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Policeman

Matthew Clowry

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Felonious

End of Watch March 31, 1934

Age 49

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Badge 710

The Vigil Panel 67 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 378

Incident

Policeman Clowry died of a wound he received on November 21st, 1932, when he was shot in the head by bandits he caught robbing a building and loan at Richmond Street and Indiana Avenue. Patrolman Matthew Clowry was detailed to guard a meeting of the Commonwealth Building and Loan Association on the evening of November 21, 1932. Shortly before nine o’clock, three masked and armed men burst through the doorway and shouted “Hands up!” Looking straight at the barrels of two revolvers and a sawed off shot gun, only ten feet away, Patrolman Clowry disregarded the call and reached for his own revolver. At the same instant two of the bandits shot point blank at his head and both a revolver bullet and the charge from the gun struck the front of his cap and inflicted a bad scalp wound above his right eye. Stunned by the shot, the patrolman fell, and although semi-conscious while another bandit stood over him, he tried to pull his gun on the gang as they ran from the building with the stolen cash. He succeeded in shooting once at the five bandits as they left in an automobile and then went to a Police Signal Box to report the hold-up, at which point he collapsed from wounds and loss of blood. The suspects were later captured because of a description given by Policeman Clowry. Policeman Clowry had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 22 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

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Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

22 years. You could have gone home.
Policeman Clowry gave the Philadelphia Police Department 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Policeman Clowry.

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

Agency

Department Philadelphia Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Platform Identity ppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 31, 1934

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Age 49

Badge Number 710

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1934, 178 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 16th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Matthew was 49. 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. Matthew had served 22 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

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 gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded