Constable James Barron
Hamilton Police Department
Ontario
End of Watch: Tuesday, October 27, 1903

Biographical Info
Age: 46
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Not available
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available

Constable Barron was summoned to a residence to investigate a prowler. He discovered a man on a ladder trying to pry open a window of a house owned by the city solicitor. A second man was not visible to the constable.

He confronted the man asking, "What are you doing here?" At the turn of the century Hamilton police were unarmed. Barron didn't even have a dark lantern. (Used by officers in the downtown core.) The second man fired 3 shots at Barron. The first 2 missed but the 3rd struck a buckle on his suspenders and deflected it into his side, breaking a rib and went through his bowel and lodged into his back muscle. He was taken to hospital and had surgery. The content of his bowel caused a severe infection which was fatal.

His murder remains unsolved.