BOSTON — Policing has changed drastically over the last century, but one thing has stayed the same: Boston Police always remember the men and women who have died while serving the city.
Police on Friday remembered Patrolman Thomas Edmond Young, who died on Jan. 10, 1912 from complications from an injury he suffered while responding to an emergency call. He was 32.
A few months later, in April of that year, the world would mourn the loss of hundreds of passengers who died when the Titanic sank southeast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Young served with the Boston Police Department for 12 years, assigned to the Roxbury Station, police said. He was appointed to the force in 1900.
Police noted Young’s bravery as a patrolman at another time in his career, when he nabbed the rape suspect who shot and killed Boston Police Sgt. Frederick Schlehuber while the sergeant questioned the man in the District Attorney’s Office in what is now the John Adams Courthouse.
On Jan. 3, 1912, the 32-year-old Young responded to a fire at a horse stable on Dudley Street in the Mount Pleasant Historic District of Roxbury.
While trying to rescue horses from the blaze, he “inhaled a significant amount of smoke, leading to pleurisy that developed into pneumonia,” police said. Young died at his home days later, on Jan. 10, 1912.
“In addition to his dedication during the fire, Patrolman Young was known for his bravery in apprehending the individual responsible for the murder of Sergeant Frederick Schlehuber on November 10, 1910,” police said. “Following the shooting in the District Attorney’s Office in Pemberton Square, Young intervened, disarmed the suspect, and placed him under arrest, risking his own life in the process.”
Young left behind his wife and was laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery in Mattapan.
“His service and sacrifice are remembered by the Boston Police Department and the broader community,” police said.
Young’s name has been added to the Hero Wall at Boston Police Headquarters “to honor his commitment and bravery,” police said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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