Readers of the Hamilton Times of October 26, 1903 had been shocked to read that a member of the Hamilton Police had been shot and was in the City Hospital. There seemed to be little hope for Police Constable James Barron, to survive.
The morning edition of the Times for the Tuesday, October 27, 1903, hit the streets with the large headline , ““P.C. Barron is Dead and Murderer At Large.” Newsboys throughout the downtown core called out the tragic news. A brisk business selling copies of the city newspapers kept up through Hamilton, as citizens were anxious to learn the latest developments in the shocking incident
The Times reporter assigned to record the story of the policeman’s passing wrote the story with compassion:
““After a day and night of intense suffering, the grim reaper claimed his victim. Conscious up to the last, and with his wife and family gathered around him, realizing that the end was near, poor James Barron answered the call and passed away shortly before 2 o'clock’ this morning.”.”1
P.C. Barron had been on his beat when police were called to a home where a burglary was in progress. In checking the rear of the house, Barron was confronted by an armed man who shot immediately.
The wounded constable was immediately taken to the nearby Hamilton City Hospital on Barton street:
“From the time he entered the hospital and the first search for the bullet was made, the doctors saw it was a fight against big odds. Rev. John Young was with him up to the end.”1
Barron was a husband and father of five children, four daughters and a son. He was conscious but in intense pain at the hospital. His wife was notified as soon as possible:
“It was 1:30 on Monday morning when his family was notified of the terrible tragedy. It came like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. A strong, healthy man in the prime of life, leaving his family at 6:30 in the evening, to be carried to the hospital a few hours after in a dying condition.
“P.C. Campaign took the sad information. It was an awful shock to his poor wife, and she has been on the verge of nervous collapse ever since; also, his eldest daughter, Mamie. She had been away for the past week on holidays and returned just a few moments after her father had left to go on his beat. When she next saw him, it was in a dying condition, lying on a cot in the City Hospital. Miss Barron immediately went over to the City Hospital, which is a short distance from her home. The injured man requested that his wife be brought to him. This was done, and from 2 o’clock on Monday morning until he passed away this morning, Mrs. Barron and her daughter have kept up a constant watch. Other members of his family were also present during the day. He made a request to see his other daughters and they were sent for. The heads and members of the police force were at the hospital at various times yesterday, and the phone at that place was kept busy answering the calls as to his condition.”1
During the morning and afternoon, Barron had been occasionally very conscious, and able to speak:
“During the day he spoke a few words now and then to the members of his family, and the police officials who visited him. Detective Bleakley went down to see him yesterday morning. The Chief and Detective Coulter were down last night at 10 o’clock, as was also Sergeant Pinch. These were the last officials to see him alive. The other detectives and officers were down during the day.
“The dying officer realized that his end was near, and to Chief Smith, he said : ‘Chief, I guess this is my last night on earth.’ He also told them he was suffering intense pain.
“To all the police and everyone else with whom he spoke he told the same story with regard to the shooting. He had answered the call for police, and remarking, ‘it’s pretty dark down there, sprang himself over the fence and walked down the gravel path to death. He told the police of the command, ‘Hands up or you’re a dead man.’ Before he had time to move, the shots were fired.”1
Barron’s condition improved slightly during the day and into the early evening, raising hopes that perhaps recovery might be possible. However around 1 a.m, Barron’s condition declined rapidly:
“About half an hour before he passed away, Barron was unable to talk at all, although he was conscious and made a great effort to speak. With his family gathering around him, he passed away just before 2 o’clock. Before death, the murdered man made his will, and attended to other family affairs.”
“The news of his death travelled quickly, and cast a great gloom over the whole police force. The men on their beats are going around with solemn faces today, for ‘Jimmy’ was a great friend with all of them. He was jovial and good-natured, and his heart was as big with kindness as could be. Twenty minutes before he was shot, the murdered man was at No. 3 Police Station and was speaking to the deskman, Hawkins. A short time after, Hawkins was notified to call the ambulance for his comrade, who was even then thought to be dying. Barron was the soul of good-nature. Before drawing his last breath, he freely forgave the assassin who took his life. He said to his family, ‘I forgive him for what he has done.’
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