On June 25, 1910, Patrolman James H. Carroll of the Lynn Police Department in Lynn, Massachusetts, lost his life in a tragic and violent incident. Carroll, who was 55 years old and had served on the force for 28 years, was assigned to escort a partner from the Landregan and Welch Shoe Company as he picked up the company's payroll, which amounted to approximately $5,000 to $6,000.
As Carroll and the businessman left the bank, they were followed by three armed robbers.
The confrontation escalated at the intersection of Oxford and Willow streets, where the robbers attacked. The businessman was shot first, and then the robbers turned their guns on Patrolman Carroll. Both men were severely injured and lay on the ground as the robbers continued to fire at them, emptying their weapons into the victims.
The incident was witnessed by numerous people inside an adjacent shoe factory. In a dramatic response, the factory workers began pelting the fleeing robbers with shoes, cutters, knives, and scraps of iron. During their escape, the robbers shot another civilian in the leg, mistakenly believing him to be a plainclothes policeman.
As the robbers were being surrounded by law enforcement, one of them committed suicide, another was shot in the hand during a subsequent gun battle, and the third managed to escape initially. However, this escaping robber was later tracked down and shot and killed by other officers after he opened fire on them.
The captured robber, who had been shot in the hand, was taken into custody and later convicted of murder and robbery. He was executed on March 7, 1911, for his role in the crime.
Patrolman James H. Carroll's death was a significant loss for the community and the police department, marking the end of a dedicated career in law enforcement. His sacrifice and the bravery of the factory workers who intervened during the robbery are remembered to this day.
