Detective Paul Gottfried

End of Watch : August 3, 1919

DETECTIVE PAUL GOTTFRIED
St. Paul PD
Died August 3, 1919

On Saturday, August 2, St. Paul Officers John McKinley, Stanley Cassidy, Paul Gottfried and Secret Service Agent Walter Rowan went to the Minneapolis residence of James Hogan, a suspected counterfeiter, to serve a search warrant. Detectives McKinley and Cassidy went to the back door and James Hogan looked out the glass square, smiled and asked them to go to the front. Rowan and Gottfried entered the front door with the search warrant. Mrs. Hogan and her 18-year-old daughter, who had been sitting on the couch, jumped up, screamed and grabbed the officers as they went toward the kitchen, ripping Agent Rowan's shirt and tearing off his collar. Rowan drew his revolver and ordered them into the corner. Meanwhile, Gottfried walked into the kitchen where Hogan started to fire at him. Hearing the gunshots, Rowan rushed into the kitchen and found Gottfried and Hogan wrestling for the gun. Gottfried held Hogan's right wrist as he fired a Luger. He was also holding Hogan's left hand, which held an extra clip. During the gunfight, one bullet passed Cassidy's ear and Gottfried was shot four times while wrestling with Hogan.

Harry Hogan had been at his home a short distance away when detectives were serving the search warrant on his father's home. He heard the battle and ran over with his gun. His father told him to run, which he did. Rowan fired one shot at Harry as he ran and one at James, hitting him as he was taking aim on the officer. James was hit twice-one bullet went in the shoulder and out in the groin and the second bullet struck his leg. He later died. Harry ran out a rear door and Rowan went around another way, but lost sight of him. Cassidy had taken cover behind a tree at the back of the house. McKinley pursued Harry, but went back to tend to Gottfried. A neighbor then chased and caught Harry despite being shot twice.

In his deathbed statement, Gottfried claimed that James Hogan shot him, but the evidence proved otherwise. Gottfried was killed by a .38 caliber. The bullet that killed Hogan was a .22.20. Hogan had two guns in his hands when killed; one a luger and the other a Mauser. Harry's gun had two shells gone which supported both Gottfried's and the neighbor's statements that Harry wasn't present during the shooting. Both Cassidy and Rowan claimed the younger Hogan was in the house at the time of the shooting.

Harry Hogan was taken to the Hennepin County Jail. Mrs. Hogan and her daughter, Josephine, were held in the county jail for federal authorities. Thomas Hogan (relationship unknown) had been arrested prior to the search warrant with 25 counterfeit dollars.

Officer Gottfried's funeral was held at the Masonic Temple. He was buried at Oakland Cemetery.

Sourced from: The book "We Will Remember"
With permission from Lisa Lovering, Author and Board of Director
MN Law Enforcement Memorial Association
L.E.M.A. 2009

John Francis Young

Anton Gaetz