Honoring Our Fallen Heroes
Ofc. Joseph S. Lee was killed on March 19, in a motorcycle accident while chasing a speeding motorist.
As Lee entered an intersection, an oil truck pulled out in front of him. The impact caused Lee to be thrown from the motorcycle into a light pole, killing him instantly.
Lee had been with the San Diego Police Department for four years.
His wife survived him.
On Sunday, Jan. 30, 1921, at 2100 hours, Deputy Marshal Frank O. Real was on duty serving the citizens of the City of Los Banos when he was shot and killed during an armed robbery of the Olson and Bianculli pool hall.
Deputy Marshal Real was on duty and had been at Olson and Bianculli’s pool hall for a few minutes when a man entered through the back door armed with a .38-56 caliber Model 1886 Winchester repeating rifle. The robber ordered everyone in the room to leave by the front door. Some men were standing near the bar when the robber fired a shot that struck a slot machine. The patrons began to leave the premises with their hands up when the robber fired a second shot striking Deputy marshal Real in the back. Real had not raised his hands as the patrons had done and the Los Banos Enterprise opined that the robber knew Real was a peace officer and that Real was attempting to gain a position of advantage before drawing his gun.
The robber fled with over $400 dollars in currency and gold and remains at large.
Real was well respected in his community and by the law enforcement fraternity in the San Joaquin Valley. Every year since Real’s appointment on Nov. 1, 1911, he would take a leave of absence and return to his agricultural roots and help with the local grain harvest.
Real was born in Gilroy, CA on August 3, 1872, and resided in Los Banos area for more than 30 years. His mother and seven children survived Real, a widower.
On Jan. 14, 1921, Wellington L. Aubery, the Chief Fresno County Traffic Officer, was killed while in the performance of his law enforcement duties.
Aubery was in pursuit of a speeding vehicle traveling on Kearney Avenue in Fresno County. He lost control of his vehicle due to slippery road conditions, and in an attempt to avoid tipping over, guided his vehicle off the roadway and attempted to drive between a clump of oleanders and a palm tree. Aubery’s vehicle struck the palm tree causing the car to roll over, pinning him under the vehicle.
A passing motorist who summoned an ambulance extricated Aubery from his vehicle. He was transported to Burnett Sanitarium where physicians attempted to save his life.
Aubery was appointed by the Fresno County District Attorney M.F. McCormick. DA McCormick advised the Board of Supervisors of his appointment of Aubery. On Sept. 6, 1917, the Board took up the matter of the appointment of Traffic Officers. The Board ratified the appointments and the monthly compensation of $125 and $.03 per mile for the use of the privately owned motorcycles when used in the discharge of their duties.
“Gun shot from City Marshal Reives’ right hand as he tries to capture two burglars, brave officer is shot twice by desperadoes in brush” was the caption in the local news paper.
City Marshal Reives’ gun was shot out of his right as he commanded two daylight burglars he sighted to come out from behind a manzanita bush and surrender. A second shot an instant later struck the officer in the back as he turned, striking him near the spinal column but not going through his body.
City Marshal Reives, who was alone, dropped to the ground bleeding from two wounds, helpless but conscious.
The desperadoes fled in the gathering darkness. The shooting occurred at 5 o’clock Sunday January 9, 1921. Marshal Reives was located by Officer Dave Pickens near the old powder house a mile below town and between the railroad and the Anderson road. Pickens ran to the closest home a quarter of a mile away and telephoned for other officers, the ambulance and physicians and gave a brief summary of what had happened. Pickens than returned to Marshal Reives to render help to his fallen comrade.
Marshal Reives was taken to St. Carolina hospital and given first aid by Dr. C.E. Reed. It was found that a bone in the right hand had been shattered by the first bullet fired by the burglar. The second bullet entered the back about the last rib but did not go clear through.
One of the desperados was captured the following Tuesday when Sheriff Richardson warned John Hume and Luther Raglan, Officers in Kennett, to be on the lookout. The officers located the two and ordered them to stop.
They ran in answer to his command. Officer Raglan fired and winged one of them in the leg. The wounded man dropped to the ground and the other stopped by his side.
One uncertain report said the “wounded” man was left for dead by Hume and Raglan, who took the other desperado off to the town calaboose for safekeeping, who was later identified as George Schulte. When they returned the “dead” or “wounded” man was gone. The second desperado was later taken into custody on a train in the Castella area by Deputies Jack Mattos and Dan J. Kirby.
On January 12 the two desperados were taken to Red Bluff as a precaution against a possible lynching for shooting Marshal Reives.
Marshal Reives died Friday morning January 14 at 10:20 a.m. from his wounds. Up to within ten minutes of the end, Reives was conscious and talked to those at the bedside.
John W. Reives was born in the town of Point Commerce, Greene County, Indiana, on January 7, 1862. His family moved to Kansas where upon reaching manhood he married Laura L. Rees.
The couple came to California and lived the San Francisco and Oakland area. They moved to the Hat Creek Valley in 1885. John Reives worked for 21 years as a farmer.
In 1907 he moved to Redding and opened the feed and livery stable at the corner of Pine and Yuba St. Mr. Reives was appointed Marshal when Marshal A.M. Cochran retired.
Mr. Reives is survived by his mother and his wife; a son and daughter; and two brothers.
Source- Shasta County Library
Constable Herbert Glidden was assigned to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lancaster office at the time of his murder. William H. McCabe stole a car in San Francisco, attached plates from another vehicle and stopped to buy a can of yellow paint to disguise it further. The paint was still wet when deputies saw the car parked outside a Lancaster restaurant. When questioned, McCabe panicked and tried to drive away. Constable Glidden jumped on the running board and stuck his revolver through the open window. A curtain kept Glidden from seeing McCabe draw his own weapon. McCabe fired; Constable Glidden fell dead as the car sped away. Posses of armed citizens rode through the desert on horseback while search airplanes flew overhead. McCabe died in a gun battle with Special Deputy Will Suffelton.