Honour Roll

1921-09-11

Age: n/a

On September 12, 1921, Constable Reg Pryer, a motorcycle officer, was responding to a noise complaint in the vicinity of King Street East and Holton Avenue. As he approached on King Street near Sanford Avenue, a pedestrian began to cross unexpectedly. Pryer blew his horn and swerved to miss the man but a collision was unavoidable. The motorcycle struck the pedestrian and then skidded into the curb, throwing Pryer head first into a telegraph pole. The pedestrian suffered minor injuries. Pryer was critically injured with a fractured skull and died three hours later at the General Hospital. A passing Roman Catholic priest gave him the last rites at the scene.

1921-08-28

Age: n/a

Cst. Beard was the night watchman for the Town of Napanee. While on his usual patrol of the town he found someone attempting to break into the rear of a merchant's store on Dundas Street. He walked down the alley and came upon three suspects lurking in the shadows. A shot was heard and upon the inspection of the alley by members of the public they found Richard dead from a gunshot. His weapon still in the holster. A few months later Kingston Police arrested three brothers for a string of drug store robberies and the wounding of one of their officers. They were later tried and convicted of the murder of Constable Beard.

1920-05-18

Age: 44

Apparently in perfect health, Chief Angus McLellan was attending to his duties in the police station until late on Saturday afternoon. At around 5pm, he complained of not feeling well, and a local Doctor attended at the station, then drove the Chief home where he was put to bed. He was semi conscious Sunday afternoon then sank into unconsciousness, from which he never recovered.

It was found through autopsy that an old head injury was responsible for his death. Seven years earlier, while working to quell a riot during a strike at the coal docks in Port Arthur, he was struck on the head with a club, resulting in serious head trauma. He suffered for years from this inury, which ultimately took his life.

Born in Scotland, he was 44 years of age and single at the time of his death.

1919-11-29

Age: 65

On November 29, 1919, Cst. Springstead was assigned the duty of keeping deathwatch on a condemned murderer in the Wentworth County Jail, in Hamilton. The prisoner was allowed in the corridor outside his cell, for exercise, with Cst. Springstead who was alone. The prisoner jumped Cst. Springstead, choking him from behind until he was unconscious, beating and kicking the defenseless officer, until he was dead.

Cst. Springstead was 65 years of age, married with four children, and had been a police officer with the County for 35 years.

1919-07-18

Age: 29

George was born in Ireland in 1889. He immigrated to Canada in 1912 where he joined the Canadian Pacific Railway Police as a Constable. He later resigned to answer the call to war in 1916. He returned to Canada and settled in Thunder Bay before leaving the Military in 1919. It was then that he became the Village Constable in Nipigon.

On July 18th, 1919, George was investigating a Break and Enter when he was ambushed and shot along the Canadian Pacific rail line west of Nipigon.

Constable Armstrong was 29 years of age and single at the time of his death.

1919-04-19

Age: 55

On the afternoon of April 19, 1919, Sergeant Samuel Arniel was escorting a man who was under arrest back to the police station. The prisoner began to struggle, attempting to break free and escape. Sergeant Arniel suffered a massive heart attack and died.

Born in Kingston, Ontario, he was 55 years of age and married at the time of his death

1918-11-19

Age: 24

While struggling to hold two men he had just arrested, Acting Detective Frank Williams was shot twice through the heart and killed instantly in the yard of William G. Cross livery stable, 687 King Street West at 1820 hours on November 19, 1918.

One of the men, Frank McCullough, age 26, was on parole from Burwash Prison in May 1913, was captured at the corner of King and Bathurst Streets, 75 yards from the scene of the shooting while attempting to escape.

Frank McCullough was charged with murder, found guilty and later hanged for his crime.

1913-0513

Age: 66

The steeple of the Knox Church was struck by lightening during a storm, setting the church on fire. Due to limitations of the fire pumps, the fire in the steeple could not be fought. Chief McCarthy and Cst. Hamilton were attempting to save articles from the Church when they were killed instantly when they were struck with a large 8 foot x 12 inch timber which fell from the steeple. The fire destroyed the church. Stratford Fire Chief Durkin was also killed in the fire. The Town was devastated. The Town Council declared a Municipal day of mourning closing business on the day of their funerals.

1913-05-13

Age: 46

Cst. Hamilton was called to a fire scene at a church and was struck by a falling piece of timber. He died instantly.

1907-03-13

Age: n/a

Cst. Pow was in pursuit of an escaped convict when his buggy crashed into a ditch near Beachville. He suffered a heart attack while trying to get the buggy out of the ditch. He was the former Chief of Police in Tilsonburg before moving into the Woodstock area.