Hello
A Few Years ago, I was at a Local Gun show and came across the Pre-War Regulation Police revolver shown. It was offered by a vendor at $425.00 and although I was Intrigued with it's engraving on the side Plate, I felt $425.00 was a Little steep for this revolver so I Passed on it. A Buddy of mine happened to have Tables right next to the guy that owned this, and after I left the show they spoke about this revolver and my Buddy Looked at it closer. He explained to the seller that the .32 S&W Long was one of my Favorite calibers and this is when the seller asked him, if I purchased it, did he think I would fire it ? My buddy assured him that is it was safe to shoot I sure would shoot it and take great care of it.


The following day I returned to the show near closing and was visiting my Buddy when the owner of this handed it to me in a Box he had for it, and said "You really need to take this Home with you" I opened the box and saw the revolver and told him I would like it, but it was a little more than I cared to pay for it. He then asked me if $200.00 was too Much ? Not another word was spoken as I reached for my wallet. He explained to me that he had the gun for well over 35 years in storage and it did his heart good to know someone would take such and Interest in it to actually shoot it, so that is why he dropped his price as he had no one else Interested in it during the show and he Just wanted to see it get a good Home.



Once I arrived home, I Goggled The Evansville, Indiana Police Department and once I found their Web Page sent an E-mail asking what they could tell me about their past Police Chief harry Anderson. I was Both shocked and Glad when I received their response. Below is a copy & paste version of the E-mail afforded to me by Desk Sergeant Rick Hubbard. He also asked for my address so he could send along an Official Evansville, Indiana Police Uniform patch and a Tie Tack to Put with Harry's Gun. This by Far, has the Most history trail of any S&W revolver I have ever Purchased and it was the Biggest bang for my Buck being Just $200.00 to Purchase. I have Fired the gun with Light hand Loads and it is scary accurate. I have since retired it into a wall Hung display case and it will be in an upcoming S&WCA Journal as it was on display at the annual meeting this year in Troy, Michigan, where some of the members here may have seen it. If Guns Could Only Talk !! Hammerdown







Here is the historical information on Harry Anderson with the Evansville Police Department. He served as Chief from 1926 to 1928.

If I can be of any other assistance, please let me know.

Sgt.Richard Hubbard

In March 1926, Nolte was hospitalized with a nervous breakdown and voluntarily took a demotion to detective, stepping down as chief in favor of Harry Anderson on March 29, 1926. Nolte continued as a member of the department until his retirement in 1931. Nolte died in 1933. Nolte's 3-month term as chief was the shortest in the history of the police department.

Harry Anderson


Harry Anderson, the 23rd chief of police, was born in Warrick County. He became active in the Republican Party. He joined the department on November 24, 1916. Prior to joining the department, Anderson worked as a bartender. He was promoted to motorcycleman on January 7, 1918. Anderson was a member of the Evansville Police Relief Association committee that published the book "A Souvenir History of the Evansville Police Department" in 1918.


In 1919, Anderson resigned and became a car salesman. In January 1921, County Clerk Frank Grange appointed Anderson a deputy in the county clerk's office. When the Republicans took control of city hall in January 1926 Mayor Herbert Males appointed William Nolte as his choice to replace Democrat-appointed Ira Wiltshire in the chief's position. After 3 months in the chief's office, Nolte suffered a nervous breakdown and took a voluntary demotion to detective. Anderson returned to the police department after an absence of 7 years as Mayor Males's choice to replace Nolte in the chief's position.


Anderson remained Chief of Police for 33 months. The City Council launched impeachment proceedings against Chief Anderson, License Inspector Benjamin Bartlett, and members of the Board of Public Safety in September 1928. In the 1928 county elections, he was elected county clerk. In late December 1928, Anderson submitted his resignation as chief. The text of Chief Anderson's letter of resignation read as follows:


"Honorable Herbert Males and Board of Safety. Having been elected Clerk of the Vanderburgh Circuit Court the past election and as this term of office begins January first, I hereby tender my resignation as superintendent of the police department to take effect January 1, 1929."


Chief of Detectives Edward Sutheimer was appointed to fill the chief's position for the remaining year of Mayor Males' administration

When Anderson resigned, he had served a total of 6 years as a member of the police department. The department's 8-year experiment with a mounted patrol began in 1927 during Chief Anderson's administration. Anderson ran for county clerk again in the election of 1932. The Roosevelt-Democratic landslide of 1932 buried Anderson, like his fellow Republicans. After losing the election, he returned to the trade that he had practiced before joining the police department in 1916, working as a bartender. In 1935, Anderson became a milkman. Later in life, he bought a dairy farm in Warrick County. After failing to make that enterprise profitable, he sold it. Anderson then moved back to Evansville, living at 209 First Avenue. He was appointed a Vanderburgh County deputy sheriff. He served as a guard at the Evansville Waterworks during World War II. In 1945 he moved to 26 East Chandler. He died on December 12, 1946. His wife's name was Bertha and he had one brother whom lived in California.


I learned from this Harry Had a brother in California and I assume the Son of his Brother is who got a hold of his Police revolver and later sold it off to the guy I bought it from.I Dug a Little deeper by contacting The Evnasville, Indiana Public Library, and a woman there sent me the Pictures of Harry below and his Obituary that she tracked down in the old files they had. I have hit a brick wall as far as learning any more about Harry Anderson since then, but hope to hear more in the future from the woman in the Public Library who is still searching for information on him.Below is a Picture of Harry when he was first made Chief of The Evansville, Indiana Police force. He was also in charge of their Motorcycle brigade an experiment they were trying using Motorcycles to answer calls with, as before this, all calls were answered on Bicycles. We have to remember this was around 1926 so I assume the Motorcycles used were either Harley Davidson's or Indian's.The Police department is also shown in the Pictures below and you can see Horses were still used in that time frame. I can't believe just how much harry had done in such a short life span as at the age of 55 Poor Old Harry's Heart gave out and he Passed on

HARRY R. ANDERSON, clerk of the Vanderburg Circuit Court of Vanderburg County, has been firmly established in public confidence, and esteem at Evansville for a number of years, first, as a business man and then as a public official.

Mr. Anderson was born in Pike County, Indiana, October 9, 1892, son of John L. and Louise (Sprinkles) Anderson. His parents were born in Warrick, Indiana, and his father died in 1906 at Evansville and his mother in 1894. Harry R. Anderson spent his active life as a farmer. There were two children besides Harry R. Clarence, born in 1888, a farmer in Warrick County, married Ethel Lawrence, who was born in that county, daughter of Peter Lawrence, a farmer. Eugene Anderson, who died at the age of thirty-one, was acigar maker, and by his marriage to Olivio Cummings left three children, Charles; born in 1909, Mary, born in 1912, and Lena, born in 1911.

Harry R. Anderson attended the grade and high schools at Evansville, and graduated from business college in 1910. After a year of work as clerk in the sales department of the Hercules Buggy Company he went west on account of failing health, spent a year in recuperating,and on returning he was an employee of the Adams Express Company and filled several other positions, as bookkeeper, salesman, with Evansville business organizations. Mr. Anderson has some farming interests in Warrick County, growing cattle and hogs, and also has real estate in Evansville.

In 1914 he joined the Evansville police department as a patrolman and later was promoted to motorcycle officer. He resigned in 1918 to join the colors and was with Headquarters Company in the field artillery at Camp Taylor, Kentucky, until discharged in 1919. For two years after the war Mr. Anderson sold automobiles at Evansville. In 1921 he went to the courthouse as deputy county clerk and served in that position five years, an experience that gave him a thorough knowledge of the routine of the county clerk's office. In March, 1926, came his appointment as chief of police of Evansville, and he was the police chief of the city until January 1, 1929, when he entered upon his duties as clerk of the Vanderburg Circuit Court following his election in November, 1928.

He married, at Evansville, August 11, 1918, Miss Bertha Ambrose, daughter of Julius Ambrose, a grocery merchant. Mr. Anderson is a Republican in politics and a member of the B. P. O. Elks.