The “Prohibition Era” was well underway on October 21, 1925. A small group of Santa Fe Railroad employees had just gotten their pay and met at the Wassonia Hotel in Rome, Illinois for a bit of fun along with a bit of rum to “liven up” the party. There was no doubt that serving the patrons of the bar and restaurant of the hotel alcohol was in violation of the 18th Amendment. The US Treasury Department had established the enforcement arm of the Federal Government. Those officers were soon dubbed “Dry Cops” and or “Revenuer.” Boot-legging was a common practice where enterprising people manufactured alcoholic liquor in hidden stills and sold it to anyone who wanted it in violation of the law. The term “bootlegger” derives from the practice of smugglers hiding bottles of whiskey in their boots during the 1800s.

One of the most solid industries in the USA during this period was railroads. Railroads crisscrossed the country like earthworms after a heavy spring rain. Chillicothe had had two: the famous Rock Island RR (C.R.I.P.) in 1854 and the newcomer Atcheson Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) in 1887. The Santa Fe had established Chillicothe as a crew change point between Chicago and Fort Madison, Iowa thus bringing many of their employees and families to live in the city. The financial impact upon the local economy was considerable. The US Department of Labor provides a look at the figures for wages paid to railroad employees during this period. For 1926 on a passenger train, a conductor earned $2,953 annually, an engineer $3,200, brakemen and flagmen $2,008. On a forty-hour week, the pay ranged from $56.70 for conductor down to $38.62 for brakemen and flagmen. You might think that was peanuts but compare that to the 20 to 50 cents per hour for most other labor workers on a 53.5-hour week. That weekly income range was $10.70 to $26.75. Each of these wages could have modifying variables based on contract wording and longevity of employment. Railroad employees earned between 2 and 3.5 times more than the average worker in most other industries. As this story unfolds, keep the above figures in mind to help you envision the circumstances that existed at the Wassonia Hotel that October day in 1925. 

There are six principal players in this “true crime” story. The bartender of the Wassonia Hotel George W. Smith, 40, Hotel Proprietor Pascal Cornelius, 29, ATSF RR Engineers John Tobin, 30, and Fred Santry, 32, Mary Ann Hatch 28, and Attorney John E. Dougherty, 34. 

The event began early on the afternoon of October 21st when Tobin and Santry and a third unidentified railroad employee were partying in the barroom of the Wassonia. Proprietor Pascal was in the ballroom and bar while George Smith was serving the railroaders. Mary Hatch, from Peoria, was at the hotel trying to sell a fuel oil furnace to Pascal. As the party carried on, Hatch came into the barroom just as Tobin waved a large wad of money in his hand, it must have been a payday. Hatch teased him with a comment about taking him to Peoria. Santry overheard the comment, grabbed the money from Tobin, and gave it to Pascal for safekeeping. A few minutes later, Tobin, clearly intoxicated, began searching for his money and asked Hatch where it was. She simply nodded towards Santry who instantly became angry and slapped Hatch across the face, knocking her glasses to the floor. Santry then lunged at her. Hatch dodged and ran as Santry chased after her. Hatch ran through the kitchen which, was behind the bar, into a hallway and up the stairs to the second floor. 

As Santry followed Hatch through the kitchen, he picked up a butcher knife. Just as Santry exited the kitchen, he crashed into bartender Smith who had just come out of the basement where he had stoked the furnace. Santry crashed into Smith, spearing Smith in the abdomen. That stopped Santry’s pursuit of Mary Hatch. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hatch entered a room and climbed onto the first-floor porch roof and then dropped to the ground. She ran to the L. A. Lawson general store and called her husband and the Peoria County Sheriff. An ambulance was called and took Smith to the hospital. All three railroaders fled the scene. Smith was treated for his wound but died at the hospital four days later. 

Join the Chillicothe Historical Society to learn many points of Chillicothe area history each Sunday 1–4pm.