In the spring of 1891, the community of Jerome, Arizona, was unsettled by a sudden act of violence that claimed the life of one of its own lawmen. James Gabriel Hawkins, a 30-year-old White male, had been a Constable with the Yavapai County Constable's Office for only three months before his untimely death on Sunday, April 19, 1891. His death came at the hands of a prisoner in his custody, a local bookkeeper named Tom Gallagher.
The events leading to the fatal encounter began the day
before, on Saturday, when Gallagher, an employee of the United Verde Copper Co., was arrested on a charge of resisting an officer. Following his arrest, he was placed under the watch of Constable Hawkins, as Jerome had no jail at the time. Gallagher was scheduled for a court appearance and was to be guarded by Hawkins until then. For a period, Hawkins entrusted Gallagher to a deputy. It was during this time that Gallagher managed to acquire a pistol, which he concealed on his person.
On that fateful Sunday, as Constable Hawkins was escorting Gallagher to the courthouse, the prisoner made his move. Without warning, Gallagher drew the hidden handgun and fired a single shot directly into Hawkins' chest. The wound proved to be mortal, and Constable Hawkins died from his injury a few hours later. Deputy Sheriff Joseph Smarr transported Gallagher to Prescott, where he was handed over to the sheriff.
In the aftermath of the shooting, it was reported that Gallagher had been intoxicated for several days and was known to be quarrelsome when drinking. He offered little in the way of a statement, claiming only to have been drunk at the time of the incident. Despite the gravity of the crime, the legal proceedings that followed took an unexpected turn. Tom Gallagher was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Constable James Gabriel Hawkins, but he would only serve three years before being released.
