Murphy E. Flory

Hagerstown Police Department — Hagerstown, MD

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch June 26, 1901

Age 31

The Vigil Panel 17 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

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: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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

Department Hagerstown Police Department

Location Hagerstown, 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; .32 caliber

Offender Committed suicide in jail

Military Service

Murphy E. Flory served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Officer Murphy E. Flory 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 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 2.5 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

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

of 6 officers

66.7% Felonious

MD — Statewide

195

of 377 officers

51.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious