Special Policeman George White was walking his beat in the area of 6th Street and Alice at 11:45 p.m., Nov. 25, 1907. As a special policeman, he was hired to protect all the businesses in Chinatown during the evening hours. Besides checking the doors of the closed shops to make sure they were locked, he also made security inspections of the open businesses to insure that the peace was being kept.

When he reached Hennings Brothers Saloon, he opened the door and stepped inside, never suspecting that two “thugs” were holding up the bartender and rifling the cash register. As he cleared the doorway, the thieves saw the shining star and opened fire. White was struck three times. Shot in the hand and the heart, he fell to the floor unconscious. The robbers made their way over the body of the fallen policeman and made good their escape. Few clues were left at the scene.

The bartender called for assistance, and the police were ordered to “scour the City and arrest all suspicious characters.”

Officer White, 32, succumbed of his wounds before reaching the hospital. He was appointed to his position with the Oakland Police Department in July 1906. He was survived by his wife and son.