Billy Geer Baseball Player/Criminal Wanted Poster
 

Hi-

I recently acquired this W H Geer wanted poster from 1897. It is from the Pinkerton Detective Agency and mentions that Geer used to be a professional baseball player. I bought it at an antique show I frequent from a dealer who had purchased a large antique policing collection.

When I bought it I just thought it was very cool to have a wanted poster that mentions the suspect used to be a professional baseball player. I did not realize there was a whole SABR article on him.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/billy-geer/

He was a somewhat decent baseball player but a fairly prolific forger and general fraudster. The above linked article spends much more time on his criminal history (began during his playing days) than his baseball career.

Does anyone have any other items related to Geer they can post? Or, any other crime related baseball material?

Alan

That is fantastic!

“good conversationalist, dresses neatly” :p

You want baseball and true crime?

Bad check cashing?
Stolen cars?
Japanese Aggression?
Escaped Convicts?
Outlaw Baseball in Arizona?
Old Shanghai?
Crooked US Marshalls?
Bad Checks?
Illegal Slot Machines?

Check out these two related articles I did:

#1 Roy Counts: Crime, Punishment & Outsider Baseball

#2 Jack Riley: The last season of the Shanghai City League

Thank you guys! Gary, great articles on those two players/criminals! Have you seen any memorabilia related to either league? I assume something might have survived from the Copper League given that it was in Arizona.

Alan

Gary’s stories are great! I highly recommend his books.