Circumstances

In the early hours of September 19, 1895, Constable Alexander Wright was called to a store on Bartholomew Street owned by Mr. James Curran. Mr. Curran reported that his store had been entered and the safe broken into. Approximately $500 was stolen.

Constable Wright and Mr. Curran proceeded to a barn at the northeast corner of the town where vagrants were known to congregate. On arriving, Constable Wright observed three men who, when they saw the officer, began to run away across a field. Constable Wright gave chase on foot, and at one point fired a warning shot from his revolver. Mr. Curran followed along and came across Constable Wright, who had been well ahead of him. Constable Wright was found slumped against a fence dead.

Postscript

Assistance was called and a doctor attended the scene. A coroner’s inquest that date concluded that Constable Wright had died as a result of a heart attack.