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He
worked first for the railroad and then in the lumber yards before
joining the police force in 1873. In his first month on the beat,
O’Neill was shot in the back by a notorious named John Bridges.
With the bullet lodged near his spine (where it would remain for
the rest of his life), Francis chased Bridges down and arrested
him. It was a legendary beginning to a courageous and brilliant
career that included several promotions. Throughout each assignment,
O’Neill earned a reputation for being very honest, as well
as brutally uncooperative with local ward politicians seeking favors.
As
a result of his hard work and fine character, Francis O’Neill
was appointed to the highest rank of General Superintendent or Chief
of Police in April, 1901 by then Chicago Mayor Carter Harrison,
Jr. “Chiefly” responsible for 3,300 officers (2,000 of
them being Irish), and policing the largest and most violent city
in the United States, O’Neill was quite effective at driving
out corruption on the force, cracking down on gambling and prostitution,
and holding his own against the powerful meat-packing companies
during the Stockyards Strike of 1902. In 1901, a newspaper article
reported that three of the city’s most dangerous thieves voluntarily
left Chicago by train because “this town is too tough (for)
graft…while O’ Neill is Chief of Police.” |
