In a tragic series of events, St Louis Police Officers Michael J. Burke, Nicholas F. Beckman, John P. Looney lost their lives were electrocuted when calling in to the station.

On September 3, 1900, the St Louis Police Department's call box system, the primary source of communication between the district station and the patrol officers, had experienced a system-wide short circuit when earlier in the evening when a power line carrying 3200 volts crossed onto the police call box circuit at Eighth and Carr Street during a storm.  The first sign of trouble came on the evening of September 3, 1900 at about 7:00 pm when Officer John Dineen was knocked unconscious as he attempted to use the call box at Twelfth and Morgan Streets badly burning his hand. One by one officers of the Fourth District were electrocuted or seriously injured when they attempted to use the call boxes for their hourly call-in. Three special officers were dispatched to tell officers not to use the call boxes but for many the warning came too late. Three officers lost their lives among the other officers seriously injured that evening. Tragic as this was it was amazing that more of the 70 district officers working that evening were not killed or injured.

Officer Nicholas Beckman was knocked unconscious and badly burned when he attempted to use the call box on Eighteenth Street between Washington and Carr Streets. A citizen carried him across the street to Protestant Hospital where he died within fifteen minutes. Officer Beckman had served with the St. Louis Police Department for one year. He left a widowed mother whom he supported. Interred: Bethany Cemetery, Wellston, MO.

At 8:00 pm Officer John Looney was electrocuted as he tried to use the call box at Twelfth and Morgan Streets. Officer Looney had served with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department for seven years. He was survived by his wife, two children and his brother, Patrick, also a police officer assigned to the Mounted Patrol Unit. Interred: Calvary Cemetery, St Louis, MO.

Officer Michael Burke was also electrocuted and badly burned about his hands when he placed his key into a call-box. Officer Burke survived, fighting for his life for fourteen months before he succumbed to his injuries at St. John's Hospital. Officer Burke had served with the St. Louis Police Department for 14 years. He was survived by his wife and five children. Interred: Calvary Cemetery, St Louis, MO.

In March 1900, Seckner Contracting Company won a bid to install infrastructure and bring electrical power to St Louis' downtown district. Lawsuits were filed against Seckner for crossing wires from a sagging high current power line relaying 3,300 volts to the telephone call box wires at 8th and Carr Streets resulting in the electrocution and the death of three officers and the burns and injury of ten other officers and two civilian employees in the Fourth District. Seckner won the bid to install infrastructure and bring electric power and lighting to St Louis' downtown district. In September 1900, a coroner's jury found Seckner Contracting to be at fault for the officers deaths.