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Case Description
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Charles Hartsell Smelser, a 33-year-old police officer in Hot Springs, North Carolina, tragically died on March 28, 1900. Smelser was attempting to arrest three intoxicated men who had been causing chaos in the town by shooting at citizens. When Smelser confronted one of the men and tried to place him under arrest, another man intervened and held Smelser at bay with a shotgun. During the struggle, the first man seized Smelser's service revolver and shot him in the head.
The incident did ...Read More
The incident did ...Read More
Links to Additional Sources (2)
See any mistakes?Victim Details
Charles Hartsell Smelser
Male
Hot-springs
NC
1900-03-28
33
Charles
Smelser
11/09/2025
Forum Posts (3)
I’ve been thinking a lot about Charles Hartsell Smelser's dedication in the face of danger, and it... ...Read More
11/14/2024
11/14/2024
I recently stumbled upon some old newspaper articles while researching the tragic death of Officer C... ...Read More
06/01/2023
06/01/2023
Has anyone looked into how law enforcement officers were trained back in 1900? I can't help but wond... ...Read More
03/09/2023
03/09/2023
