Officer John C. Middlekauff

John C. Middlekauff

Officer John Middlekauff succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained on August 15th, 1914, at about 3:00 am while investigating suspicious men in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad yards between Antietam Street and Baltimore Street.

He had split up from the other two officers as the three searched for the suspects. The other officers heard two gunshots and located Officer Middlekauff suffering from a wound in his abdomen. Two suspects were apprehended and positively identified by Officer Middlekauff from his death bed in the hospital.

Officer Middlekauff's killer was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Officer Middlekauff was a veteran of the Spanish American War and had served with the Hagerstown Police Department for 2-1/2 years. He was survived by his wife and father.