Patrolman Ralph W. Henderson

Ralph W. Henderson

Patrolman Ralph Henderson succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained ten days earlier after ordering a man off of a portion of a city street.

On Sunday, June 23, 1912, Patrolman Henderson responded to a call of a drunken individual causing a disturbance. The suspect suddenly produced a handgun and shot Patrolman Henderson in the neck.

Patrolman Henderson died after contracting pneumonia and blood poisoning while recovering from the wound in the hospital.

The suspect was arrested at his home by Chief Leiner an hour after the shooting. The suspect had already served three terms in the Ohio Penitentiary for assault with intent to kill, stabbing, and arson. The suspect was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. He died in prison on August 30, 1919, of heart disease. He was an expert carpenter who built the electric chair at the Ohio Penitentiary.

Patrolman Henderson was survived by his wife and two children.