Constable Hiram Smith

Hiram Smith

Constable Hiram Smith was shot and killed as he and the Jackson police chief questioned a man suspected of stealing an automobile.

The suspect was located at a local restaurant on College Avenue but claimed he was not the man they were looking for. The suspect insisted he had papers in his room on the second floor of the building that would identify him. The officers were both shot after accompanying the man to his room to locate the papers. The police chief recovered from his wounds.

The suspect was convicted of Constable Smith's murder and was sentenced to death. He was executed in the electric chair on February 26, 1943.

Constable Smith was survived by his wife and three children.