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Police marked Colt, sordid history of owner
Guns International #: 100899263 Seller's Inventory #:
Category: Colt Revolvers - Police Positive - .38 Special Revolvers
Seller's Information
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Seller: Burnt River Trading Co.
Company: Burnt River Trading Co
Member Since: 5/29/07
State: Oregon
Zip: 97304
Country: United States
Phone: (503) 428-4975
Premium Seller
Seller: FFL Dealer
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
3 day non-firing inspection begins when received by dealer. No returns on lay a ways.
Payment Types Accepted: Certified funds,no COD, no credit cards
Description:
Colt Police Positive, owned by Captain Harry Laukhart of the Dayton Police Dept. Laukhart was fired for taking nude photos of neighbors wife. News article follows.
1918 was not a particu larly good year for the “Inspector of Uniforms,” Capt. Harry Laukhart. Appointed to the force in 1901, the then ser geant star rose when his 1908 “damning” court room testimony against Chief John Whitaker brought down the chief for “conduct unbecom ing an officer.” Capt. John Allaback became the new chief and, in a move that may have been an award for his fearless display in court, Sgt. Laukart was pro moted to number two in command.
According to the Dayton Daily News, Capt. Lauk hart “has always been accounted one of the most competent men of the force” and so “it came as a complete sur prise to everybody in the department” when on July 14, 1918, the Public Safety Director scheduled a hearing against Laukhart for “conduct unbecoming an officer.” The charge had to do with a com plaint made by a woman that Capt. Lauk hart had solicited her to have nude pictures taken in her home.
Two pictures were in deed taken of Mrs. Theresa Paige in a bath tub in her home. The Public Safety Director gave Capt. Laukhart a chance to resign but he refused. He denied guilt and demanded a public hearing but the hearing was scheduled to be held behind closed doors. At a meeting of the patrolmen’s associa tion [a forerunner of the Dayton FOP], “a vote of confidence in the [Captain’s] innocence ... was unanimously sub scribed to by the police men.”
On July 24, 1918, the hearing was held. Capt. Laukhart refused to take the stand at the advice of counsel and it turned out that the “closed hearing” was at the in sistence of Laukhart’s attorney. This “came as a surprise [to the press] in that Laukhart has in sisted from the start that the hearing be pub lic.” Photographic evi dence was kept under “lock and key” but “examined” by the Pub lic Safety Director. Lauk hart was found guilty and fired from the force.
In August 1918, an ap peal hearing was held before the Civil Service Commission but the dis missal was affirmed. It was during this hearing that the name of the woman was first re vealed. The Civil Service Commission learned that the woman who made the complaint was married as was Capt. Laukhart himself ... and both lived on Anderson Street. Civil Service also learned that the com plaint was made after the husband of the woman discovered the pictures.
Assistant Chief Lauk hart’s termination from employment for taking the two photos was up held despite the consen sual nature because it was “during the absence and without the consent of her husband....” Inde cency came at substan tial professional conse quence in those days. The irony is that the man who took down Chief Whitaker was also fired for “conduct unbe coming an officer and gentleman and subver sive to the good disci pline of the police force...
The Colt is priced at $560 including shipping, C&R ok, no credit cards and no trades.
SOLD
Curio/Relic: Yes