William C. Downing

Death by Force

Special Policeman William C. Downing, a 32-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army from the Spanish-American War, met his untimely death on January 29, 1901, in the Union Pacific Railroad yards in Denver, Colorado. The incident was not the result of a confrontation with a suspect or any malicious intent, but rather an accidental discharge of his own revolver.

On the day of the incident, Downing was attempting to board a boxcar located between 22nd Street and 23rd Street within the railroad ya ...Read More

Special Policeman William C. Downing