City Marshal Charles Whitney Smith

Charles Whitney Smith

City Marshal Charles Smith was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man who had just committed an armed robbery.

He had responded to a call of an armed robbery and observed the suspect board a passing a Pacific Electric streetcar. Marshal Smith also boarded the streetcar struck up a conversation with the man. After determining he was the same subject involved in the robbery he told the man he was under arrest.

The man immediately tried to flee the streetcar as it passed through Klondike Park, a neighborhood between Ivanhoe and Elysian Heights, as Marshal Smith attempted to stop him. The man shot Marshal Smith in the neck with a .44 caliber revolver and jumped from the streetcar.

Marshal Smith was taken to Receiving Hospital where he died of his wound.

The suspect was later shot and killed by other detectives.

The city of Tropico consolidated with the city of Glendale on January 9th, 1918, exactly three years after Marshal Smith's murder.

Marshal Smith was survived by his wife.