Peter N. Klein

Illinois Department of Corrections — Springfield, IL

Felonious

End of Watch May 5, 1926

Age 41

The Vigil Panel 117 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 31

Incident

Deputy Warden Peter Klein was stabbed and beaten to death in his office at the Joliet State Prison. Seven inmates had asked to see the warden, and when he entered his office, they attacked him. He was stabbed with a knife and scissors and hit over the head with an iron bar. The suspects then took a guard and trusty hostage and escaped from the prison. The two hostages were later tied to a tree as the inmates continued their escape. Five of the seven escapees were captured within five days. A police officer and posse member were shot and wounded during the arrest near Leonore, Illinois. The remaining two suspects were eventually apprehended, and on November 26, 1926, six of the seven suspects were convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On March 12th, 1927, the six convicted suspects staged a daring escape at the Will County Jail in Joliet. Three of the suspects were subdued by guards. The other three, with the help of a guard, escaped. They forced a cab driver to drive them to south Chicago where they were stopped by three Chicago police officers. In an exchange of gunfire with the suspects, Patrolman Leo Grant of the Chicago Police Department was shot and killed, while another officer and the cab driver were seriously wounded. One of the suspects was mortally wounded, one was captured, and the other suspect escaped. The captured suspect had also been convicted of killing Active Lieutenant Terrence Lyons, was returned to prison, and was executed by hanging on July 15th, 1927, at the Will County Jail. Two of the three suspects who the guards stopped were executed by hanging the same day. On October 10th, 1928, at the Will County Jail, the third suspect was the last person to be executed by hanging in the state before the method was replaced by electrocution. He was also serving a life sentence for the murder of Park Policeman Harry J. Busse of the South Park District Police Department, Illinois, on January 26, 1922. Warden Klein was survived by his wife and mothe

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Warden Klein served with the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Thank you for your service to the people of Illinois. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Warden Klein.

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

Agency

Department Illinois Department of Corrections

Type Corrections

Location Springfield, Sangamon County, IL

Platform Identity illicorr.sangamon.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 5, 1926

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Peter is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1926, 209 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 9th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Peter was 41. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

May holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was edged weapon, in 2.2% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded