In the early hours of this date back in 1931, brothers Harry and William Goebel were sitting in the rear room of the St. Louis saloon where Harry worked as a bartender speaking with two women. At the bar sat a few customers and the owner.
The women, Bessie Lynam and Dorothy Evans, were not unfamiliar with the underworld. Both had been arrested for shoplifting and Bessie was the widow of John "Duke" Lynam an underworld character with ties to the Cuckoo gang. Dorothy, also a widow, was the former wife of gunman "Polander" Mike Marchlewski, whom she killed in 1922 after he beat her.
The Goebel brothers also had ties to gangland. Their brother Dewey was a former Cuckoo gang member who turned on his own gang and ended up dying in a hail of bullets the previous November. William was also acquitted of murder after it was determine that he acted in self defense.
Bessie Lynam had stopped in to see Harry and brought along Evans. While Harry and Bessie sat at one table talking, William Goebel sat at another speaking with Dorothy. At roughly 2 am, there was a knock on the front door. William went to the door and saw three men outside. He asked what they wanted.
"Open up!" a man demanded.
Assuming that they were detectives, he opened the door. With guns drawn, the three men pushed their way in and yelled, "Stick 'em up!" William dove behind the bar while the others raised their hands.
Ignoring the men at the bar, the trio went to the rear room and opened fire on William and the the two women. They then exited out of the rear door.
Bessie Lynam was shot in the breast and died right away. Dorothy Evans was hit in the stomach and died about an hour later. William Goebel, who was probably the main target, was hit twice in the head but managed to live two days before succumbing to his wounds.
Bessie Lynam Dorothy Evans William Goebels
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