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.
Slain Detective April 19th, 1924
Over a ten day span a series of
robberies happened throughout Flint.
The police department was clueless.
They had no idea who was committing the robberies. Finally their luck changed.
A woman stopped by the police department who claimed to have overheard a couple
men talking about robbing George Yats, the owner of a poolroom on Asylum
Street. The plan was to rob George when he returned to his home on Jane Street
when he got out of his car to open his garage door.
The police quickly met with
George and devised a plan to capture the bandits. George felt he was too old to
participate in the plan. He did not want to go along with it. Detective Matthew
Hauer then altered the plan his superior Detective Pelton had outlined. Detective
Hauer decided to dress like George Yats, drive his car, and take his place opening
the garage. Against his better judgement, Detective Pelton finally agreed to
the plan.
That evening, Detective Hauer got
into George Yets’s coupe and headed for the house on Jane Street where his
fellow officers were waiting.
The plan started going sideways when
Detective Hauer noticed one of the bandits approaching. Hauer put the brakes on
before pulling in front of the garage, jumped out of the coupe and started
chasing the bandit. Detective Archer was hiding in a nearby bush and joined the
chase.
The two detectives chased the bandit
for almost two blocks. Archer was faster than Hauer and caught up with the
bandit first. He grabbed the robber’s jacket and the two scuffled for a couple
minutes before the bandit broke lose because Archer tripped. Detective Hauer
arrived just after the thief broke free.
Hauer and the bandit both drew
their guns and fired.
Hauer’s bullets all missed the
thief and he was shot in the head. The bandit took off running again.
Back up arrived quickly. Detective
Archer chased the bandit until he lost sight of him around Olive Street.
Hauer was taken to the hospital. Knowing
Hauer was a member of the Catholic Church, the doctor requested a priest read last
rights before the operation. After the operation, Hauer was moved to a private
room where he died right after his family arrived.
Many men were arrested and taken
in for questioning. The police force spent many days investigating the
detective’s death with minimal leads. Finally they got a break when the name Charles
Wilson was given to them. Wilson was a known gang member with long police
record.
The police took him in for
questioning and arrested him for detective Hauer’s murder.
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