Allen Moore

 

 

 

• Cincinnati Police Department Patrolman
• Top Regional Marksman

 

Allen was born October 16, 1871 in Boone County, Kentucky. As a child living on the Ohio River, as soon as he was old enough to swing a hammer, he built a skiff and piloted it on the river. He built and used several more after that.

On January 5, 1894, three men of good reputation nominated him for the position of Substitute Patrolman on the Cincinnati Police Department. The Board of Public Safety approved the appointment on January 12th. On May 10, 1898, he was nominated for Patrolman and approved on May 17th. We believe he was assigned to the First District (in City Hall).

Within five years, he had become one of the top marksmen in the Police Department. On September 24, 1903, thirty people competed for the honor being one of seven men to compete at an exhibition at the Annual Inspection on October 3rd. The challenge was to shoot 6 shots in 5 seconds from 20 yards. Patrolman Moore shot the highest score of 57 out of 60. Sergeant Charles Palmer and Patrolman John Muhle tied for second at 54. In slow shooting, the same men finished in the same order with scores of 58, 57, and 56, respectively. At the exhibition, Patrolman Moore won again and earned a gold medal. Patrolmen Muhle and William Moore, Allen’s brother, earned silver medals.

On November 3, 1903, 57 patrolmen competed for medals commissioned by Chief Millikin. Sergeant Charles Palmer finished first with a 57. Patrolmen Jake Sterley and Moore tied for second with a 53. Patrolman Muhle and William Moore tied for fourth, each with a 48. It would be the last time Patrolman Moore would finish second for years.

Sergeant Palmer also had a working relationship with Patrolman Moore on duty. On November 9, 1903, Palmer, Moore, and two other patrolmen raided a business at 335 West 6th Street.

By March 14, 1904, the Cincinnati Enquirer recognized Sergeant Palmer and Patrolman Moore as holding the record in public shooting exhibitions.

In addition to notable law enforcement and great marksmanship, Patrolman Moore was recognized as a shipwright. After building a series of skiffs and other boats, in 1904, he built a 20-foot launch with a 3½ horsepower motor. It was such a work of art that Cincinnati Police Sergeant Eubanks offered a sufficient sum to cause Patrolman Moore to immediately sell it.

On September 14, 1905, Patrolman Moore won a newly commissioned Millikin Medal, shooting a score at the City Hall Target Range of 190 out of a possible 200. Sergeant Palmer and Inspector Carroll tied for second, each with a 184. Patrolman Curlis shot a 182. The medal was intended to be issued every two months to the top shooter at each shoot. If any officer won three consecutive shoots, that officer would keep the medal permanently. The next shoot was held three months later, and he won again with a score of 195.

On February 3, 1906, about the time a third shoot would have been scheduled, Chief Millikin and others formed the Cincinnati Police Revolver Club and elected Patrolman Muhle as president, Sergeant O. O. Williams as Secretary/Treasurer, and Sergeant Fred Haas as Assistant Secretary/Treasurer. At the shoot on that night, Patrolman Moore won again with a terrific score of 198. Major John Carroll finished second with a 193, and Patrolmen Thomas Hughes and C. O. Clark tied for third, each with 190. We assume Patrolman Moore was permanently awarded the Millikin Medal.

At the March 17th shoot, he shot another 198. Major Carroll finished second again with a 191. Patrolman William Gough finished third with a 190.

With a stable of such proficient shooters, Chief Milliken began shopping around for competition with other police departments. On March 30, 1906, they faced the Covington Police Department. Cincinnati’s ten shooters handily won with a score of 1,890 of 2,000 (averaging 189/200). Covington’s marksmen shot a 1,682. Patrolman Moore topped all shooters with a 197 (of 200). Sergeants Williams and Palmer and the second and third highest scores with 195 and 194, respectively. Covington’s three best scores were 186, 181, and 176.

On June 15, 1906, at the Department’s bimonthly shoots, Patrolman Moore missed the shoot due to a late arrest. Major John Carroll and Patrolman Thomas Hughes tied with a 191 and Patrolman Gough shot a 190.

On June 22, 1906, the Cincinnati Police Department successfully put its best seven shooters up against the Norwood Police Department. Moore was one of seven men selected to participate in a competition at the City Hall Target Range between the Cincinnati and Norwood Police Departments. The results were apparently not published by the newspapers.

On August 16, 1906, Patrolman Moore was transferred from the First District to the newly enhanced and prestigious Traffic Squad (also at City Hall).

The Allegheny Police Department had an ace shooter who had overcome competitors in Allegheny and Pittsburgh, building a stellar reputation. He put that reputation up against Patrolman Moore on September 23, 1906 at the City Hall Target Range. This competition consisted of fifty shots at various ranges with a possible score of 500. Moore won the contest 481 to 452.

During the October Police Revolver Club Shoot, Patrolman Moore won with a 195. Patrolman Clark and Major Carroll finished second and third with a 191 and 190. Notably, Chief Millikin was fourth with 189. On December 7th, he narrowly outshot Major Carroll and Patrolman Curlis who both had 148 to Moore’s 149.

On December 20, 1906, the Department’s top 25 shooters, including Patrolman Moore, took on the Saint Louis Police Department. This was done by telegraphing back and forth each man’s score. Cincinnati narrowly won the competition 1,410 to 1,403.

At an annual shoot for a gold medal commissioned by Chief Millikin as the Department champion revolver shot, Patrolman Moore shot one of his best scores ever – 199 of 200 – and won the medal.

In 1906, having sold his 20-foot launch, he built a 26-foot, 12-horsepower launch named the “Big Four.” It was described by one newspaper as “one of the prettiest craft that floats on the Ohio.”

On February 5, 1907, during a Police Revolver Club Shoot, Patrolman Moore won again with a 163. Patrolman Gough and Major Carroll finished second and third with a 147 and 130.

On June 27, 1907, during a great flood in Cincinnati, Patrolman Moore went out early on his launch and worked until late night rescuing flood victims, including six families, and bringing supplies to other families marooned by flood waters. Considered to be the most capable, he was also assigned to pilot a boat with VIPs up and down the flooded Millcreek.

While sitting at his supper table at home on July 30, 1907, Patrolman Moore watched a man come up from the river to a neighbor’s house, then return to the river. Then the woman living at the home went down to the river. He mentioned to his wife, “I’ll bet a dollar to a doughnut that Pete Dugan is down there.” Dugan was widely known to be the prime suspect in the murder of Patrolman Carl Hauck and Moore’s neighbor was Dugan’s sister. Moore left his home with a revolver and no backup. As he approached the two, one of which was Pete Dugan, his sister yelled, “Look out! Here’s a policeman.” Dugan ran and tried to board a streetcar on Southside Avenue, but Moore caught up to him, pistol in hand. Dugan said, “All right, Moore. It’s all up. I would just as soon give myself up to you as anyone else.”

On August 5, 1907, ex-convict Edward Mohn of Covington alighted from the Anderson Ferry to “rob everyone” he met along the way to Delhi. Patrolman Moore, though off duty, had intelligence about Mohn and his intentions, stopped him as he got off the Anderson Ferry, and found on him a concealed .38 caliber revolver.

In April 1908, Chief Millikin designed and ordered the first motorized patrol wagon and, recognizing Moore as an electrical and motorized vehicle expert, determined he would be its first driver. It is not known if, in fact, he drove the first patrol wagon, but he was one of three patrolmen permitted to drive the newly obtained motorized patrol car in June 1909.

On September 26, 1908, the Cincinnati Police Revolver Club 10-man team defeated the Portland, Oregon team 1410 to 1403. This time, Sergeant Palmer topped the Department’s team with a 156. Inspector Carroll scored a 152. Patrolman Moore finished third with a 151.

On December 29th, they competed against the highly reputed Ft. Thomas soldier’s pistol team and won 830 to 779. Patrolman Moore was back on top with a 156 of 200. The highest soldiers’ score was 134.

By 1910, his skills were obviously declining. In the January Police Club Shoot, he finished fourth with a 145. In April 1910, he tied for second with a 156. In May, he finished fourth with a 148. During the National Match Shoots at Camp Perry, Ohio, he finished second behind Sergeant Palmer. But he, and all seven shooters, earned the coveted 80% medal in the 25-yard rapid fire competition.

In 1910, several teams got together and formed the Ohio and Kentucky Revolver League. At their first shoot on December 9th, the Cincinnati Police Team won by a sizeable margin shooting 1072 to 994. Patrolman Curlis was first with a 198 of 200. Patrolman Moore was second with a 190 and Sergeant Williams had a 173.

On March 3, 1911, the Police Revolver Club Shoot was held again. Patrolman Rudolf Ruck finished first with a 189, Patrolman Curlis was second with a 174, and Patrolman Moore was third with a 173. He had been taking a lot of sick time since 1910 and through 1912. It appears that the March 1911 shoot was the last time he was a competitive shooter.

Patrolman Moore retired with a physical disability on February 21, 1918, with 24 years of service to his community. He then took a position as a hotel detective.