Constable William F. Madden

William F. Madden

Constable William Madden was shot and killed while he and another officer were transporting five suspects to a nearby fire station.

The officers had caught the five men burglarizing a textile factory and arrested them. Because they were both foot patrol officers they had the men drive themselves to a nearby fire station as the two officer rode on the running boards. During the drive one of the men in the back seat produced a revolver and shot Constable Madden twice, knocking him from the car. The other officer jumped off of the running board at the same time. Although wounded, Constable Madden fired five shots at the vehicle, striking it four times, but did not wound any of the suspects.

One of the suspects was arrested that night after a police chase in Hartford, Connecticut. Two others were arrested several days later in New Jersey and the other two, including the suspect who shot Constable Madden, fled the country.

The suspects were committing the robbery in order to obtain money to bail out two brothers who were in jail in New Jersey for the murder of Patrolman William Gudehus, of the Hoboken Police Department, on October 10, 1918. The gang was also suspected of being involved with the murders of an unidentified railroad detective and an unidentified night watchman in New Jersey.

Constable Madden was a U.S. Army veteran of the Spanish-American War veteran and had served with the Manchester Police Department for 11 years. He was survived by his expectant wife and daughter. His second daughter was born two days after his funeral.