John Gaffney

Death by Force

In the winter of 1912, a dedicated Newark police detective, John J. Gaffney, a 38-year-old white male, met a tragic and untimely end. His death came on the evening of December 6th, a Friday, a day that would be his last in a 12-year career of service to the city. The night was likely cold as he and a fellow officer patrolled the Central Railroad yards near Lafayette Street, a place of shadows and industry. It was here they observed three men whose suspicious behavior prompted the officers to app ...Read More

Detective John J. Gaffney

Reflections for Detective John J. Gaffney