John A. Crane, a 37-year-old police officer with the Denison Police Department in Texas, tragically died on September 12, 1907, from complications related to a gunshot wound he sustained on November 10, 1901. Crane, who was of Caucasian ethnicity, was responding to a disturbance call around 1:00 a.m. when he was shot by George Puryear, a 19-year-old man from the Indian Territory .
Puryear had been drinking heavily and claimed he had been robbed at a bawdy house. As Crane approached the scene, Puryear, who was on horseback, turned and fired at him, hitting Crane in the leg above the knee. Puryear then fled to the Indian Territory, where he was later tracked down and killed by a posse of officers from Denison, Sherman, and Grayson County.
Crane's recovery was slow, and he eventually returned to work on light duty as a police clerk. However, in May 1907, he became bedridden due to the lingering effects of his wound and had to leave the department. Crane passed away from the effects of the gunshot wound, leaving behind his wife and two children. He was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Denison, Texas.
The incident led to no arrests or litigation, as Puryear was killed before he could be brought to justice. The case did not result in any further investigations or legal proceedings.
Crane's sacrifice and dedication to his duty are remembered by the Denison Police Department and the community he served.
