Roll of Honor
George S. Newcomb
Incident
Location: Illinois Incident Date: Thursday, May 31, 1894 Weapon: Handgun Offender: Not available
Special Agent George Newcomb was shot and killed while investigating a scam involving several conmen who were conspiring with a special agent of the Grand Trunk Railroad.
He had observed the corrupt special agent speaking to the man in a saloon and the confronted them after they boarded a Grand Trunk passenger train. The other agent attempted to bribe Agent Newcomb by offering him a share of the proceeds of their scam, but Agent Newcomb refused and was then shot by one of the men in the area of 14th Street as the train approached Dearborn Station on the elevated tracks.
Agent Newcomb was taken to Mercy Hospital where he made an antemortem statement that the corrupt agent had instructed one of the men to shoot him after he refused the bribe. The other agent was arrested but later released due to lack of evidence.
Agent Newcomb was survived by his wife.
Survivors
Agent Newcomb was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
132 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Special Agent Newcomb served with the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Special Agent George S. Newcomb is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IL, 842 of 1,318 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 9.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. George S. Newcomb's cause is highlighted.
How George S. Newcomb Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. George S. Newcomb is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. George S. Newcomb was killed by handgun.