March 4, 1892, Detective Wooldridge by his prompt and courageous
actions, and the immediate risk of his own life, succeeded in rescuing
from the Waverly Hotel (which was on fire), at 262 and 264 S. Clark
street, two ladies who were overcome by smoke on the second floor of
the burning building: also a lady and two children, aged two years and
five months, respectively, from the fourth floor.
This act was performed by tying a silk handkerchief around his mouth,
and on his hands and knees crawling up the winding stairs to the
fourth floor, where he found Mrs. E. C. Dwyer unconscious. Placing
the two children in a bed quilt, he threw it over his shoulder, and
seizing Mrs. E. C. Dwyer by the hand, dragged her down the stairs to a
place of safety, where medical assistance was called.
Sept. 21, 1902, Detective Wooldridge was placed in charge of the
Get-Rich-Quick concerns with which Chicago was infested. He also
had charge of the suppression of gambling at parks and other places
of amusement, the inspection and supervision of picture exhibitions
in penny arcades and museums, and the inspection and supervision of
illustrated postal cards sold throughout the city for the purpose of
preventing the exhibition, sale and circulation of vulgar and obscene
pictures, the work of gathering evidence against and the suppression
of dealers in "sure thing" gambling devices, viz., loaded dice, marked
cards, roulette wheels, spindle faro layouts, card hold-outs, nickel
slot machines and many other devices.
Oct. 25, 1893, Detective Wooldridge had a narrow escape while trying
to arrest Charles Sales, a desperate colored man, for committing a
robbery at State and Harrison streets. Sales whipped out his gun
and fired four shots at Wooldridge at short range; two of the shots
passing harmlessly through his coat. Sales was arrested and given one
year in the house of correction.