In the late summer of 1906, a dedicated lawman, Deputy Sheriff George A. Stillwell, met a tragic and untimely end. At the age of 27, he succumbed to gunshot wounds he had sustained fourteen days earlier while in the line of duty. The fatal encounter began when Deputy Stillwell was dispatched to a farm in Wading River, a community in close proximity to Calverton, with a warrant for the arrest of a man accused of trespassing.
Having successfully apprehended the suspect, Deputy Stillwell
placed the man in the back of his horse-drawn carriage and began the journey towards the court in Riverhead. However, as the carriage set in motion, the arrested man made a desperate bid for freedom, leaping from his seat and fleeing towards the nearby woods. As Deputy Stillwell turned to pursue him, the suspect produced a handgun and fired twice. The first bullet struck the deputy in the back of the neck, and the second hit him in the mouth. Despite his grievous injuries, Stillwell remained conscious as his assailant disappeared into the wilderness.
The wounded deputy was rushed to a local hospital where he underwent surgery, but his condition remained critical. For two weeks, he fought for his life, but ultimately, on August 10, 1906, he passed away. In the interim, a manhunt had been launched for his attacker. Eight days after the shooting, the suspect was located and taken into custody, initially facing charges of assault.
Following Deputy Stillwell's death, the charges against the perpetrator were upgraded to murder. In 1907, the man responsible for the deputy's death was tried and convicted of murder. He was subsequently sentenced to serve a life term in prison for his crime. Deputy Sheriff George A. Stillwell was survived by his wife.
