Turnkey Fredrick Pfliiger

Fredrick Pfliiger

Turnkey Frederick Pfliiger was shot and killed by an inmate who was attempting to escape the State Prison at Charlestown.

The prisoner had been attending a religious service in the chapel. When the prisoners were returning to their cells, a count of the line revealed that the suspect was missing. The escape alarm was sounded and Turnkey Pfliiger ran to assist in the search. As Turnkey Pfliiger approached the suspect's hiding spot, the suspect appeared and opened fire, killing Turnkey Pfliiger. The suspect then exchanged several shots with other guards before he was finally taken into custody.

The suspect later told guards that he found the gun on a bench in the prison shop. He was serving a sentence of 15 to 18 years he received in 1927 for armed robbery. His criminal record dated back to 1921 when he was classified as a juvenile delinquent. On two occasions he shot it out with officers before he was arrested. He was convicted of Turnkey Pfliiger's murder and executed in the electric chair on December 3, 1929.

Turnkey Pfliiger had served with the Massachusetts Department of Correction for 20 years.