The Fighting Parson: The Life of Reverend Leslie Spracklin (Canada’s Eliot Ness)

by Rose Keefe

★★★ Some ministers preach...some get locked and loaded ★★★
Reverend Spracklin was a gangster’s worst nightmare. Known to the press and public as the ‘Fighting Parson’, he and his handpicked squad of dry agents burst into the roadhouses of Essex County with pistols drawn and fists clenched.
They chased liquor-laden vehicles through dark city streets and along rough country roads, and intercepted rumrunners on the Detroit River in their high-powered speedboat, the Panther II.
The minister went, often alone, into the most dangerous nightspots of 1920s Windsor, and responded to opposition by punching, not preaching.
He thought nothing of carrying around a stack of blank search warrants and filling them out himself as needed. He could not be scared or bought, and he survived one assassination attempt after another. It was only when a roadhouse owner who also happened to be a long-time enemy died at his hands that the campaign was finally stopped.
His life is told in this short book.

141 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2014

About the author

Rose Keefe is the author of three vintage True Crime books. Guns and Roses- the Untold Story of Dean O'Banion, Chicago's Big Shot Before Al Capone and The Man Who Got Away: the Bugs Moran Story were based on interviews with surviving relatives of Dean O'Banion and George 'Bugs' Moran as well as such primary resources as arrest records, FBI files, and confidential investigator reports. As part of her research for her third book, The Starker: Big Jack Zelig and the Becker-Rosenthal Case of 1912, she interviewed the descendants of Jack Zelig, Charles Becker, Dopey Benny Fein, and Abe Shoenfeld. She is currently at work on the biography of Dopey Benny Fein, New York's first real labor racketeer.

Rose has written on the subject of vintage crime and cold case files for national and regional periodicals, and is a frequent guest on radio and television programmes dealing with America's criminal past.

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series that this book is a part of. If you enjoy history then grab this book and the series as it not only educates about the person but also about the time that person lived. This book has a lot of well researched information in it and that makes it a great book to read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhonda Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of Reverend Leslie Spracklin before this reading. The book was extremely informative about the man's life and certainly shows how times have changed, both by outlaws and law enforcement. It certainly was an eye-opener for my grandsons.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an intriguing read. I found it quite interesting. I received a free copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

[Debbie Benson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. While it is understandable why Reverend Spracklin was about stamping out liquor sales and running after his brother was killed by a hunter under the influence, perhaps he was too gung ho. The shooting of Beverly Trumble who he seemed to have a feud with destroyed Spracklin despite being acquitted in Canada. A good portion of the book was as a result of this shooting. Whether he was right or not depends on where your sympathies lie on the prohibition issue and whether you believe that Spracklin's licence gave him the right to carry a gun and use it. It is the type of issue that still exists in general to today even without the factor of the prohibition.

[tburbr · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This was an interesting read about a man that I had never heard of prior to reading this. There were a lot of seemingly good facts and was an enjoyable read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.