Age: 24
Served: Almost 1 year
August 10, 1906 to July 29, 1907
OFFICER
Carl was born October 17, 1882 in Germany to Carl and Bertha (Benson) Hauck. His brother, William Hauck, and mother emigrated to the United States in 1885 and Carl (probably with another family member) in 1886. They settled in Cincinnati at 2358 Cummins Street. During 1900, Carl was 17 and working as a painter.
On August 10, 1906, Carl joined the Cincinnati Police Department as a Substitute Patrolman. He was promoted to Patrolman on February 25, 1907. By July 1907, Patrolman Hauck was single and living at 2547 Circle Avenue in North Fairmount.
MURDERER
Peter Joseph Dugan
Dugan was born in 1881 and, by 1904, was living at 1017 Richmond Street. He sometimes worked as a metalworker and was member of the West End Gang – a gang which was already responsible for the Death of Detective Robert Moran and which had to some degree or another terrorized the West End for more than a decade.
Dugan already had a long history of robbery and theft but was usually not prosecuted because the victims were intimidated. During 1904, he struck a Queen City Coal Company Collector over the head with a pick handle that had a large iron nut on the end. The collector kept hold of the pouch while Dugan continued to beat him over his knuckles and head. When he finally released it, citizens caught up with Dugan and held him until police arrived. At the time, it was considered one of the most daring robberies committed by a highwayman in Cincinnati. He was eventually sentenced to serve 5 years in prison. Little more than two years later, over the strenuous objections of the Cincinnati Police Department, the Board of Pardons released Dugan back to the streets of Cincinnati – and back to the West End Gang.
Edward “Kid” Dolan
Dolan was another well-known criminal. He had gone to prison in Kentucky for picking pockets and then in Ohio for burglarizing Senator J. J. McMakin’s room in Hamilton; then again for a robbery. He was released on July 12, 1907 and returned to Cincinnati – and the West End Gang.
During June and July 1907, the West End Gang had been annoying the residents of the West End for weeks, daring the police to do anything about it, and telling all that would listen that they would kill any patrolman that did. Dugan was their leader.
INCIDENT
While walking the beat on the night of Monday, July 29, 1907, knowing the gang’s activities and bravado had reached an apex, Patrolman Hauck only half-joked with Detective Joseph Schaefer when he asked him to take a trip around the beat with him. Schaefer replied that he was sorry and that he had to get home. After he jumped aboard a streetcar, Patrolman Hauck, smiling, shouted after him, “You’ll be sorry alright!”
Soon after, Patrolman Hauck was alerted by a citizen to the gang loitering in an alley off Harriett Street (now Dalton Avenue) between 8th and 9th Streets, drinking beer by the bucketful. Patrolman Hauck told them to disperse. An argument ensued and Dugan and Dolan (at a minimum) attacked the officer. Dugan grabbed his night stick and arm. Dolan, from behind Dugan, fired four bullets at and into Patrolman Hauck’s right breast and the left side of his jaw. Patrolman Hauck was able to fire one shot in return which, initially, was thought to have taken no effect, but later determined that Dugan, and maybe Dolan, suffered flesh wounds. One of the shots fired by Dolan hit an innocent bystander, Edward Eichler, in the left leg.
Eichler and Patrolman Hauck were taken to Cincinnati Hospital.
DEATH
Patrolman Hauck died ten minutes after arrival.
Patrolman Hauck was survived by his mother, Bertha (Benson) Hauck; brother, William Hauck; and brothers-in-law, Cincinnati Detective Lou Bell and Patrolman Charles Bell. He was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery on August 1, 1907, at 4 p.m.
INVESTIGATION
Dugan was recognized as he and three companions were chased by citizens to the Ohio River where they boarded a boat and escaped. Later, it was determined, that Dolan was probably one of the three. Dugan was spotted again aboard a southbound railroad freight car in Erlanger and was booted off by the Conductor. Dugan, and maybe Dolan, returned to Cincinnati the next day.
On July 31, 1907, about dinner time, off-duty Patrolman Allen Moore was in his home with his family at 3531 Southside Avenue in Riverside. His wife noticed their neighbor, Mrs. Cliff Coleman, leaving her home and walking down to the riverbank. Knowing of the manhunt and that Mrs. Coleman was Dugan’s sister, she remarked to her husband, “I’ll bet a dollar to a doughnut that Pete Dugan is down there.”
Patrolman Moore surveilled the area for a while and then, grabbing his revolver, sauntered down to the bank. He found Dugan and his sister there. Mrs. Coleman saw the officer, warned Dugan, and Dugan took off running toward Reeder Street and up toward Southside. As he reached Southside, he went toward a streetcar, but thought better of it, turned with his hands up, and said, “All right, Moore. I’d just as soon give myself up to you as anyone else.
Dugan was taken before Police Chief Millikin, Chief of Detectives Crawford, Inspectors Casey and Carroll, and Night Chief Corbin. He was wounded in the arm. He admitted wresting with the officer, but stated that “Kid” Dolan shot Patrolman Hauck. He also asserted that one of the shots went through his arm. He was charged with Murder.
Dugan was arraigned in Police Court on August 5, 1907. Four of those in the alley with him that night also went before the judge charged with Disorderly Conduct; Tom Welsh, Steve McGinness, Oliver Spencer, and Richard Conners. All five cases were continued to August 14th. John Fitzpatrick had also been rounded up, but released.
After days of rumors that the gang would strike again as revenge for locking up their members, on the afternoon of August 5, 1907, about 3 p.m., Patrolman Harry Morton was told of loiterers in the lumber yard at Flint Street and McClean Avenue. He ventured in and found the gang (minus Dolan and the five still locked up). A new arrival to the gang, known only as “J.J.” from Pittsburgh, pulled a revolver and shot at, but missed, the officer. Patrolman Morton returned fire. Detectives Ball and Schaefer were nearby and engaged in the pursuit of the thugs, also firing shots. Four gang members were apprehended on the C. C. and L. Railroad trestle in the Millcreek bottoms; William “Humpty” Homer (20), William Lindemann (17), William Dehne (19), and John Dewire (18). Finn McGinness and J.J. escaped on a train to Chicago. Dewire was also a new arrival from Chicago.
It is possible Dolan was one of those assembled, chased, and escaped again. On August 9, 1907, he was spotted in Ludlow with a wound to his hand trying to come up with sufficient cash to leave the city. Later in the day he visited Dr. Herdon in Ludlow for treatment of the wound which he claimed was caused by a .38 caliber revolver. It was unknown if he received this wound during the incident involving Patrolman Hauck or if he was shot by Patrolman Morton or the detectives.
After traveling through most of the southern and western states, Dolan returned to Cincinnati and was apprehended by Patrolman Minor after shooting, beating, and robbing George Rahe at his saloon at 4th and Smith Streets on January 19, 1908. Only a suspender button saved Rahe from almost certain death because the bullet was deflected away from vital organs. During interrogation, Dolan admitted being in the alley the night Patrolman Hauck was killed, but denied shooting him.
JUSTICE
Both Dolan and Dugan (again) were arraigned for the murder of Patrolman Hauck and Dolan additionally for shooting and robbing Rahe. One-time best friends, Dolan and Dugan were now mortal enemies because Dugan “ratted” out Dolan. On February 28, 1908, the Grand Jury indicted Dolan for 2nd Degree Murder. For Dugan, this was the third grand jury that failed to indict him. He was set free.
On April 8, 1908, Dolan pleaded guilty to Assault to Rob George Rahe. He was sentenced to 12 years. Due to “insufficient evidence,” he also was not tried for Patrolman Hauck’s murder.
EPILOGUE
Seven months later, on November 25, 1908, Dugan was indicted for robbing a brewery collector. He was found guilty and on December 12, 1908 sentenced to 12 years. He was released to Akron by the Board of Pardons during April 1917 after serving 7 years. His criminal adventures are unknown after that, but he died in Cincinnati in 1955 at the age of 65.
Less than 2 years into his 12-year robbery sentence, Dolan applied to the Board of Pardons for amnesty. It was probably denied, but during April 1915, having served little more than half his sentence, his term was commuted. After four prison terms for theft and violent crime and the full knowledge that he killed Patrolman Hauck, none could be surprised that he returned to his violent ways and was back in prison for robbery in 1921 – this time for a supposed 15 years.
The West End Gang was largely an outgrowth of the Irish gang(s) which never got a foothold east of downtown Cincinnati. Their reign was longer lived in the West End, and more inclusive of other nationalities, but still short lived by most gang standards. For some reason gangs tend to fester in the West End, including up to 2003 when the Tot Lot Posse was finally taken down. Gangs never achieve the prominence or symbiosis in Cincinnati as they do have or do in every other major American (if not world) city, but attempts at organization have been a nagging nuisance since the early 1800s. The lack of prosecution and punishment has also persisted throughout.
If you have any information, artifacts, archives, or images regarding this officer or incident, please contact the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum at Memorial@Police-Museum.org.
This narrative was researched and revised on July 18, 2017 by Cincinnati Police Lieutenant Stephen R. Kramer (Retired), Greater Cincinnati Police Museum Director. All rights are reserved to him and the Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society.