Circa 1948-1952.
Here we have a vintage Hamilton Secometer-B in a 10K natural gold-filled case with applied gold numeral dial and index hands on a silver dial. The military style dial features numerals at 5 minute intervals. This beautiful watch is being offered in its original condition with the original crystal, dial, and straps when acquired. The Hamilton grade 748 manual hand winding movement with 18 jewels has been serviced and kept great time over a 24 hour period. The watch sets and winds smoothly and measures approximately 29mm wide x 37mm from lug end to lug end. The inside back case reads: Secometer-B, Hamilton W.Co., Lancaster PA, 10K Goldfilled, S480399, S&W. The watch is triple signed by Hamilton as seen on the dial, movement, and case.
Now here is the interesting piece of history behind this watch. The back is engraved Sgt. Thomas A. Laffey, 7-31-51 From Members of the Bureau of Identification. Upon further research, it has been discovered that Sgt. Thomas Laffey played a crucial role that led to prosecution of William Heirens for the murder of Suzanne Degnan back in 1946. It's a tale of the horrific abduction, murder and dismemberment of 6-year-old Suzanne Degnan from her Edgewater bedroom on Jan. 7, 1946, and about William Heirens, a 17-year-old boy at the time who many have argued was coerced into giving a false confession for the murder, plus two others.
Included with the purchase of this watch is the original 1947 press photo with Times City Editor Karin Walsh presenting award checks to Sgt. Thomas Laffey and Abner Cunningham for the Heiren's case. Photo measures 10 x 8 in.
A couple excerpts from online articles with sources below:
¹ While this new wrinkle in the case was still a front page story, another story was reported that would soon overshadow it: A 17-year-old University of Chicago college student was apprehended in an attempted burglary of a Rogers Park apartment. He had resisted the policemen who sought to seize him and allegedly fired a pistol against one of them (without effect) before being subdued after one of the officers smashed three flower pots on his head. It was soon learned that he had been arrested before for burglary when he was age 13. His name was William Heirens. The Suzanne Degnan story shortly became the William Heirens story and remains so today – the two names forever linked. What began the link was a comparison of his fingerprint to that on the ransom note. Sergeant Thomas Laffey, the department’s finger print specialist, reported that one of the prints matched, and this was announced to the press. Had it not been for this action, the William Heirens story would have been a one or two day story at the most.
² Upon his return to Chicago, he turned over the photographs of the revealed prints on the note to Sergeant Thomas Laffey, the Chicago Police Department's fingerprint expert. After his examination he stated to the press that they were "... so incomplete that it is impossible to classify them." Despite checking these "incomplete" prints with everyone arrested between January 1946 and June 29, 1946, he was unable to find a match even though William Heirens was previously arrested and fingerprinted on May 1, 1946 on a weapons charge. Heirens was arrested for burglary on June 26, 1946; three days later Sergeant Laffey announced a nine-point comparison match to Heirens left little finger with one of the prints. Then a match was announced between Heirens and the second print. In a news conference State's Attorney Tuohy declared that "[...]there could be no doubt now" about the suspect's guilt but then incongruously also stated that they didn't actually have enough evidence to indict Heirens. Months after the FBI had returned the note and the photograph of the note to the Chicago police, the police announced that Laffey had discovered a palm print on the reverse side of the note also matching Heirens to 10 points of comparison. No other prints were found on the note, prompting Police Chief Walter Storm to say: "This shows that Heirens was the only person to handle the note.
¹ Ref Source: http://www.edgewaterhistory.org/ehs/articles/v23-1-5
² Ref Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Heirens
Here we have a vintage Hamilton Secometer-B in a 10K natural gold-filled case with applied gold numeral dial and index hands on a silver dial. The military style dial features numerals at 5 minute intervals. This beautiful watch is being offered in its original condition with the original crystal, dial, and straps when acquired. The Hamilton grade 748 manual hand winding movement with 18 jewels has been serviced and kept great time over a 24 hour period. The watch sets and winds smoothly and measures approximately 29mm wide x 37mm from lug end to lug end. The inside back case reads: Secometer-B, Hamilton W.Co., Lancaster PA, 10K Goldfilled, S480399, S&W. The watch is triple signed by Hamilton as seen on the dial, movement, and case.
Now here is the interesting piece of history behind this watch. The back is engraved Sgt. Thomas A. Laffey, 7-31-51 From Members of the Bureau of Identification. Upon further research, it has been discovered that Sgt. Thomas Laffey played a crucial role that led to prosecution of William Heirens for the murder of Suzanne Degnan back in 1946. It's a tale of the horrific abduction, murder and dismemberment of 6-year-old Suzanne Degnan from her Edgewater bedroom on Jan. 7, 1946, and about William Heirens, a 17-year-old boy at the time who many have argued was coerced into giving a false confession for the murder, plus two others.
Included with the purchase of this watch is the original 1947 press photo with Times City Editor Karin Walsh presenting award checks to Sgt. Thomas Laffey and Abner Cunningham for the Heiren's case. Photo measures 10 x 8 in.
A couple excerpts from online articles with sources below:
¹ While this new wrinkle in the case was still a front page story, another story was reported that would soon overshadow it: A 17-year-old University of Chicago college student was apprehended in an attempted burglary of a Rogers Park apartment. He had resisted the policemen who sought to seize him and allegedly fired a pistol against one of them (without effect) before being subdued after one of the officers smashed three flower pots on his head. It was soon learned that he had been arrested before for burglary when he was age 13. His name was William Heirens. The Suzanne Degnan story shortly became the William Heirens story and remains so today – the two names forever linked. What began the link was a comparison of his fingerprint to that on the ransom note. Sergeant Thomas Laffey, the department’s finger print specialist, reported that one of the prints matched, and this was announced to the press. Had it not been for this action, the William Heirens story would have been a one or two day story at the most.
² Upon his return to Chicago, he turned over the photographs of the revealed prints on the note to Sergeant Thomas Laffey, the Chicago Police Department's fingerprint expert. After his examination he stated to the press that they were "... so incomplete that it is impossible to classify them." Despite checking these "incomplete" prints with everyone arrested between January 1946 and June 29, 1946, he was unable to find a match even though William Heirens was previously arrested and fingerprinted on May 1, 1946 on a weapons charge. Heirens was arrested for burglary on June 26, 1946; three days later Sergeant Laffey announced a nine-point comparison match to Heirens left little finger with one of the prints. Then a match was announced between Heirens and the second print. In a news conference State's Attorney Tuohy declared that "[...]there could be no doubt now" about the suspect's guilt but then incongruously also stated that they didn't actually have enough evidence to indict Heirens. Months after the FBI had returned the note and the photograph of the note to the Chicago police, the police announced that Laffey had discovered a palm print on the reverse side of the note also matching Heirens to 10 points of comparison. No other prints were found on the note, prompting Police Chief Walter Storm to say: "This shows that Heirens was the only person to handle the note.
¹ Ref Source: http://www.edgewaterhistory.org/ehs/articles/v23-1-5
² Ref Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Heirens