Nov. 27, 1925, 10 p.m.: Officer Robert Black is on duty in Elm Square. With him is Officer Saunders, who answers the ringing phone at the police call box. Lawrence police say a car has been stolen. Saunders gives the plate number of the car to Black and goes home to supper.
10:15 p.m: The police box rings again and Black answers. The Lawrence Police say there's been a holdup at the A&P in South Lawrence, and the robbers or robber is driving toward Andover. Two minutes later, Black sees an automobile with a smoking front wheel moving south through Elm Square. He signals the driver to stop, but the driver ignores him.
Black recognizes the plate number and runs after the car, which is going slow due to its mechanical troubles. The car stops in front of the Andover Savings Bank at the northwest corner of Chestnut and Main streets. The driver, who is alone, leaves the car and jogs down Chestnut Street. Harry Schofield and Joseph Rand are standing at the northeast corner of the intersection. Schofield comments that the car must be stolen.
Officer Black runs down Chestnut Street in pursuit, sees someone and draws his revolver; however he recognizes it is a local resident, Henry York, and holsters his gun. He quickly explains the situation to York. While Black continues his search, York rushes into the Knights of Columbus building, which is behind the bank, and tells those inside what happened. Frank McBride, an off-duty policeman, is among the men who leave the building to see what's going on. All but McBride go and stand near the car. McBride pulls himself over a fence to search the area around the bank grounds.
10:30 p.m.: Black sees a man walking on the west side of Main Street and gets about six yards behind him. Black says something to the man, which is inaudible to nearby witnesses. The man turns and walks up to Black as if to speak to him. Black does not pull out his gun. It's possible he sees that the man has a gun in his hand. When the man is three feet from Black, he brings up his hand. He has a gun in it and fires two shots point blank at Black. The man turns and jogs away from Black, who falls and says, "I'm shot, I'm shot." Black pulls out his revolver and fires four shots at the fleeing criminal. There is no evidence the criminal is hit. Officer Black has been hit in the chest and neck, slicing an artery.
The shooter runs slowly toward Elm Square, then turns left toward Essex and Central streets. Men run to Black to assist him. He hands his revolver to Bernard McDonald who gives it to Officer McBride.
Black is put in a car that heads toward Lawrence General Hospital. Dr. J.J. Daly, one of the men from the Knights of Columbus, is in the car aiding Black. Nevertheless, Black bleeds to death before reaching an operating table.
10:50 p.m.: At the scene of the shooting, Officer McBride commandeers James Low's car, using the headlights to search the area of Essex and Central streets. Just before McBride's search, a car driven by James Toohey went through Elm Square near the top of Essex Street, and a man with a gun jumped on the running board of Toohey's car. Toohey sped up and the man either fell or jumped off the car.
All night, Andover police, assisted by 45 Lawrence officers as well as the state police, search the area. They give up after daylight comes. An expensive overcoat and cartridges thought to belong to the killer are found in a barn behind 22 Central Street. Later, the state police take a fingerprint from the side of Toohey's car. While not identifying the person to the public, the state police indicate the fingerprint belongs to a man who had lived in Salem, New Hampshire but moved to Boston. They say that the man is dangerous.
Officer Black, age 27, was a courageous, handsome man, who was a veteran of the World War. The murderer was never found. Each year, the rank and file of the Andover Police Department gives the Robert T. Black Award. It is given to a member of the Andover police department for outstanding service.
This column is derived from a one written a few years ago by Bill Dalton. He writes a weekly column for the Andover Townsman and can be contacted at billdalton@andovertownie.com.
