Look Back: Two police chiefs killed on same day in 1918

Today’s date in 1918 was one of the darkest days in Wyoming Valley’s law enforcement history when two police chiefs were gunned down.

“Two police chiefs fall victims to the aim of assassins” was the headline in the Evening News on July 29, 1918, reporting the murders of Ralph Dailey, police chief in West Wyoming, and Edward Brennan, police chief in Wyoming.

“The murders occurred within a short time of each other, Dailey having met his end while trying to break up rowdysim in West Wyoming, and Brennan was killed while trying to apprehend the slayers of Dailey,” the Evening News reported.

A large group of Italians became disorderly at an ice cream stand in the area of West Eighth and Shoemaker streets in West Wyoming.

Dailey, 27, responded and attempted to disperse the crowd placing his hands on an Italian, who shoved him back. Dailey drew his club and was fatally shot.

Brennan, 29, when he heard his friend had been killed two hours earlier, rushed to scene of the shooting and encountered many Italians still around. In his efforts at detaining those in the crowd, Brennan was also fatally gunned down.

“Reports were sent to the headquarters of the state police and within minutes, a squad of troopers were on the scene. Several men were still loitering near the place and they were all taken into custody,” the Evening News reported.

Three men, Lewis Messina, Tony Rizzo and Stefano Martine were charged with the murder of Brennan while Rizzo was charged with killing Dailey. Charges against Messina were later withdrawn when Rizzo gave a confession.

Rizzo’s trial on allegations he fatally shot Dailey began Feb. 18, 1919, the same day he learned Assistant District Attorney Edwin Shortz was pursuing a first-degree murder conviction and the death penalty.

Those willing to testify during Rizzo’s trial told the jury Dailey and another policemen were instructing the large crowd to keep moving as they were blocking a sidewalk. Messina raised his hands that prompted Dailey to strike him with a club when someone in the crowd fired two shots.

No witness identified Rizzo as the gunman during the trial, despite Rizzo’s confession.

“Not guilty,” was the verdict by the jury rendered at 10 p.m. on Feb. 24, 1919.

“Rizzo, the defendant, was in the courtroom at the time and betrayed no emotion during the few tense moments while the verdict was being presented to the court,” the Evening News reported.

Rizzo would tell a reporter for the Evening News he lied in his confession because he feared Messina.

On March 30, 1919, District Attorney Frank P. Slattery withdrew murder charges against Rizzo and Martine for the Brennan fatal shooting.

“District Attorney Slattery asked leave of court to nolle prossee these two cases as he thought it would be a waste of time to put the defendants on trial with the evidence they had to present,” the Times Leader reported March 31, 1919.

Slattery said the evidence was strong but witnesses who were all Italian could not establish the identity of the assassin who killed Brennan.

“Owing to the fact that the Commonwealth had put forth their best efforts in the Daily murder trial, District Attorney Slattery felt emply justified that he could not gain a conviction as the evidence presented would not be strong enough to convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt as to their guilt,” the Times Leader reported.