Roll of Honor
Matthew E. McGrath
Incident
Special Detective Matthew McGrath was shot and killed just before midnight by three thieves in a Pullman railroad car in the Illinois Central Yard in the area of East 27th Street in Chicago, Illinois. Due to continued thefts of brass and other valuable fixtures from the interiors of the Pullman cars, the Illinois Central detailed an extra force to patrol the yards and McGrath and his partner were sent out. The detectives boarded the train, made up of empty Pullman cars, to go to the 'Y' at 72nd Street. McGrath hid in a clothes closet and his partner hid under a seat. The detectives had been in the car only a few minutes when a door was forced open and three men entered. At that moment, McGrath slipped out of the closet and faced them. As he did so, one of them raised a revolver, fired a bullet striking McGrath just above the heart. He was killed instantly. Just as the shot that killed McGrath was fired, the second detective came out from under the seat to assist his comrade. One of the robbers felled him in turn with a blow on the head with a revolver. In spite of his wound, the detective fought with one of the men and struggled through the car in the aisle where McGrath lay. Another of the robbers saw an opening and fired point blank at the detective, who received the bullet over the heart and fell to the floor. In another car were two other detectives who heard the gunfire. Unable to distinguish the forms of the struggling men and were at first hesitant to shoot. After the second detective fell, the backup officers rushed into the car. The thieves, not expecting this new attack, turned and jumped through the car windows, carrying the glass with them, running down the yards towards Fourteenth Street. One of the other detectives fired several shots after the fleeing men. By this time, the full force of the railroad detectives was alerted and hurrying toward the fatal Pullman car. With the sound of crashing glass, they turned to learn the cause and saw the men runnin
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-RR-6C62C2D2- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Special Agent McGrath gave the Illinois Central Railroad Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent McGrath.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Special Agent Matthew E. McGrath is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 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 63.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Illinois Central Railroad Police Department, 10 of 12 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Matthew E. McGrath's cause is highlighted.
How Matthew E. McGrath Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Matthew E. McGrath is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Matthew E. McGrath was killed by gun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
11 officers from Illinois Central Railroad Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
