Fred Menhennett

Michigan Department of Corrections — Lansing, MI

Felonious

End of Watch December 12, 1921

The Vigil Panel 42 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 14

Incident

Warden Theodore Catlin and Deputy Warden Fred Menhennett, of the Marquette Branch Prison, were both stabbed by Arthur (Gypsy Bob) Harper on December 11, 1921. The attack occurred during an afternoon movie showing at the prison. Harper, with two other inmates, hiding in the theater ran up to Warden Catlin and stabbed him repeatedly. Warden Menhennett tried to intercede and was mortally wounded in the process. Harper and his two accomplices chased Catlin down and continued their attack before finally being subdued. Menhennett died at the next day, while Catlin lived for six more weeks. Harper was reportedly angry at the new warden for taking away some of his freedoms as awarded by the previous warden. Harper, age 42, was then and now known as Michigan''s most dangerous inmate. A notorious gangster, he had a criminal record dating back 30 years. He had been transferred from Jackson Prison to Marquette in 1919 after he murdered a fellow inmate. He was never tried for the warden's murders but was flogged every day for several weeks. Flogging was a form of punishment allowed in the 1920s. He spent 17 years in solitary confinement and died in prison in 1953 of a heart attack. Harpers two accomplices were also never tried. Both were punished with solitary confinement. One was released from solitary after 12 years and released from prison in 1936 after he had served his term for burglary. The other, in solitary, went insane in 1933 and was transferred to Ionia Hospital for the criminally insane where he died in 1968.

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Tributes

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

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

Agency

Department Michigan Department of Corrections

Type Corrections

Location Lansing, Ingham County, MI

Platform Identity michcorr.ingham.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 12, 1921

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Fred 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 1921, 248 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, more than in any other year.

Every year on record · United States

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month

By day of the week

III

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