Patrolman John V. Cain, Jr.

John V. Cain, Jr.

Patrolman John Cain was shot and killed while he and another officer attempted to disperse a crowd at a nearby saloon. One of the people in the crowd, a parolee from the Indiana State Prison, opened fire, striking Patrolman Cain.

The suspect had recently been released from prison for assault and battery with intent to kill. He was suffering from tuberculosis and was sent home to die. One of his last acts at the penitentiary was helping to construct the electric chair and liked to boast that he was the first person to sit in it.

He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On October 16, 1914, he was the third person to be executed by electrocution in the state.

Patrolman Cain had served with the Evansville Police Department for 14 years. He was survived by his wife and two children.