Downtown Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Face-off
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 23, 2023
1. Face-off Marker
Erected 2003 by Center City Commission. (Marker Number 20.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Law Enforcement. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee, Memphis, Center City Commission series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 19, 1919.
Location. 35° 8.643′ N, 90° 3.173′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in Downtown Memphis. Marker can be reached from Monroe Avenue south of South Main Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker is embedded in the sidewalk. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 40 S Main St, Memphis TN 38103, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. William Len (a few steps from this marker); William Len Hotel (a few steps from this marker); Brodnax Jewelers (within shouting distance of this marker); Business Men's Club (within shouting distance of this marker); Greek Influence (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Peabody Legacy (about 300
this page online
Regarding Face-off. Excerpt from Crusaders, Gangsters, and Whiskey: Prohibition in Memphis by Patrick O'Daniel (University of Mississippi Press, 2018):
The first ten years of Prohibition ended as it began – with a gunfight in the street in broad daylight. The regulars at the Rosebud Café at 115 Monroe near Main Street often jeered at marshals as they passed. Deputy marshal Orville Webster asked his superiors what to do about the constant taunting from the hooligans. They told Webster to ignore it. On September 19, 1919, about two o'clock in the afternoon, Webster and chief marshal John Carrigan drove by the Rosebud Café again, and once more the bootleggers heckled them. Only this time the marshals lost their tempers.
The Rosebud Café had long been a gathering place of bootleggers and other assorted lowlifes. The leader of the rabble and part owner, William Walsh "Will" Smiddy was one of the Irish gangsters employed by Kinnane. Smiddy worked as a city detective from 1910 until 1913 when he and his partner Jack Klinck quit toopen the first of a series of dives, the Majestic Saloon at Third and Gayoso.Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 23, 20232. Face-off Marker
Webster stopped the car, got out, and struck Smiddy with his .44-caliber revolver. Smiddy reeled back and pulled his pistol. The two opened fire, and stray bullets flew in every direction. One hit a porter in the thigh, and another stray struck a bystander in the finger. A round went through Carrigan's coat while another, one that would have surely killed him, bounced off a bankbook in his vest pocket.
The remaining bullets hit their intended targets with deadly consequences. Webster fell to the ground with four bullets to the face. Detective Walter Hoyle ran to the scene when the shooting started, and made it in time to hold Webster as he died. Only one round hit Smiddy, but the wound was serious. Friends rushed him to the General Hospital, but the gangster died on the operating table.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 92 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
