In the dusty railroad town of Carlin, Nevada, a white male named Friend Ives Stone, a 45-year-old deputy constable, began his watch on the night of September 24, 1907. Beyond his duties as a peace officer for the small community, he also served as a night watchman for the sprawling Southern Pacific Railroad yards, a place of constant activity and occasional shadows. He had only been with the Carlin Police Department for six months, a relatively new face in the town's law enforcement.
That fateful evening, his attention was drawn to three suspicious individuals lurking within the labyrinth of train cars and tracks. Determined to investigate without being seen, Deputy Constable Stone, accompanied by another deputy, opted for a stealthy approach. He made the decision to crawl underneath a stationary railroad car to get a closer, unseen vantage point of the men. It was a choice that would have tragic and unforeseen consequences. As he moved beneath the heavy steel carriage, his service revolver slipped from its holster. The impact of the gun hitting the ground caused it to discharge, sending a single bullet into his chest.
The sudden, sharp report of the firearm broke the stillness of the railyard. His fellow deputy rushed to his side, and it was immediately clear that Stone was gravely wounded. Arrangements were made with urgency to transport him to the Bolling Hospital in the nearby city of Elko for medical attention. Despite the efforts of the doctors, the injury was too severe. Friend Ives Stone succumbed to his wound the following day, on September 25, 1907, leaving behind a wife and six children. The official investigation into the incident concluded that the death of Deputy Constable Stone was the result of an accidental discharge of his own firearm. Consequently, no suspects were sought, and no arrests were made in connection with the tragic end to his brief career in law enforcement.
