Where two history buffs go far beyond the Freedom Trail to share our favorite stories from the history of Boston, the hub of the universe.
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A Shooting at the State House (episode 209)
From our viewpoint in modern Massachusetts, with stringent gun licensing and background check laws, it’s hard to imagine how a young man with an extensive criminal record who had been involuntarily committed to multiple mental health institutions could walk into a store and walk back out with a shiny new handgun. And from a post-9/11 point of view, with security at the forefront of every public space, it’s hard to imagine how an uninvited visitor could walk right into the governor’s State House office and open fire. But on December 5, 1907, that's exactly what happened, when a disturbed man with a gun and a grudge decided to pay a visit to our seat of government.
Please check out the transcript and full show notes at: http://HUBhistory.com/209/
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\ A Shooting at the State House- I first heard about this shooting from a 2007 Commonwealth Magazine article by James V Horrigan.
- Boston Globe articles (paywalled)
- Dec 6, 1907: Initial reports of the shooting, background on Steele’s actions, diagram, details on Steele’s military service and mental health history
- Dec 6, 1907 (evening): Steele’s statement at his arraignment
- Dec 7, 1907: Cohen dies, Driscoll is improving, labor organizations react
- Dec 7, 1907 (evening): Steele indicted, Honey Fitz offers to have Cohen lie in state at City Hall
- Dec 9, 1907: Cohen lies in state at Wells Hall
- Dec 10, 1907: Driscoll is awake, knows it’s election day
- Dec 13, 1907: Steele is arraigned for murder, case moved to superior court
- Jan 11, 1908: “Alienists” find Steele incurably insane
- Jan 11, 1908 (evening): “Alienists” find Steele incurably insane
- Jan 15, 1908 (evening): Steele committed to Bridgewater State Hospital
- Feb 6, 1908: Governor Guild’s report on why Steele was released
- Feb 29, 1908: Driscoll visits the State House
- Aug 12, 1905: John A Steele arrested
- May 23, 1925: Dennis Driscoll’s obituary
- Jun 2, 1931: Arthur Huddell dies after being involved in another shooting
- Aug 29, 1999: Advocating for a plaque at the State House
- Sep 22, 2009: Plaque unveiled
- Wire service stories
- Includes details on Steele’s prior institutionalization
- Includes details on how Steele was subdued
- Steele’s statement at his arraignment
- An advertisement for William Read & Sons sporting goods, where Steele purchased his revolver
- An advertisement for Iver Johnson, where Steele sought a second opinion about his revolver
- Board of Prison Commissioners 1908 annual report