Murphy E. Flory
Agency patch
Officer

Murphy E. Flory

Hagerstown Police Department — Hagerstown, MD
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch June 26, 1901
Age 31
The Vigil Panel 17 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Murphy Flory was shot and killed at the Norfolk and Western Railroad freight yards while making his normal rounds. He responded to the sounds of gunshots at approximately 5:30 pm. A railroad employee who had just been fired had returned to the yards and shot the yard master. As Officer Flory approached the suspect the man shot him in the in the right side and the round struck him in the heart. Before falling, Officer Flory was able to return fire and wounded the suspect, who was taken into custody by witnesses. The suspect, charged with two counts of murder, was found dead in his jail cell on September 8th, 1901, after he poisoned himself. Officer Flory was a veteran of the Spanish American War.

Survivors

He was survived by his father and two brothers.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MD-268FEDBB
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Flory served with the Hagerstown Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Hagerstown community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Hagerstown, Washington County, MD
Platform Identity hpd.washington.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 26, 1901
Age 31
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Murphy E. Flory served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Murphy E. Flory 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In MD, 195 of 377 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 51.7% of this state's fallen. That is 51.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Hagerstown Police Department, 4 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Hagerstown Police Department
4
of 6 officers
66.7% Felonious
MD — Statewide
195
of 377 officers
51.7% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Murphy E. Flory's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Murphy E. Flory Compares

Age at Death
31
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Murphy E. Flory is highlighted in Jun.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Murphy E. Flory was killed by handgun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location

Military Service

Murphy E. Flory served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit Murphy E. Flory’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.