Night Watchman Andrew W. McNaughton

Andrew W. McNaughton

Night Watchman Andrew McNaughton was shot and killed while attempting to arrest three men in a Japanese pool hall in the red light district. One of the men during a struggle with the three stuck a pistol in his ear and fired. His body was found in an alley behind the pool hall the following morning. One suspect was arrested days later. On November 1, 1909, another suspect was arrested in Los Angeles. He gave the location of the third suspect, also the gunman, who was arrested four days later in El Paso, Texas.

Two trials for murder of the first suspect ended with hung juries. With new information from the other two, he was to be tried a third time. He went insane and was committed in Patton Asylum where he died on February 18, 1915. In March of 1910 the gunman was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. He was paroled on March 24, 1925. No trial information could be found concerning the third suspect, but he was expected to get off light because he gave the police a lot of information.