Gone, but not forgotten....121 years later

Time does not diminish our respect for you, Sir. You are still thought of and honored for your heroism and service today -- 121 years later. Thank you for your service and sacrifice to protect the citizens of Charlotte.                               

~ Officer James "Jimmy" Moran ~

End of Watch - April 4, 1892 

On April 4, 1892, the City of Charlotte and the Charlotte Police Department lost their very first police officer in the line of duty -- 121 years ago this month.
  

Officer Moran and his partner, Officer Killough, were on patrol on Saturday, April 2, 1892, when they saw two men walking on North Tryon Street carrying bags of flour. When the officers approached the men, one man began to run away. Officer Killough chased the fleeing suspect, while Officer Moran stayed with the other man. As Officer Moran talked to the second suspect, the man pulled out a gun and shot him. Officer Moran was taken to his home where he succumbed to his injuries two days later. Officer Moran was born in Ireland and immigrated to the United States. He was the first Charlotte Police officer to die in the line of duty. Officer Moran had been with the agency for three years. He was 60 years old.

As I was writing this post, I couldn't help but think what life must have been like in 1892. When Officer Moran was shot, he was taken to his home....not to a hospital. Charlotte's two main hospitals, Presbyterian Hospital and Carolinas Medical Center, were not yet in existence. Presbyterian was built in 1903 and Carolinas Medical Center in 1940. I'm not even sure how far the closest hospital was, but I doubt Officer Moran would have survived the journey with the transportation limitations back then. I also thought about the grieving family.     

Click once on the picture to enlarge for easier reading.

Thank you to my friend, Kat, who has a passion for genealogy. She found this April 7, 1892 newspaper article from the Statesville Record and Landmark. If you're looking for past newspaper history, go to www.newspapers.com -- it's a great website.  

I was searching for a good police picture taken on or around 1892 and I found one in this book "Images of America CHARLOTTE AND MECKLENBURG COUNTY POLICE", but couldn't reach the author to grant permission to use it. It was a photo taken shortly after Officer Moran was killed. I will update this post should the permission come through.  

In the meantime, here is a picture of the book. If you enjoy police history, Charlotte history, or history in general, this is a great book.

Available at: www.arcadiapublishing.com or you can pick up a copy from your favorite bookstore.

ISBN: 9780738566719

Arcadia Publishing is a leader in local history publishing in the United States. If you're looking for a
history/picture book for your town, check them out! 

Credit for historical data in this post goes to the CMPD memorial page, Officer Down Memorial website, and the Statesville Landmark and Record.

♥