Incident
Constable Hiram Ross was shot and killed, along with his nephew, as he attempted to serve a civil judgment on a man at his home six miles from Huntingdon.
The man's former attorney had won a judgment against him as the result of a disputed legal bill. Constable Ross was instructed to serve the judgment on the man and located him in an outbuilding on the man's property. When the man refused to come out of the building Constable Ross climbed through the window. The man fatally shot him and his nephew, who was deputized to assist, as he approached.
The subject, 50, was later arrested and charged with murder. The next night an angry mob surrounded the jail and demanded the sheriff and his deputy to release the suspect to them. When the sheriff refused they knocked a hole in the wall. Apparently the sheriff gave the suspect a gun to defend himself. As three men crawled through the hole the suspect shot the three, mortally wounding one. When he allowed the other two to crawl back through the hole, the mob retreated and dispersed. On September 24, 1891, he was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to death. A new trial was ordered in 1893 resulting in a life sentence. On July 19, 1907, he was pardoned by Governor Malcolm R. Patterson.
Constable Ross was survived by his wife and six children.
Survivors
Constable Ross was survived by his wife and six children.
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
136 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Ross served with the Carroll County Constable's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Huntingdon community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable Hiram Casey Ross 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 TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 10.6 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. Hiram Casey Ross's cause is highlighted.
How Hiram Casey Ross Compares
Offender Outcome
Pardoned in 1907
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Hiram Casey Ross is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Hiram Casey Ross was killed by shotgun.