though
he did not live like one.
He then proceeded to confess
everything to the Clergyman.
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