Lt Det John E Klein

Lieutenant Detective John E Klein

Lieutenant Detective John E. Klein became a member of the Baltimore Police Department in 1899 as a Probationary Patrolman by 1901 he was promoted to Patrolman (Number 10 on a list of near 50 Officers, with a score of 94.5 on his test)

Lieut. John E. Klein, died at age 66, he lived in Arnold, Anne Arundel county, and was by this time retired from  the Baltimore Police Department's Detective bureau, he passed away from an illness he had for only two months. He was the son of John L. Klein, also of this city, and the late Katherine E. Klein. John became a probationary patrolman in 1899. Five years later he was made Sergeant in which capacity he served until he was named to the Detective bureau as a lieutenant in 1921. He continued to work as a plain clothes man up until his retirement in August, 1926. He made his home with his sister, Miss Minnie Klein, in Arnold. Beside his father, he was survived by two sisters Misses Minnie and Lillian Klein, and a brother, Charles F. Klein. Funeral services were held at the chapel, Eutaw Place and Lanvale street, on Saturday at 2 P. M. Interment was in Loudon Park Cemetery, During his career he was involved in capturing the men responsible for the double murder of Vincent Montealto and Jacob Goodle, Jacob was 65 when he was murdered in his bed, by a man with a hatchet. Det. Klein worked with Det William Jenkins and Sgt William Burns to identify a suspect using the newly founded fingerprint labs in Baltimore... they photographed the fingerprints, Things hadn't changed much over the years, for the first police on the scene used the murder weapon to hammer closed a window that used to gain entry into Goodle's room. Witnesses said Goodle had company earlier in the night a L. Brody of 732 S Charles St. He left, but was seen to return around 9:30 PM by Mrs Anders who said shortly after Brody's return, she heard pottering about his room. The suspect was arrested and convicted. In an unrelated Case involving the theft of nearly $1000.00 that was taken during the murder of William B Norris, when he was robbed of his payroll safe deposit box by a gang of bandits in 1922 on August the 22nd, the suspects took the money to a Mrs Hart so she could hid the money for them until things cooled over. This murder took place in Baltimore, but led detectives both North and South of the city, as North as New York, and as far south as Washington Dc. but they got their suspects, when Detectives Cooney, Mintiens and Klein recovered the money in Washington Dc with one suspect and then two more suspect in New York.. In 1921 Det Klein would receive two Awards for his cases, his ability to get confessions, and close cases. In 1922 Lt Det Klein would receive two more awards, and in 1924, he would receive two more awards... There were times when he and his partners would rack up 6 awards or more in a year, they seemed to put down cases, between fingerprint hits and confessions, they knew how to close cases.. never leaving a stone upturned, in cases where it seemed nothing would turn up as for evidence, they would do door to door and talk to everyone until they found a witness that either saw something, or would point them in the right direction. Lieutenant Detective John Klein retired in August of 1926 with more than 11 official commendation. One of his favorite tools as a detective, the Black Jack/Slap Jack, easily slips into the pocket and can be used to bring down a murderer without having to kill him.

NOTICE

How to Dispose of Old Police Items

If you come into possession of Police items from an Estate or Death of a Police Officer Family Member and do not know how to properly dispose of these items please contact: Retired Detective Ken Driscoll - Please dispose of POLICE Items: Badges, Guns, Uniforms, Documents, PROPERLY so they won’t be used IMPROPERLY. 

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