Watchman Alexander McIntosh

23 November 1843

Houses Found Open: In the Western District, Watchman McIntosh found Mrs. Bradford’s window shutter open at the corner of Hanover and Pratt Street; Watchman Smith found Mr. Lewis Jones’ front door open in Howard Street, both of which were fastened by the Watchmen. In the Middle District, Watchman Madden found the window of Mr. Eli’s Shoe Store in Gay Street opened and the window of the Currier shop in the same street, both of which were secured by the watchman.

21 June 1844

Watchman McIntosh 
(Injured 15 June 1844, died 19 June 1844)

State versus William Freeberger, George Freeberger, Charles Brown, and Samuel Jones, indicted for an assault upon Peter Tingstrum, on Saturday morning last (15 June 1844), between two and 3 o’clock. Tingstrum stated that he was going along at the corner of Lombard and Liberty Streets when an alarm of fire was raised by a party standing there, whom he approached and charged with having raised it. Some words ensued when the watchman attempted to arrest William Freeberger, and having taken hold of him, Jones ran off. Immediately afterward, the watchman was struck and knocked down, and when the party made their escape, the witness knew the Freebergers and identified them.

Jones, being acquitted by the court, was sworn for the defense, corroborating the testimony of the watchman up to the time of his seizing William Freeberger, when the witness ran away out into the street and directly afterwards heard a blow struck, and the watchman exclaimed, "Some of you struck me.” I did not see George Freeberger in the crowd at all.

The court declared the two Freebergers guilty and ordered them each to pay a fine of $10 and costs.

During the session of the court, upon the request of Hugh McElderry, Esq., foreman of the grand jury, Samuel Jones and William and George Freeberger were arrested on a charge of participating in an affray on Sunday morning last (16 June 1844), in which Watchman McIntosh had been so severely beaten that he died this morning (19 June 1844).

Mr. Pitts, who appeared as counsel for Jones in the previous case reported above, asked the court to specify the amount of bail that would be required under the present arrest. He alleged that the arrest was an unofficial proceeding, that the grand jury had not investigated the case, and claimed the right of his client to be released, free from bail. That was, however, not desired and would not be pressed, but as he was prepared to give a reasonable amount of bail for his appearance, he would request the court name the sum.

The court, on consultation, required bail in the amount of $1000.

The bail was not forthcoming on the adjournment of the court, and Jones, with the Freeburgers, was left in the custody of the warden of the jail.

22 November 1844

State versus William Freeburger, indicted for murder, and having in connection with Samuel Jones, Charles Brown, and George Freeburger, on June 16 last inflicted blows upon Alexander McIntosh, who died from injuries thus received on the 19^th day [June] of the same month.

Mr. Richardson opened the case

James Goll, sworn, testified as in the case of Jones, relative to the visit of the party to Hinesly’s house, but did not know or recognize the prisoner as one of them. They seemed to have been drinking; they were excited but not drunk.

John Hinesly, sworn; his evidence was precisely the same as in the former case, up to the time of the party leaving his house, at about 20 minutes before 2 o’clock on Sunday morning, Freeburger saying as they left, alluding to McIntosh, “we’ll finish him tonight.” On the Monday morning following, the prisoner came to witness’ house and sitting on the table said, “Did you hear of the fracas we got into, Saturday night after leaving your house?” I said, “No.” He said, “We got into a fracas with McIntosh, the watchman, and gave him a licken; some say he’s hurt pretty badly, but I don’t think he’s hurt much; his head is cut a little.” I asked him what they cut it with, and he replied with his own spontoon.” I asked him which party did it, and he said, “That’s my business.” I don’t think there was anything more said about it.

In his cross-examination, the witness stated that the party took two or three drinks of peace at his house; they were a little excited; they think Brown and William Freeburger were from appearances most affected; they don’t think George Freeburger drank it all in there; after they returned the second time, they said they had been in Park Street at Ben Brandt’s.

Messrs. Frazier, Weaver, Tingstrom, and others testified exactly as in the preceding case of Jones.

Mr. Hatch, sworn, I keep a tavern at the corner of Pratt and Howard streets; I had heard of the beating of McIntosh on Sunday morning, and the prisoner came to my house afterwards, about 9 o’clock, and stated that he had been in Esprit the night before and that he had whipped one watchman and would have whipped another but he took out; he said that he was with the party; he said that the spree was up by Sharp Street.

Cross-examined: the prisoner was in my house on the Saturday night previous between nine and 10 o’clock; he did not drink anything.

Isaac Roberts, sworn—as near as I can recall, I arrested the prisoner between 12 and 1 o’clock on Monday after the occurrence.

This case was given to the jury without argument, W. H. Collins and Jay. McKim Duncan, Esq.’s, having conducted the defense, and George R. Richardson, Esq., the prosecution. The jury rendered a verdict without leaving the box, finding the prisoner guilty of murder in the second degree.

22 November 1844

City Court: In this court yesterday, the case of state versus a Samuel Jones, indicted for having, on the morning of June 16, 1844, inflicted blows upon the person of Alexander McIntosh, causing injury whereof he died on the 19th of the same month [June] thereafter. The prisoner is one of four indicted for the same offense, the others being Samuel Brown [a.k.a. Charles Brown] and William and George Freeburger. The day was occupied with the hearing of testimony, in which the jury was addressed successively by Mr. Richardson for the state, Messrs. Pitts and Walsh for the defense, and Mr. Richardson closing for the prosecution. In consequence of the difficulty that the publication of the evidence in the present case might create in reference to the impaneling of juries for the rest, at the request of the court, it is for the present withheld.

The case was given to the jury at a little before 9 o’clock, who retired to their room and, after an absence of about 10 minutes, returned to court with a verdict, finding the prisoner [Samuel Jones] guilty.

23 November 1844

City Court: the security of trolls Brown, one of those indicted for the murder of Watchman McIntosh, was on Thursday night given up by his security and rearrested by officer Roberts. He was committed to jail by Justice Rice

26 November 1844

City Court: The court met yesterday [November 25, 1844] and Charles Brown was placed in the bar. One of the parties charged with the murder of watchman McIntosh was summoned, and after a considerable time a jury was selected but not sworn; they were then discharged until tomorrow morning, under the direction of the court to hold no conversations in relation to the matter they have before them.

26 November 1844

State versus Charles Brown, indicted for the murder of Watchman McIntosh, as above stated.

The testimony given in the case of Jones was repeated before the jury in the present case.

For the defense, the following additional evidence was offered:

Charles King, sworn, – was in Hinesly’s house at the time the party – Jones, Brown, the prisoner, and the two Freeburgers – came in; thinks it was about 1 o’clock; after they came in, Brown charged me with having won some money of him about a year previously; he allowed I had wronged him out of it; there was a young man named Troxall, who they said belong to the New Market, and they were going to quarrel with him on that account; after staying about 10 minutes I, with my party, went out, and went up liberty, toward Fayette Street; before we got to Fayette there was a porter bottle thrown at us; we went on to McClellan’s alley, where they came up with us, and Brown attempted to pass his arm through mine and William Freberg are made a blow at me; I warded off, and ran off and called “murder” and “watch; ”went to Saratoga Street and found a watchman, and told him of the party; and then went up Charles Street market, and there saw another watchman, and told him; that was Reynolds; I did not see the party again that night.

Watchman Newman was with Reynolds at 1 Charles St. when King came and made a complaint against a party at McClellan’s alley and Fayette Street; King went with us; when we got there, some young men were there, but King said they were not the party; we stood about five minutes, and the young men went away; Reynolds and I went away together; the town clock struck two while I was standing at the corner.

The jury was addressed by S. Chase Cole and A. Sterrett Ridgely, Esqrs., for the defense, and by George R. Richardson, Esq., for the state, after which the indictment was handed to the jury, who found a verdict of guilty of murder in the 2^nd° without leaving the box.

27 November 1844

Baltimore City Court, October Term

Present: Judges Brice, Nesbitt and Worthington

States Attorney, George R. Richardson, Esq.

Thursday, November 21, 1844

Trial for Murder

State Versus Samuel Jones, indicted for murder and having caused the death of Alexander McIntosh, a city watchman, by striking him in the head with an A spontoon on the 16th of June last, of which injury he died on the 19^th day of the same month [June 1844].

The case was opened before the jury by Mr. Richardson, and a clear statement of the anticipated testimony and the theory of the state and regulations thereto were explained. The witnesses were called, and the examination proceeded as follows:

John Samberg, sworn, lives in liberty, second door below Lombard Street, left hand side; remembers the night on which McIntosh was beaten; on that night the prisoner and Brown, a companion, were in his house, and Jones remarked, “Let’s go give McIntosh a round,” or “Now is the time to give McIntosh around,” don’t know which; recollects no one in the house besides Jones at the time, but Brown and a young man named Benson; it was between 11 and 12 o’clock, near to 12; they left the house about 12; I shut up about 12, and Jones was there a few moments before.

Cross, examined by Mr. Walsh I can’t say that Jones came in alone or went out in company with the others; the remarks he made about McIntosh were loud enough to be heard all over the room; I heard nothing about “giving him around by an alarm of fire.” The remark I heard might have been about a half an hour before I shut up.

James Goll, sworn: On the night in question, about 20 minutes after 12, I was in at Hinesly’s, in Liberty Street, above Baltimore, when Jones Brown and Evans, and others, came in, stayed some 10 or 15 minutes, and went out again; in about a half hour they came back, and one of the party members remarked that they had had a row in Part Street; soon after, three other young men came in, and there seemed a disposition to be a row, and I went away to the Wheatfield Inn, where I boarded; at the time I got home, it wanted 20 minutes of 2 o’clock; I went directly home from Hinesly’s.

Cross-examination by Mr. Wells: Jones was talking to Mr. Hinesly; he appeared to be very quiet; he did not make any noise.

John Ensley sworn – on the night in question, Samuel Jones, Charles Brown, Thomas Evans, George and William Freberg are, Thomas Buckley, and some other young men I didn’t know, came in about 15 minutes past twelve o’clock; took a drink or two a piece, and went away; they came in again about 15 or 20 minutes later 1 o’clock; I think the same party all returned together; after they came in the second time, three other young men came in after them; Brown knocked up a spree with one of them, named Troxall; I told them I could have no noise there, and George Freberg are imposed and made peace between them; Jones leaned over to me and said we differ in politics, but there was no difficulty with us; he then said there was a watchman down the street who wanted to take him to the watch house the other night without cause, and he meant to have satisfaction out of him, and would whip him tonight; I asked him a what watchman it was, and he said McIntosh; I told him he had better not have a row with watchman, for I tried that with a constable once and couldn’t make anything of it; Brown, I think it was, then said, we’ll him a within anyhow, and I think we may as well give it to him tonight; one of them then said, will take a drink on that, and they did drink, and then went out, William Freberg are saying, will lick him tonight, and I think added the words, “will finish him anyhow.” The two free burgers, Jones, Brown, and a little fellow I didn’t know, went out together; Buckley and Evans went out a little before; I think it was then about 20 minutes of 2 o’clock. The little fella I spoke of was with them both times; I had never seen him before nor since.

Cross-examined by Mr. Walsh, when Jones was speaking to me, the others were standing in the room; I think Mr. Goll was sitting in the room back in a chair; I think Brown was about 8 feet perhaps from a; he was going on with the Foss with Troxall at the time; Jones, when he said “I’ll whip him tonight,” had just raised up from leaning over the bar, and Brown then added “ will be with him tonight anyhow.” Jones said in his conversation that McIntosh wanted to take him to the watch house some nights previous, and he thought he had some animosity against him, as there were worse fellows in the ward than he was. I never said that some young men had said at my house that they would whip a watchman, but I didn’t know who they were; several people have asked me about it; Jones’ mother called on me and asked me what I knew about it; I told her that I couldn’t say more than what I knew about it; she would hear some time or other.

By Mr. Pitts—I don’t know, but I did say as they went out of the house that I would shut up, and Jones might have remarked that “now was a good time to shut up.”

Mr. Goll recalled that Jones and Hinesly were talking at the bar, and the other party was quarreling. When I went out, I left Jones in the room; he had been leaning over the bar talking to Hinesly, and when the other party commenced their affair, I and my friends were out.

Lieut. Weaver, sworn I found watchman McIntosh at the corner of Hanover and Lombard streets; he was very much beaten; I was at Lombard Street a little west of the flagstones, which cross Hanover Street on the west side; I had wrapped around his box 2 or three times; he was standing in the street and did not seem to know me; the blood was running over his shoulder. In the morning I found the a spontoon of McIntosh in the yard of the parsonage adjoining Mr. Henshaw’s church; after leaving McIntosh I went down to Pratt Street to get assistance and found watchman Stockett and went with him up Pratt Street to Sharp, and then ordered him to go up Sharp to the United engine house, and I went around up Howard at the corner of Howard and liberty met Tingstrom who had also been beaten; I ran as fast as I could and think five minutes had not intervened after I left McIntosh before I saw Tingstrom; I went to get assistance to arrest the parties I supposed had committed the deed; I told McIntosh when he came with Stockett to the engine house, to go to the watch house and get its headrest; the blood was flowing freely from his head, trickling down his coat over his collar; when I first found him it was in the neighborhood of 2 o’clock; I had not heard him at all that night.

Watchman Tingstrom, sworn – I am the watchman on Ward number 13; at 2 o’clock I was at the corner of German and Howard streets; and then started down to the corner of German and liberty and thence to the junction of liberty, Howard and Lombard; presently I heard the alarm of fire given; so all these men come across Sharp Street and Lombard, hollering “fire;” I asked them where the fire was and they said there was none; I said they were hollering fire, and William Freberg are said if you say I hollered “fire” you are a damn lying son of bits; I then seized him, and Jones said let him go and I’ll take him away; I let him go and told them they knew it was wrong to holler fire, and immediately I was struck two or three blows, and some of them got hold of my A spontoon, and we both twisted I to hold it and they to get it away; for of the party I recognized as Jones, Brown and the two Freeburgers; I saw all a spontoon in the hands of one of the party at that time, and it was a white handle one; it was flourished over my head, when Mr. Headley came up to my assistance, and the party ran away.

Cross-examined by Mr. Walsh: I note that Jones was among the party and that he said he would take Freeburger home. I know that Freeburger attacked me, but it was done so quickly that I could not recognize any others; they might all have taken a blow at me.

By Mr. Pitts, when Jones tried before this court for an assault on me, I stated that one of the parties raised a stick over me; I did not say anything then of the spontoon; I knew that there was a spontoon; it was the evening after McIntosh was buried that I first said I saw one of them with a spontoon; I stated so at the Mayor’s office; I had heard that McIntosh had lost his spontoon in the assault on him, and then it struck me that it was a spontoon.

In chief, it was as near as I can recall, about five minutes after I had been beaten, before Lieut. Weaver came up.”

By Mr. Walsh, the scuffle had lasted about two or three minutes; it was not my own spontoon with which I was struck in the mouth. 

The court here took a recess for an hour and a half.

AFTERNOON SESSION

Frazier, private watchman, sworn I saw McIntosh on the Sunday morning on which he was beaten in German Street, between Charles and Hanover; he wanted to know what time it was, and I went to the lamp to look at my watch; it wanted a 1:45 o’clock; he then went down German, toward Hanover Street; he was then well and unhurt.

Watchman Headley swore: I was at the corner of Howard and Camden Street at 2:12 o’clock and heard the alarm of fire; I came up to my box to get the key of the United engine house; I found there was no fire, and when I came toward the engine house, I heard Tingstrom’s voice, calling out “kill me,” “kill me,” and I ran up to the corner of Liberty and Howard, and there I saw a party in a scuffle with Tingstrom; as I ran up, they pushed me into the street and ran away, Jones going up Howard Street.

The state here arrested the case, and the next witness was called for the defense.

Watchman Reynolds, sworn, testified that he was trying the door of Norris and Beatty’s store and heard the cry of “watch,” but could not tell where it was; went on to the corner of Charles Street and heard it again; soon afterward met a young man, who stated that he had been assaulted by a party at the corner of McClellan’s alley and Fayette Street; went to that place, and there found Jones, Brown, the two Freeburgers, and one or two others; it wanted then 10 minutes of 2 o’clock; witness reminded them to talk with them until 20 minutes after 2 o’clock.

A witness was asked by Mr. Richardson if he did not state yesterday in his office that it was 15 or 20 minutes past 2 o’clock when he left the party house. He answered that he did not want to contradict Mr. Richardson, but that he had been misunderstood.

Dr. Hoffman, sworn, was called to watch house to address the wounds of a watchman, who was McIntosh. I discovered a wound on the top of the head, which seemed to have been caused by two blows, but on further examination, I concluded that it was the effect of a single blow. I also thought there was some injury at the side of the head, but the head was very much suffused with blood, and I could not make a thorough examination. I dressed the wounds and directed him to be taken home. He was afterwards removed to the infirmary, and there Dr. Annan informed me that on the postmortem examination, he discovered that there was a fracture of this call on the side of the head. I was in the office of the state’s attorney yesterday evening and heard Reynolds examined. I understood him to say that the time when he saw the men at the corner of McClellan Alley and Fayette Street was 20 minutes or 2:30 o’clock.

Watchman Tingstrom testified to the same statement of time made by Reynolds yesterday at Mr. Richardson’s office.

Isaac Roberts testified to the same statement made by Reynolds.

Mr. Marshall, sworn, testified that he was in Mr. Stuart’s office yesterday when the gentleman was examining the witnesses in anticipation of another case and heard Reynolds testify that he was with the party at the corner of McClellan Alley and Fayette Street from 10 minutes before to 20 minutes after.

Yates Welch, sworn, testified that upon examining Reynolds in anticipation of the case in September last, Reynolds original statement to him was that he was with the party from 10 minutes before to until 20 minutes after two, and that he had always stated that time.

Hinesly, called by the defense, thinks the parties stayed at his house probably about 15 minutes after Mr. Goll went out, though he can hardly say what time Mr. Goll did go out.

The case was argued at considerable length by George R. Richardson, Esq., for the state, and Charles H. Pitts and T. Yates Walsh, Esq., for the defense. It was given to the jury at about 9 o’clock in the evening, and after the absence of five minutes, they returned to the court with a verdict of guilty of murder in the 2^nd°.

29 November 1844

Baltimore city court, October term

present: judges Brice, Nisbet, and Worthington

states attorney, George R. Richardson, Esq.

Thursday, 28 November 28, 1844

Trial in Murder

state versus George Freeburger, indicted for the murder of McIntosh, the watchman, on the morning of June 16, 1844. The prisoner is one of the party, consisting besides himself of Samuel Jones, Charles Brown, and William Freberg, already convicted of the same offense; Thomas Buckley; and a young man named Evans, since deceased.

Considerable difficulty was experienced in empaneling a jury, the publication of the evidence in the former cases having led to a very general formation or expression of opinion on the merits of the present case. A jury was, however, at length sworn, and Mr. Richardson opened the case. The testimony was then detailed by the witnesses, varying in a few important particulars from that already published in relation to the present prisoner.

The testimony of Mr. Hinesly as to the conduct of the prisoner exhibited some favorable facts as to his conduct at the house. He drank something there when the others did, and at the time of the quarrelsome demonstration by Brown with another party, the prisoner interposed to make peace and said there should be no fighting; and when Jones was speaking of whipping McIntosh, he observed that if there was to be any fighting tonight, they should do it themselves; he would have nothing to do with it.

Mr. King testified to the same peaceable disposition as manifested by one of the parties at Hindsley’s but could not say which of them it was. Does not know the prisoner.

Watchman Tingstrom demonstrated that the prisoner was present during the assault on him, but even though he was unable to identify the individual who struck him, he was able to attest with certainty that the prisoner made no attempt to stop the assault or mediate a settlement.

The law relating to the case was agreed upon by Mr. Richardson on the part of the state and Mr. Stewart on the part of the defense, to the effect that the declarations made by Mr. Jones, Brown, and William Freeburger, with regard to their intention to whip McIntosh, George Freberg, having expressed his dissent from that purpose and all participation with it, are not to be considered by the jury unfavorable to the prisoner, unless they shall believe that he afterwards assented to the act and sanctioned it by his presence. With this statement, the case was given to the jury, who retired and were absent until 4 o’clock, when a note was received from them stating that they were unable to agree and asking to be allowed refreshments. Refreshments were accordingly ordered.

David Andrews, convicted last week of the murder of Thomas Johnson Brandon, was sentenced today to be confined in prison until August 2, 1860 The jury adjourned until tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock

The jury in the case of Freberg had not agreed at 8 o’clock last evening.

4 December 1844

City Court: In this court yesterday, the case of State versus John Price, indicted for assault with intent to kill, was upon the affidavit of the traverser, declaring that he was unable to procure the attendance of an important witness, and continued until the February term. In the case of state versus George Freeberger, in which a jury was unable to agree last week, an effort was made to impanel another jury; the regular list was exhausted, and a number of men were summoned, but it seemed impossible to procure a sufficient number. After some delay, it was finally concluded to continue the case until next term, and the traverser was discharged upon exiting recognitions. Samuel Jones, Charles Brown, and William Freeburger, convicted of the murder of the Watchman McIntosh, and Richard Martin, convicted of the murder of Ann Short, were brought up for sentencing. The court addressed the first three, dwelling upon the enormity of their offense, and sentenced them to be confined in the penitentiary until August 2, 1858.

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On this day in Baltimore Police History 2000, we lost our brothers, Sergeant Platt and Officer Kevin McCarthy, who were killed when their patrol car was broadsided in that Hamilton intersection by a drunk driver. The two officers were on routine patrol in a residential area when the driver of a full-size pickup truck failed to obey a stop sign, causing the collision.

The impact caused the officer’s patrol car to flip over and strike a utility pole. Both officers were killed instantly. Neither occupant of the pickup truck was injured. The driver of the vehicle was charged with DUI, with other charges pending. The driver was found guilty of two counts of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to two ten-year sentences, with all but six years suspended.

In 2003, after serving just 3 years and 2 months of his sentence, the driver of that vehicle was able to go home to his wife and kids. Sgt. Platt and Officer McCarthy’s kids are still waiting to meet their dad’s; for them, it will be a lifetime.

Sergeant Platt had been employed with the Baltimore City Police Department for 17 years and is survived by his wife, 3-year-old daughter, and 4-year-old son.

Officer McCarthy had been employed with the Baltimore City Police Department for 15 years and is survived by his 9-year-old daughter.

The Sun had a lot to say about the funeral of these two fine officers, as they reported the following:

The deaths of two police officers remind us not only of their vulnerability but also of our own. And when Mayor O'Malley offered his tender words of comfort, it took some of us back seven years—to another funeral, another slain policeman, and the randomness of life and death. This officer’s name was Herman Jones. He was a 23-year-old veteran in a job in which every day was a roll of the dice. But the irony of his death, like Platt's and McCarthy's, was that it could have happened to anybody. Jones had gone to an East Baltimore carryout for an evening snack, where a teen-age kid who should have been home studying arithmetic pulled out a gun and shot him. And on a summer morning at the Little Ark Missionary Baptist Church, they laid Herman Jones' body in an open casket for everyone to see. Herman Jones' wife Linda and his children were nearby, as a choir sang so hauntingly that it tore everybody in the place up with tears.

Take my hand,

Precious Lord,

Lead me home.

And the mayor of Baltimore was there that day. They saved a front-row seat for Kurt L. Schmoke directly in front of Herman Jones' casket, and the Mayor looked at poor Jones, and he heard the choir chanting its refrain, and you knew that something special was coming from Schmoke. The mayor was so much like Jones. They were kids who'd grown up in post-war America, each a product of the great civil rights movement, each a graduate of Baltimore City College, and each a football player for the legendary coach, George Young. This one would come from Schmoke's heart.

But nothing came
By the time the mayor reached the pulpit, he'd had time to think about the killing in his city, and he'd had time to absorb the emotional singing and all of the church's mourners with their grief coming out of their pores, and there was nothing he could summon.

He muttered a few platitudes about the awfulness of killing and the need for some national sense of urgency, and in a few moments he was done. Whatever passion he felt, he kept it to himself, and there were people who walked out of the Little Ark Missionary Baptist Church that morning feeling they had been cheated. The truth is, Officer Joes was cheated; Platt's and McCarthy were the ones cheated; they gave their lives; and the rules never change.

Last week, the new mayor of Baltimore spoke quite beautifully. He calls the funerals of police officers the toughest part of his job. But the job is still new for Martin O'Malley. It has been his for less than a year. By the time of Herman Jones' funeral, Kurt L. Schmoke was five years into the job and maybe 1,500 killings into it, and some of those killed were police officers of his city.

As their brothers and sisters in the Baltimore Police Department, we will not let them be forgotten. Their service honored the City of Baltimore and the Baltimore Police Department. May they rest in peace, and may God always bless them.

Sergeant George M. J. May

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On this day in Baltimore Police History (12 February 1928), we lost our brother, Police Sergeant George M. J. May, to an auto accident based on the following:

Sargent, G. M. J. May Dies of Injuries

Newspapers of the Times reported, February 13, 1928, p. . 18

Sgt. George M. J. May dies of injuries A Police Officer's Car was struck by Trolley on December 23, 1927, at the Entrance to the Hanover Street Bridge. A Patrolman also Hurt. Patrolman John peters one down by truck while going to aid of his supervisor

Sgt. George M. J. May, of the Southern Police District, died yesterday at the South Baltimore General Hospital from injuries received on December 23, 1927, when a police coupe he was driving was struck by a streetcar.

Immediately after Sgt. May was injured, Patrolman John Peters, also of the Southern District, was struck by a delivery truck as he ran to the aid of his supervisor.

Tried to Turn Auto

Sgt. May was hurt when he turned onto the Hanover Street Bridge in order to stop at a police telephone booth [call box]. A Curtis Bay Streetcar, on which Mr. Frederick Vickers was the motorman, struck the Coupe.

After treatment at the South Baltimore General Hospital, Sgt. May was sent home, but his condition became worse, and he was returned to the hospital on January 1, 1928.

Dr. Otto M. Reinhardt, coroner of the Southern District Police Stationhouse, had been notified of the Sergeant's death.

Patrolman Peters has been under treatment for a fracture to his leg. The truck that struck him took him to the hospital.

As we take this time to remember Sergeant May and thank him for his service and sacrifice, we, his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department, want him to know that we will not let him be forgotten. God bless you and rest in peace. 

‬
As we take this time to remember Sergeant May and thank him for his service and sacrifice, we, his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department, want him to know that we will not let him be forgotten. God bless you and rest in peace.

The Hanover Street Bridge

The Hanover Street Bridge—oofficially renamed on May 30, 1993, the "Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge"—is a bascule bridge crossing the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River along Hanover Street [Md Rt 2] in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

To transport goods from Richard Cromwell's orchard in Anne Arundel County to downtown Baltimore, he built the mile-long "Long Bridge" in 1856.

The Hanover Street Bridge connects the southern base of the industrialized South Baltimore to the neighborhoods of Cherry Hill and Brooklyn. The bridge carries five lanes of traffic: two northbound, two southbound, and one reversible. It employs a lane control system and carries two sidewalks on either side.

This bridge is a reinforced cantilever bridge in the Beaux Arts style that John E. Greiner designed and built in 1916. It is known for its beautiful arches as it spans the water. In the center of the bridge is a drawbridge span surrounded on four corners by classic-style towers, which lend it a distinctive appearance. The bridge is 2,290 feet long. As of January 2016, the bridge is in a state of disrepair. Riddled with numerous potholes, some exposing the rebar below,.

On May 30, 1993, Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke officially renamed the bridge the "Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge.".

#‎BPDNeverForget

On this day in Baltimore Police History 1935, we lost our brother, Police Officer Arthur H. Malinofski, to gunfire based on the following:

Officer Malinofski was discovered several feet from his patrol car, dead from two gunshot wounds. A milkman discovered the body lying on the ground on Main Avenue near Gwynn Oak Avenue at approximately 4 a.m. According to news reports at the time, “it was about 4 o’clock when Patrolman Malinofski, flashlight in hand, parked his car on a lot just off Maine Avenue and began a routine inspection of rear doors. The beam of his light, General Gaither, Commissioner of Police, surmised, fell on ‘somebody doing something he shouldn’t have been doing.’ Caught in the flood of light, that'somebody' fired at the patrolman before the latter had a chance to reach for his gun, which hung in a holster from his hip. This was possible, the police said, for the holster was untouched, the gun not moved and ‘no good officer who arrests a man would continue to hold his flashlight in his hand.’ Patrolmen Anthony Staylor and Henry Levinson arrested the suspect, Oscar Norfolk, 30. Lieutenant Edward Hitzelberger questioned Mr. Norfolk before booking him as "suspected of assault and shooting." Off. Malinofski's wife Gladys survived him and he had nine years of service with the police.

MAN ARRESTED AS SUSPECT IN POLICE MURDER Nov 1, 1935

Said To Have Long Criminal Record; Quizzed At Northwestern High FOR FURTHER QUESTIONING TODAY Patrolman Malinofski Shot Through Heart Early Yesterday

MAN ARRESTED AS SUSPECT IN POLICE MURDER Nov 1, 1935

Said To Have Long Criminal Record; Quizzed At Northwestern High FOR FURTHER QUESTIONING TODAY Patrolman Malinofski Shot Through Heart Early Yesterday

A man arrested early this morning was docketed as James Snail, 1000 block Walbrook Avenue.

SEARCH FOR POLICE SLAYER CONTINUES November 2, 1935

Six Suspects In Malinofski Slaying Released After Questioning QUIZZED BY MINTIENS Detective Captain Reports More Than 100 Persons Have Telephoned With "Tips" On Case

DISREGARDS THIRD MALINOFSKI BULLET December 15, 1935

Lieut. Coll calls the discovery of a pellet in the door jamb to be of "no significance," but tests reveal that the policeman's killer fired a slug from a pistol.

The finding yesterday of a third bullet at the scene of the murder of Patrolman Arthur Malinofski is "of no significance," according to Lieutenant James Coll, of the Northwestern district, after the bullet had been turned over to him.

Off. Malinofski was checking businesses on the midnight shift near Maine Ave. and Gwynn Oak Avenue. As he was checking businesses, he came upon a man trying to pry open a rear door to one of them. The man spun around and fired two shots, striking the officer. A milkman making deliveries nearby was drawn to the gunfire and discovered Off. Malinofski laying near the curb. He died from his wounds shortly thereafter. 

As his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department, we will not let him be forgotten. His service honored the City of Baltimore and the Baltimore Police Department. May he rest in peace, and may God bless him.

Turnkey, John J. Lanahan  
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On this day in Baltimore Police History, July 3, 1919, we lost our brother, Police Officer John J. Lanahan, to gunfire based on the following:

Turnkey John Lanahan's tragic shooting death by a prisoner on July 3, 1919, signaled the end of his life. Prior to this incident, Lanahan had gained significant recognition for his role in an unforgettable event involving the renowned escape artist Harry Houdini. In 1916, Lanahan became widely known for successfully securing Houdini in shackles, handcuffs, chains, etc. before placing him and securing a jail cell in the Baltimore Police Department's Central District, a jail cell from which the master of escape managed to free himself, captivating audiences worldwide. This jail cell escape was a publicity stunt to gain attention for the straightjacket escape Harry would be doing the next day. That escape drew crowds of upwards of 50,000 men, women, and children who jammed shoulder to shoulder in downtown Baltimore to see Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist, give the greatest free show that up until that time the city had never seen. The anticipation and excitement surrounding Houdini's pending straitjacket escape reached a fevered pitch as word spread throughout the city. People from all walks of life eagerly awaited the spectacle, excited to witness firsthand the incredible skills of the renowned magician. The atmosphere was electric, with an air of anticipation and wonder that only Houdini could create.

BURGLAR KILLS TURNKEY

Newspapers of the times reported on July 4, 1919, p. . 14

Turnkey John J. Lanahan, 57 years old, of the Central Police Station, whose home is at 2028 Robb St., Northeast Baltimore, was shot to death at 8:55 o'clock yesterday morning [3 July 1919] by Frank Wozniak, 31 years old, an unnaturalized Russian pole, who the night before burglarized the office of the American Railway Express Company's office at Sudbrook, on the Western Maryland Railroad.

The murder of Turnkey Lannahan happened before the eyes of Lieutenant . W. F. Klinefelter, and patrolmen Crass and Traupe had taken Wozniak to the police station for examination as to his possession of watches and jewelry. Which he was trying to dispose of to a Harrison Street secondhand dealer.

Two shots were fired by the pole, one entering Turnkey Lanahan's breast and the other going through the open window of a petition and lodging into a plastered wall of the signal operator's office.

Headquarters Detective J. F. Dougherty, of the homicide squad, in making an investigation after the shooting, obtained information indicating that Wozniak fired the shots with the idea of affecting his escape after realizing that imprisonment was unavoidable.

Slayer admits Robberies

The Pole was questioned yesterday afternoon by Capt. A. L. League of the Central District, and he admitted that for several weeks he had gone out on thieving expeditions.

He confessed that he went to the Sudbrook Station Wednesday night, broke into the office, and rifled express packages, seeking money or jewelry. He made his escape with two boxes containing watches, and when he attempted to sell the watches yesterday, Patrolman Crass arrested him. Crass did not call for the patrol wagon, and as the prisoner offered no resistance, he walked him to the police station.

Wozniak was before the desk in the usual manner, and there was nothing in his attitude to indicate that he contemplated either escape or attack. He gave his name, age, and the address of 1637 Eastern Ave. He said later, however, that he had not lived at the Eastern Avenue address for several weeks, and his statement was verified by the police of the Eastern District.

Lieut. Kleinfelder called turnkey Lannahan, and in his usual jovial, sympathetic manner, Lannahan approached the prisoner.

"Come, my boy, that's me. See what you've got," said the turnkey as he raised Wozniak's hand and started to feel the pockets of his coat. At this juncture, patrolman Crash was standing a few feet from the prisoner, and patrolman Ttraupe was standing at the entrance to the core door leading to the lockup. Patrolman Kerns and Kelly, housemen, were behind the desk, and Capt. League was at his desk.

Backs away and fires

As Turnkey Lannahan raised his hands Wozniak backed away, drew a pistol from his right hip pocket, and fired two shots. One bullet struck the turnkey, and the other struck the wall. Crass and Troupe pounced upon Wozniak, and Capt. League withdrew a pistol and ran from his desk. The prisoner was beaten into helplessness and was dragged away. His arms were held by four policemen.

The pistol was taken from his hand, and a second weapon was taken from his pocket. 20 bullets were found in another pocket. The central ambulance was on a call, but no time was lost in getting turnkey Lannahan to Mercy Hospital. Policemen carried him to the automobile of Frank H. Cook, 318 North Charles St., and Mr. Cook sped to Mercy Hospital. Dr. Eustace H. Allen, of the surgical staff, pronounced turnkey Lannahan dead. The bullet penetrated his heart, causing an internal hemorrhage.

Had it not been for the manner in which Wozniak was overpowered by the patrolman troupe and Crass, the murderer of the turnkey would have been shot by Capt. League. The prisoner was badly mauled, and he was taken to Mercy Hospital to have his injuries attended to. After being returned to the police station, he was questioned.

Statement made by Paul

"I am a native of Wienstow, Russian Poland, and I have no relatives in this country," was told Capt. League. "I came here in 1914 and landed in New York, where I lived for several months; later, I went to Cumberland, Maryland, and I have worked on farms in Western Maryland. I came to Baltimore two years ago but never had a regular home here. I used to stop at the home of a friend on Eastern Avenue, near Broadway. I am a member of no organization, and I have never taken out any form of naturalization papers. I can't say why I shot the man, and I don't know why I pulled the pistol from my pocket."

Jewelry was found in Wozniak's pocket, and he admitted that he had robbed homes in the neighborhood of Back River. He also said that he was formally employed at a South Baltimore shipbuilding plant. Questioned about the burglary at Sudbrook station by the postal inspector Brill, Wozniak said that he went to the station Wednesday night and entered the place by breaking open a window. He got boxes of watches consigned by a New York firm to Robert Corbett and his son at Pikesville.

Marshall Carter and members of the police board were shocked when they heard of the murder of Turnkey Lannahan. Gen. Riggs and police Commissioner E. F. Burke are cognizant of the work required of a turnkey because of their visits to the police stations at night. Gen. Riggs has often witnessed the difficulties experienced by turnkeys and footmen of patrols in the handling of prisoners.

Turnkey Lannahan was regarded as one of the most efficient turnkeys in the department. He was known particularly because of his kindness and consideration for prisoners, and he always tried to cheer them on and make things as easy as possible for them while in his custody. He was appointed to the department 19 years ago. He had been one of the alternating turnkeys at the central police station for seven years. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Mary Lannahan, two sons, who are in the armed forces of the United States, and two daughters.

States attorney Harry W. Nice, coroner W. T. Reilly of the Central District, and assistant state's attorney Siegel conducted the inquest held at the central police station last night. The witnesses included Lieutenant . W. F. Kleinfelder, Patrolman Crass, Troupe, Turns, and Kelly, all of the central district, and Dr. H. J. Mauled, who performed the postmortem examination. He told the jury that the bullet caused internal hemorrhaging and that it struck the turnkey's heart and left lung.

The jury, of which John A. McDivitt was foreman, found that "turnkey Jay. Jay. Lanahan came to his death on July 3, 1919, at 9 AM from a gunshot wound at the hand of Frank Wozniak." Comments were prepared, and Wozniak was committed to jail pending his trial in the criminal court. Wozniak was brought before the jury, but he said, "He was in no condition to make a statement."

Because of the seriousness of the crime, State Attorney Nice declared that the case would be set for trial early in September and that no delay would interfere.

More Details

Officer Johnny LaGrone

Accidental Death: Off-Duty Officer Shot and Killed Accidentally On June 28, 1984, Officer Johnny LaGrone, Southwestern District, tragically lost his life due to gunshot wounds he received while off duty. Officer LaGrone, a 2-year veteran, was in the process of moving from his residence when an 8-year-old child obtained possession of his service revolver and shot him with it. Even though responding officers and Fire Department medical technicians did everything possible to aid the stricken officer, he died a short time later at the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services.

Reported in the Baltimore Sun
29 June 1984

Officer Is Shot to Death; Boy, 8, Is Questioned

An off-duty Baltimore Police officer was fatally shot yesterday [June 28, 1984] while at a friend’s apartment in Southwest Baltimore, City Police reported.

After an eight-hour search, police located an 8-year-old boy believed by investigators to be the only person in the apartment when Officer Johnny L. LaGrone, Junior, 37, was shot once in the chest, said Officer Arlene Jenkins, a City Police Spokeswoman.

The boy, who was found walking alone on Liberty Heights Avenue in West Baltimore about 11 PM, had been sought since the time of the shooting. He was taken to the police headquarters for questioning. Officer LaGrone was shot with his service revolver about 2:44 PM while at an apartment in the 2200 block of Tucker Lane, but he was able to call the police to say that he had been injured, Officer Jenkins said.

Officer LaGrone, who joined the force two and a half years earlier, died about 4 PM at the Shock Trauma Unit at University Hospital.

Details of the shooting were sketchy last night, but Officer Jenkins gave this account:

Shortly after 2:30 PM, a neighbor told police she heard the sound of gunfire, after which a young boy ran from the apartment of the officer’s friend. Also, LaGrone followed the youngster but collapsed in front of the apartment building.

Officer LaGrone’s service revolver was found in the grass outside the apartment, Officer Jenkins said.

According to investigators, the officer's friend, the mother of the boy who ran from the apartment, was at work at the time of the shooting.

The woman, contacted by police, agreed to help locate her son.

Officer LaGrone was assigned to the Southwestern District. He had been scheduled to work the 4 PM to midnight shift yesterday, Officer Jenkins said.

In March of the same year, Officer LaGrone shot and killed a man while off-duty as the officer tried to break up a fight on Interstate 95 in the Arbutus section of Baltimore County.

According to Baltimore County police, as Officer LaGrone was on his way home from work, he saw several men fighting alongside the highway. The officer stopped his car and tried to stop the fight. One of the men lunged at the officer with a knife, cutting the patrolman on his left wrist. Then, Officer LaGrone told the police, he drew his revolver and fired several warning shots. At this point, the knife-wielding man kept coming at the officer, who said he fired several shots again, which struck the motorist, county police said. Officer LaGrone was not charged in the incident.

This is the official history site of the Baltimore Police Department. It depicts the history of the department as it was originally conceived and told by the retired officer, William M. Hackley. Sadly, Officer Hackley passed away on March 15, 2012, leaving his site to Ret. Det. Kenny Driscoll. It took a month or so to take full responsibility for the site and its content. The thoughts and use of certain items, terms, sounds, and implications are not necessarily those that would be agreed upon by the Baltimore Police Department as an official government agency. Likewise, we do not seek their permission or approval to post the things we post, and as such, nothing on these pages should be held against them.

The intent of this site is more than just to tell our history; it is to have everyone remember our injured and fallen heroes, those who, in the performance of their duties, were called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice.

So as you surf these pages, you will see the Baltimore Police Department from its infancy, showing the crude methods of policing in the 1700's through the 1800's and becoming the modern, highly efficient department that it has become today.

Enjoy the site for what it is: a rendition of the proud history of one of this country’s finest police departments, one for which those of us who have worked it are proud of and honored to have served. The many men and women that still proudly serve, and those that someday will serve.

Officer Robert Kuhn

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On this day 1965, we lost our brother, Officer Robert Kuhn, to gunfire based on the following:

On July 22, 1965, at the intersection of North Avenue and Ellamont Street, Officer Robert Kuhn observed a car double-parked. He approached the vehicle and found it empty. As he looked inside the car, a suspect approached him from behind. The suspect shot Kuhn six times with a pistol. The suspect than took Officer Kuhn's service revolver from his holster and shot him six more times. police eventually killed the suspect. investigation revealed that the suspect had narcotics inside of his vehicle. Officer Kuhn served in the U.S. Marine Corps from September 24, 1962, to March 23, 1963. He was active in the Marine Corps Reserves until the time of his death.

For more information, we have pulled the following two news articles from the time of this incident:

2 KILLINGS LAID
TO DAVID COOPER
Kuhn's and Nephew's Deaths
Charged After Meeting
By George J. Hiltner

David Cooper, 45, of the 2900 block Westwood Avenue, was charged by police yesterday with shooting and killing Western District Patrolman Robert H Kuhn early Thursday morning (July 22, 1965) Six other charges, including the shooting and killing of William Cooper, his 29-year-old nephew, also filed against Cooper. All were marked “Abated by death” since the accused man also died after police arrested him for the spree. The charges included three assaults on his arresting officers, Patrolman John Hess, James Griffin and Robert Powell: one charge of possessing marijuana, one charge of possessing three deadly weapons,.22 and.38 caliber pistols, and a blackjack.

Decided at Conference
The decision to institute charges against the elder Mr. Cooper and to accuse no one in connection with his death was made yesterday in a high-level conference attended by Charles E. Moylan. State's attorney, Capt. Wade Poole, of the Western District; Lt. Anton Glover, of the homicide squad, and Sgt. Hobert Lewis, also of homicide. Mr. Moylan stated that he also conferred with Dr. Charles S. Petty, assistant medical examiner for Maryland. The Slate's attorney complimented the Police Department for the "superlative job that had been done in piecing together the

Narrative of what occurred in the early morning hours of Thursday. “Mr. Moylan then said: “it appears incomprehensible that David Cooper shot officer: at least five times in the body, thereby causing his death. “Three pellets were recovered from the body of Officer Kuhn and a total of 15 gunshot wounds were found on his body. The attack was clearly unprovoked, as Officer Kuhn was simply making a car check for double parking on a 3100 block of W. North Ave. “It also appears that David Cooper was responsible for the death of his nephew, William Cooper. Some minutes after shooting Officer Kuhn, the elder Cooper shot the nephew three times in the right temple with a .22 caliber revolver, thereby causing his death. This revolver was recovered on Cooper at the time of his arrest. No charges will be placed against anyone for the death of David Cooper himself. Dr. Petty found Cooper to be suffering from advanced case of heart disease showing both an enlarged heart and significant clogging of the arteries. “The cardiac condition was such that any excessive strain might have well brought on the heart attack.

Cooper exerted extreme exertions of energy in the shooting of the officer, the apparent struggle with his nephew, his later violent resistance to the arrest on the street in the 1600 block of St. Stephen Street, in the cruising patrol going to Lutheran hospital and in the Lutheran hospital itself, where he had to be physically restrained at the request of the doctors. “Cooper also was suffering from two gunshot wounds, one in the left elbow and one in the right ankle. It appeared that the gunshot wound inflicted by his own .22-caliber revolver during the struggle between him and his nephew, which resulted in the nephew’s death. “At no time did any police officer in the case even drawl, let alone use his service revolver.

Blood on the blackjack “there were also superficial abrasions about Cooper’s head, some of which were certainly caused when the officers had to restrain him as he struggled to obtain possession of his .22-caliber revolver, some of which may have been inflicted by his nephew, who had a homemade blackjack accessible to him, which was found on the rear seat of Cooper’s automobile. “It should be pointed out that when the officers first approached David Cooper on St. Stephen’s Street, they noticed that he already had blood on his head and shirt and the blood was also found on the blackjack in the automobile. “At any rate, the abrasions were a very minor contributing factor at most since the autopsy showed no skull fracture of any sort and no blood clotting at all in the area of the brain.”

Ballistics Report 
Mr. Moylan further explained that the uncle, in his first contact with patrolman Kuhn, used another weapon, a 38-caliber pistol. And emptied it into the body of the police victim. Then he used a 22-caliber revolver to fire at the nephew and it was this weapon with which he himself was shot during the struggle with the younger relative, the State’s attorney said. This reconstruction of events is borne out by the finding of police ballistics expert yesterday that the 38-caliber bullets recovered from the body of patrolman Kuhn were fired from the weapon which David Cooper abandoned in the car. Ballistics findings also verified the bullets taken from the body of William Cooper were fired from a 22-caliber gun.

David Cooper Due Charge of Murder
Chief Inspector says only change in facts or alter plans
The Police Department’s chief inspectors said last night that, barring new developments, the department expects to charge David Cooper with the murders of patrolman Robert Henry Kuhn and William Cooper early yesterday morning.
David Cooper died at 3:05 AM yesterday. Two hours after the shooting of the 23-year-old policeman and the discovery of William Cooper’s body slumped in the back seat of a car a few blocks away,.
George J Murphy the chief inspector said he felt the facts that have been gathered so far in the case suggest David Cooper was responsible for the two shootings.

Await Ballistic Reports
He said that if no new facts come in late, the department expects to file police murder charges against the elder Cooper. A definite decision on the charge could not be made yesterday. Because the results of the ballistics and fingerprint tests essential to the investigation will not be available until today. The charge, if made, will be academic in any case. In technical language, it will be ABATED by the death of the defendant

Inspector Murphy's statement came at the end of the day of intensive investigation into the shooting of patrolman Kuhn and the subsequent death that followed. investigation was hampered by the fact that there were no direct eyewitnesses accounting of any of the three shootings and that all of the principles were dead.

Scene Reconstructed
However, as new facts dribbled into the investigation, officers gradually built up a convincing picture of the scene that resulted in the shooting of patrolman Kuhn of the 3300 block of Glen arm Avenue. Police felt certain the patrolman, Kuhn, was shot to death with a 22-caliber revolver by David Cooper, 45, of the 2900 block of Westwood Avenue. After the officer stopped him in the 3100 block of W. North Ave. about 1:15 AM for a parking violation of routine check. A few minutes later, police theorized, David Cooper shot and killed his 29-year-old nephew, William R Cooper, of the 2300 block of Norfolk Street. When the younger man refused to cooperate with his uncle,.

David Cooper was arrested by police less than a half-hour after the shootings. He died at Lutheran hospital at 3:05 AM following a struggle with policeman in a patrol car.

15 Bullet Holes in Body
Dr. Charles S Petit Junior, assistant medical examiner, said yesterday afternoon that David Cooper died of a severe heart condition combined with the several injuries he had received. Dr. Petty said patrolman Kuhn died of gunshot wounds. He said 322 caliber bullets were found in his body and that there were 15 bullet holes in his body. William Cooper died of bullet wounds in the head caused by 322-caliber bullets. Dr. Petty said that the bullets that killed patrolman Kuhn might have come from the same gun with which William Cooper was shot but of that he could not be certain.
Only one witness, firefighter Carlos Down’s of the firehouse on North Avenue, observed a part of the scene.

Six Or Eight Shots
He told police that he was sitting at the desk in the firehouse when he heard a shot, got up and went to the door. About 90 feet away on the south side of North Avenue, he saw a man pointing a gun at the sidewalk in front of him Mr. Downs told police. He then heard six or eight shots in rapid succession. He said he thought at the time that the man was drunk and just shooting. Mr. Downs said at first he did not see what the man was shooting at. He said he saw the man with the gun get into the black and white convertible and drive east on North Avenue. Mr. Downs said the patrolman’s gun was still in his holster as he lay on the ground. He said the officer was still alive when he got to him, “moaning” and “bleeding real bad.”

Found Car And Body
a police dragnet was thrown around the area, and a patrol car a few minutes later found William Cooper laying in the back seat of a black and white convertible in the 1600 block of St. Stephen Street. While searching the car, police found a 38-caliber automatic and a handmade blackjack. A few minutes later, officers in another patrol car apprehended David Cooper, who was running in the 2000 Block Pressbury St. the officers report they saw blood on his hand and were certain when they arrested him.

He will forever be missed, but never forgotten by us, his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department. God bless you and rest in peace.

Officer Edward Kowalewski

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On this day in Baltimore Police History 1962, we lost our brother, Police Officer Edward J. Kowalewski, to Gunfire based on the following:

While attempting to assist a cab driver who was being robbed, Patrolman Kowalewski was shot and killed, He became the third Baltimore City Police Officer to be killed in 1962 -

The Following Sun Paper Article best describes the events of July 2, 1962

Suspect to be Charged
In Slaying of Policeman
July 3, 1962
Police said last night (2 July 1962) they will charge a suspect today in connection with the slaying of a city policeman who was shot when he attempted to help a wounded cab driver at North Avenue and Charles street yesterday. The dead officer is the third policeman killed in the line of duty this year. He was Patrolman Edward J. Kowalewski, a 35-year-old father of four children and an eight-year veteran of the department.

After receiving treatment for a bullet wound of the lower back at Maryland General Hospital. Mr. Rich had driven the suspect to Baltimore from Washington before the shooting. Washington police had issued a look out for a fugitive in an armed robbery that closely resembled the main custody, police said. The suspect, fleeing in another cab and pursued by a third cab, was captured by Patrolman Stanley Zawadski, a boyhood friend of slain officer at Orleans and Gay streets. Police said he was reloading his gun when taken into custody. Witnesses, including a hold-up victim and the victim of an attempted hold-up each from Washington, viewed the suspect in lineups at Police Headquarters yesterday afternoon. Police identified the man as Ray Allen Nixt, 40, a waiter with no home address. Officers said he was paroled recently from Folsom Prison in California after serving ten years of a life sentence for armed robbery.
Cab drivers credited with aiding in the capture were Zonnie Wisc., 34, who chased the fugitive and picked up Patrolman Zawadski on the way; Charles L Wise, who was forced at gunpoint to drive him away from the shooting scene and later disarmed him, and Charles II. Miller, 33, who saw the Hashing light alarm on the commandeered vehicle and forced it to the curb.

Patrolman Kowalewski whose home was at 1231 Church Street, Curtis Bay, will be given an inspector’s funeral Friday
Services will be held at 9:15 AM at the William S. Fialkowski Funeral establishment. 4200 Pennington Avenue, followed by a requiem mass at 10 a.m. at St. Athanasius Church, at Prudence and Church streets. Two other officers killed this year were Patrolman Henry Smith, Jr., killed April 7 while trying to break up a dice game in the 700 block of West Lexington Street, and Mid Patrolman Richard Seebo killed May 26 by a motorist he stopped in the 300 block of East Twentieth Street.

We, his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department, will not let him be forgotten. God bless you and rest in peace.

Police Officer Frederick K. Kontner

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On this day in Baltimore Police History On February 10,, 1967, we lost our Brother Police officer, Frederick K. Kontner, to gunfire based on the following: Policeman Kontner, who was 27, died at 10:30 a.m. on February 10, 1967, at Union Memorial hospital of shock and infection caused by three gunshot wounds from a fleeing suspect on January 25, 1967, and internal injuries that became infected, causing his death.

The Sun (1837–1987); Feb 11, 1967; entitled Patrolman Kontner Rites
pg

POLICEMAN WAS SHOT DURING A CHASE OF A NARCOTIC SUSPECT WHO WAS LATER SLAIN

Funeral services for Patrolman Frederick Kenneth Kontner, a city policeman who was shot by a fleeing suspect on January 25, will be held at 10 AM Tuesday at Zion United Church of Christ, Harford road and Iona Terrace.

Policeman Kontner, who was 27, died at 10:30 AM yesterday at Union Memorial hospital of shock and infection caused by three gunshot wounds and internal injuries. He lived at White Hall, Maryland.

COMMENDED FOUR TIMES
Patrolman Kontner was shot in the left arm, chest, and abdomen by a former patient of the Patuxent Institute whom police were questioning about narcotics. The suspect, Donald Leo Sabutas, was killed shortly afterward, followed by a barrage of police gunfire.

A six-year veteran of the police force, patrolman Kontner had been commended four times.

A native of Baltimore, patrolman Kontner was graduated from City College in 1957. He also studied pre-law for a year in Baltimore.

A former member of the Marine reserves, he entered basic training July 1, 1956, and was discharged from active duty at Camp Lejeune as a Pfc. on January 1, 1957.

GENERAL TOUR Creator
After joining the police force December 29, 1960, he was assigned briefly to the traffic division. He was transferred to the northern district 16 March 16, 1961, where he remained for six years of duty. He was assigned to cruising patrol 5, which focuses the entire Northern District but focuses particularly in an area bounded by Greenmount and Pennsylvania and North Avenues and 33rd St.

He received official commendations in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. The commendations were for his work in arresting three school burglary suspects, three suspects later convicted of assault and robbery, and three home burglary suspects later found guilty of attempted burglary.

SAW SUSPICIOUS ACTION
His wife, a former Mary Lou Moniewski, worked as a police clerk in the central records Bureau from February 25, 1960, until October 6.

HE WAS A MEMBER THE ZION UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST.
The bullet wound which led to Patrolman Kontner’s death came after police saw a transaction at North Avenue in Calvert Street, which made them suspect narcotics.

The patrol car, in which Patrolman Kontner was riding, followed the suspect as they ran north at about 8:30 PM January 25.

Patrolman Kontner was shot as he chased the suspect behind the old Department Of Motor Vehicles building, now the State Office Buildings.
Sabutas was cornered and gunned down by police after he sought refuge in a stopped car, carrying eight passengers, on 23rd St. near Guilford Avenue.

Sabutas was later charged with assaulting Patrolman Kontner, but charges were abated because of the suspect’s death.

The Patuxent Institute later revealed that Sabutas had been released from its treatment against the recommendations of the staff psychiatrist.
Besides his wife, Patrolman Kontner is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick H Kontner, of Baltimore, and his grandmother, Mrs. Robert Davis of Bishop of Maryland.

We take this time to remember him and thank him for his service and sacrifice. We, his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department, will not let him be forgotten. God bless you and Rest in Peace

Baltimore Sun Article dated November 2, 1967 

A man who shot and wounded a Northern district policeman last night on a parking lot in the 2100 block of Guilford Avenue was killed minutes later in a barrage of police shotgun fire… Patrolman Kontner and Patrolman Raymond

A slave gunman was Treated at Patuxent

Newspapers reported on 27, 1967; pg. C24    

Psychiatrists opposed release of Officers assailants

The 27-year-old man killed in a burst of police bullets Wednesday night after being critically wounded by a city policeman had been released from the Patuxent institution against the recommendation of a staff psychiatrist.

Donald Leo Sabutas, the dead man, was described in the criminal court hearing on his release in October 1966 as being “rather severely disturbed and schizoid, and grossly immature and [having] the potential to do real bodily harm.”

The policeman he shot, patrolman Frederick K. Kontner, of the northern district, remained on the critical list at Union Memorial Hospital yesterday after surgery for four gunshot wounds.

A hospital official said the officer was “improving” and had received numerous blood transfusions during the day. He was in the hospital’s intensive care unit with wounds to the chest, abdomen, and left arm.

Charges dropped

Meanwhile, charges of assaulting three policemen and intending to murder them against Sabutas, of the 2600 block of N. Calvert St., were dropped in northern Municipal Court because of his death.

Sabutas was killed by police bullets and gunshot fire as he scrambled to get out of a car parked on 23rd St. near Guilford Avenue minutes after he shot patrolman Kontner in the parking lot of the old department of motor vehicles building in the 2100 block of Guilford Avenue.

The chain of shooting started when Sabutas and his companions were stopped by patrolman Kontner and another officer for suspicion of a narcotic violation. Sabutas and his two companions had been seen at North Avenue and Calvert Street with two other men, who fled when they saw police.

Lieutenant . James Cadden, of the homicide squad, said Sabutas had been questioned about narcotics usage in 1962 after being arrested on suspicion of committing a larceny.

But officials at the Patuxent Institute, from which Sabutas was released last October after three years, said they had no evidence “that he ever had a narcotic problem or ever used narcotics.”

Patuxent officials also described the background of Sabutas, a ninth-grade dropout with a long record of criminal convictions.

Released: October 19th

Forced Calhoun, Junior., Assistant superintendent of Patuxent, said Sabutas was released 19 October 19, despite the recommendations of Dr. Giovanni C. Croce, a staff psychiatrist, that Sabutas should be kept there longer.

Mr. Calhoun read a psychiatric report written when Sabutas was set free. In part, it was read:

“If released to a free society and this patient is placed in a conflicting or frustrating situation over which he has little or no control, he would have a tendency to revert to his formal mode of antisocial behavior.”

The report described Sabutas as still being a defective delinquent, the status under which he was sent to Patuxent after a burglary conviction early in 1963.

The report concluded that Sabutas “has the potential to become an even more severe danger to society” because of “aggravated antisocial behavior.”

When at Patuxent, Mr. Calhoun said Sabutas had made a reasonable adjustment to the institution, finishing his high school education and showing aptitude enough to become an instructor in welding. He had taken vocational training there.

Still, Mr. Calhoun added, the institution staff thought Sabutas overall improvement in three years had been superficial and that he was not ready for release, even under supervision.”

Tangled with law at age 16

Sabutas tangled with the law for the first time when he was just 16 and was sent to the Maryland training school for boys on a conviction of assault with a deadly weapon.

In November 1956, he was given four years in the Maryland state reformatory in Hagerstown for the same charge. While there, he participated in 17 violations of prison rules, most of them fights.

He had also served time in the house of corrections for assault, cutting and larceny. Three days after he was released on the second sentence,. On November 13, 1962, he was arrested for the burglary that eventually sent him to Patuxent.

Two others being held

Yesterday police release two men arrested within an hour after patrolman Kontner was shot. They were a 21-year-old sheet metal worker and a 22-year-old crab House employee and were arrested for questioning in the case.

One of two pistols taken from Sabutas after he shot it out with police getting out of the car had been used in a tavern hold-up on the second of January this year, police said.

The second gun had been taken from patrolman Raymond Tartel L of the northern district. Patrolman Kontner’s partner was in a patrol wagon they were driving in. A charge against Sabutas of taking the pistol was also dropped yesterday because of his death.