William C. Downing

Death by Force

In the winter of 1901, the life of William C. Downing, a 32-year-old Special Policeman, was cut short in Denver, Colorado. Employed by the Union Pacific Railroad Police for five years, he was tasked with patrolling the railroad yards, a vital and often dangerous duty. As a U.S. Army veteran of the Spanish-American War, Downing was no stranger to risk, but the threat he would face on Tuesday, January 29, 1901, was not from an adversary.

While on duty in the Union Pacific Railroad yards, so ...Read More

Special Policeman William C. Downing