Dunmore Borough Police Department, Pennsylvania
End of Watch: Wednesday, August 15, 1900
Age: 38
Tour of Duty: 4 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: August 14, 1900
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Never tried
Patrolman James Golden succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day while attempting to arrest two men who were fighting outside of a saloon near the intersection of Chestnut Street and Willow Street.
One of the subjects resisted arrest and struggled with Patrolman Golden. The man's brother then retrieved a .32 caliber revolver from inside of a nearby barber shop and handed it to the man, who then shot Patrolman Golden in the torso. Patrolman Golden was taken to Lackawanna Hospital where he died the following day.
The subject fled the country to his native Italy following the murder. He was recognized in Italy as a suspect in a murder that occurred 13 years prior. He then fled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where hew as arrested in November 1905. The Lackawanna County commissioners denied the money needed to extradite him from Argentina and the man was eventually released from custody. He was never extradited or tried for Patrolman Golden's murder.
Patrolman Golden had served with the Dunmore Borough Police Department for only four months. He was survived by his wife and four children.