CHIEF O'LEARY A FIXTURE IN CITY LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR 60 YEARS

Below at left, Police Chief O'Leary is pictured in his office on the 55th anniversary of service to the City of Sidney.  January 18, 1949.

   

When senseless acts of violence grab the headlines, the reaction by our legislators is to consider the passage of more legislation - both to make penalties stiffer, and to hire more police to make safe the streets of our towns. Although more police officers might be one answer to the problem, many Sidney residents would respond that if all towns had a police chief like William O'Leary, then no additional officers would be needed. This is his story.

Chief William O'Leary served Sidney as a police officer for over 60 years until his death in 1953. He was the police chief in excess of 50 years. "Chief," as everyone used to call him, was born in Franklin Township in 1870. He first worked as a blacksmith apprentice for the Conner Blacksmith shop. It was located just north of the courtsquare. At well over six feet tall and 220 pounds, "Will" O'Leary, as he was known in his youth, was a commanding figure.

With his size and natural strength, O'Leary was attracted to boxing early in life. Bare-fisted "prize fighting" was common on the streets of Sidney and most other small towns in the 1880's. Fighters from Wapak, Lima, Troy and Piqua would journey here regularly. Before the advent of high school football and basketball, boxing was a popular local sport. Many fight cards in those days bore the name of Will O'Leary.

When he started his career as a policeman in 1893, he was both well known and respected because of his pugilistic skills. That reputation, combined with his knowledge of Sidney and its citizens, made him a natural law man. Patrolling by foot over what were mostly unpaved streets with no street lights presented quite a challenge in the early days to the Chief.

[ Back ]  [ Next ]  [ Up ]  [ New Search ]